A candidate called me last month. He had two job offers on the table and wanted advice.
There were three options:
1: Stay put in a safe but stagnant role.
2: Join a high-growth startup.
3: Go into consulting.
I thought I’d share what I told him since it might apply to you, too. (And it’s what I’ve told hundreds of treasury professionals in similar positions).
Startups can be career accelerators… if they’re the right ones.
I’ve recruited for both ends of the startup spectrum: from Boo.com (which famously sold just ONE handbag in a day before going bust) to multi-billion-dollar, well-funded businesses with serious backers.
The difference is that one burns through cash and hopes for the best. The other knows they can pay you next week, next month, and next year while giving you the freedom to make decisions from day one.
If you’re thinking of jumping into a startup, ask the blunt questions:
- Who’s funding you?
- How long is your runway?
- Are you growing fast because you can, or because you’re desperate?
Now, consulting. It often looks appealing, but it’s not always what you think…
If you’re mid-career, the temptation of consulting has likely crossed your mind. But without years of firefighting experience behind you, you’ll be trying to give “best practice” advice you haven’t lived through.
And the reality inside many firms is this:
The partner wins the project, then disappears. You’re sent in as the cheapest resource, expected to grind away for weeks, then six weeks later, the partner strolls back in and takes all the credit.
That’s not mentorship. That’s farming you out.
So, consulting might be brilliant for you… but maybe in your next-next role, not this one.
And that brings us to the last one…
Should you stay put?
My answer would be: only if there’s more to learn.
You don’t have to stay three years to “prove” anything anymore. The pace has changed.
If you’ve learned the job, delivered on it, and there’s no progression, sticking around isn’t loyalty – it’s stagnation.
So if you’re in a role that has turned into simple cash flows with no chance of promotion, and you’re bored after two years, I wouldn’t hesitate:
Move.
The general rule of thumb is that your next role might not be perfect, but if it gets you closer to the treasurer you want to become, it’s the right move.
Best regards,
Mike
P.S. Feeling stuck and not sure whether to stay, leap, or pivot? Reply and tell me your options – I’ll tell you what I would do.
