Being approached about a role you were not looking for is a chance to test your assumptions, whatever you decide.
Unplanned approaches are worth a conversation even when you are content where you are. A structured discussion clarifies what you actually value, which is useful information regardless of the outcome.
Questions worth answering honestly
- What would this role let me do that my current role does not?
- What would I be giving up, including things that are hard to quantify?
- Who would I learn from, and how quickly?
- Does the scope genuinely increase, or only the title?
- How does this decision look against a three-to-five year objective?
Compensation is one variable
An increase that comes with a longer commute, a weaker manager, or a narrower remit is often a step sideways. Consider total package, working pattern, progression path, and stability together rather than treating base salary as the whole comparison.
Decide on your own timeline
A well-run process will give you information, access to the people you would work with, and the space to think. Pressure to decide immediately tells you something about how the organisation makes decisions generally.