Seeking Collective Wisdom: Career Crossroads & Trade-Offs

RhiB
Mon, 01 Sep 2025 21:29:04 +0000
General

Kia ora koutou,

I’m at a crossroads in my career and would really value your advice.

Over the past few years, I’ve built strong experience as a Business Analyst in government and kaupapa Māori contexts, working on operational policy, systems improvement, and sector reform. With my current organisation closing at the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting on where to head next: deepen the BA pathway, move into strategy or consulting, or build my independent practice.

Right now, though, I have a very real decision in front of me. An exciting opportunity has come up, and it aligns closely with my skills and interests, offers stability, and has clear room to grow strategically. The catch is that it’s below the current market rate for Senior BAs and less than my current salary. Taking it could mean being financially behind for a few years, with slower catch-up in salary progression.

So I’m weighing up:

Strategy vs. salary – is it worth trading financial progression now for long-term alignment and stability?

Security vs. risk – in this market, is this kind of role the best I could realistically expect, or should I hold out for something closer to market rate?

Pathways forward – how have others managed the balance between immediate pay and long-term positioning, especially when stepping into a role that excites you but pays less?

I’d love to hear how others in the Collective have navigated similar decisions, what guided you, what you’d do differently, and how you think about these trade-offs.

Ngā mihi nui,
Rhiannon

7 posts - 3 participants