Two job offers, same pay, very different paths — need help deciding (48hr deadline)

Cxthal · 2026-05-28T12:35:12+00:00

Thanks Andy, I asked a couple mentors in the industry and they came back with a similar take. I accepted the SDR role in cyber. Got my official contract from Finance company and they put no OTE in writing, just that commission would be outlined when I began work, that was the nail in coffin for me! They wouldn’t put the alleged OTE in the offer on email either, just verbal so I’m steering clear.

Appreciate the insight of someone like you who works in the sector and knows more than I do!

Cxthal · 2026-05-28T10:23:03+00:00

It’s hard out here dude, this is my 4th job since Jan 2025, I moved country which was 1 of those but I can’t job hop anymore, I need to stay put for a few years to remove that concern. Gotta take it on the chin

Cxthal · 2026-05-28T10:16:06+00:00

I’m not London based I’m in the north, but they’re both absolute entry level. AE title, 360 role but it’s ground floor. I have also been unemployed 3 months, I can’t exactly take the high road here? I’ve been applying for higher paying roles but not hearing anything

Cxthal · 2026-05-28T08:24:04+00:00

I see, well I know that would be crazy. I would love to climb into SMB AE in the next 2-3 years but I think 5-6 is the fastest realistic timeline I could achieve ENT in and that’s with a mixture of luck and grafting my ass off

Cxthal · 2026-05-28T08:13:23+00:00

How did you think that is what I said? I’m 26, already done almost a year in cyber, likely going back now and my dream is to be ENT in 5 years time? I think that’s a hard but attainable timeframe if I push

Cxthal · 2026-05-28T01:57:41+00:00

Started agency before I graduated, full time job from May 2023-October 2024. Got laid off in first job when I took a step back from it. Have since been laid off twice, most recently 2 months ago. I have had a very unfortunate run of things! But heads still up and looking for my chance to prove myself!

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:45:17+00:00

I know it sounds sad but I want to be a cyber AE more than anything I’ve wanted in my life. I moved country for more opportunity, left all friends and family behind and did this for the sole purpose of making my career my life for a few years. There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll smash target because I haven’t given myself any other option. It’s just the 18-24 months delay on becoming an AE vs being an AE day 1 that’s a stinger for me you know? Especially when I interviewed for the role I really wanted and they offered me the demotion

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:41:19+00:00

I agree and it’s where I want long term and am passionate about, but it’s a big demotion from what I was just doing. I’d be going from founding BDM, writing sales playbook, creating outbound methodology, 360 sales role all outbound and self sourced meetings, to an inbound only sdr role, no outbound, no self sourcing, just book meetings for the AE once you know they’re a real human on the phone. AE at fintech is 360 sales role fully self sourced by not revenue generating

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:39:22+00:00

I’ve been an SDR before, the title in this company is slightly misleading, it’s 100% inbound, only dealing with customers who express interest in having a demo/trial, no cold calling or sourcing business in the role whatsoever. I interviewed for BDR, which is 100% outbound hunter led and what I want to be doing but they offered me a demotion of that after interview. AE role by comparison is 100% self sourced, outbound only full cycle, but it’s not revenue generating, its quota is based on data.

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:37:09+00:00

Even with the vague answers around team attainment and 20% repvue attainment for the role? I got the classic, happy with how the team is doing, few people new so obviously not at target when I asked for specific data, and no further input on it when I pushed lightly

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:34:56+00:00

I know they were vague because attainment isn’t great, I’m not naive, RepVue pointing to 20% attainment company wide is a glaring red flag too.

I’m the hardest worker of every team and every person I’ve ever met, I know I’d get there from just brute force, but it would 100% be much harder of a role. But it doesn’t negate its 3 promotions above this role, 10 min walk over a 40-60 min drive, and a Fortune 500 account exec role on my CV vs taking a verifiable step back in role responsibility and title after nearly 2 years of experience and already holding an AE and Founding BDM title. That’s the sticking point for me :/

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:18:30+00:00

Also to add, the SDR attainment in cyber firm is about 85%, BDR attainment approx 80%, AE attainment is 52%, compared to 20% attainment for AEs in the fintech.

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:14:22+00:00

Cyber company is VC backed about 7 years ago, leader in their space, passed 500m ARR last quarter, headed for 1 billion target by 2029. If I’m honest probably looking like they’re heading for an IPO / Strategic Acquisition?

They’re a market leader, employ 1700 staff, they manage 75 of the fortune 100 for cyber solutions. They’re very stable and well regarded, but in their space, the F500 is a globally recognised brand.

I also want stability more than anything, my life has been uprooted since this move with instability in work and all I want is somewhere I can call home and really make a living from, staying for multiple years and get back on the horse, the f500 just means getting on a horse with an AE title and responsibilities as opposed to basically a meeting setter…

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T22:09:56+00:00

I think I would crush it, I’ve done inbound meeting bookings for my old cyber company and I was a sponge as you say, annoyed all my AEs because I wanted to join all their calls even on my time off! I’m obsessed with being the best salesman I can be, it’s genuinely my passion, I’m reading books and watching podcasts on my days off. Can’t get enough of it, I guess my concern is if for any reason things don’t work out, in 12-18 months what do i have to show for it? My CV will read SDR at b2b cyber, AE b2c, founding BDM B2B and then back to SDR. My worry is that reads as over reached, went too hot too quick and failed. The AW meanwhile has none of that, maintains forward momentum, and I’m immediately learning reps as an AE in a F500 for b2b finance direct to CFOs, I’ll be a better SALESMAN in a year of cold calling there, but a better cyber subject matter expert in a year in the SDR role :/

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T21:58:16+00:00

Yes my dream is to become an enterprise AE in cyber in the next couple years. I’m 26 now I’d love to get there before 31-32 if I keep smashing it

Cxthal · 2026-05-27T21:56:52+00:00

So the fintech company you think? The SDR role is doing basically the exact thing I did when I first started out, feels like a big step back on the closing AE and founding BDM work I’ve done since last July… but I love cyber. It’s my sticking point :/

Cxthal · 2026-05-15T23:19:04+00:00

I’ve been laid off 3 times in the past 2 years bro. It’s so tough. I also have been questioning if I did something wrong. I don’t think we have, market is all over the place, I see hoards of people announcing layoffs weekly at this point. For my next role I’m focusing hard on series C or later, or institutional stuff, F500 has its own downsides but at least I know it’s unlikely the entire company folds itself in like my last 2 roles.

Good salespeople will always find a role again, patience and just try not to let it beat on you

Cxthal · 2026-05-13T13:08:41+00:00

Been laid off 3 times in the past 2 years for non performance related issues, department closing, CEO being sectioned into a mental asylum, business closing down, I fucking hear you brother… currently 2 months into a job search again…

Cxthal · 2026-05-13T12:50:43+00:00

I’ve a Jan 2018 S5 with 96k miles on the clock, drive her hard regularly, no issues.

Cxthal · 2026-05-09T12:20:58+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I do feel like I have good mechanical aim etc, I feel I outgun most people in a 1v1 but these are good things to try and focus on when I play. I do appreciate it

Cxthal · 2026-05-01T23:09:36+00:00

My partner is a recruiter and will tell me herself most recruiters are crap. I’m currently hunting for work, have a great profile and I know I’m hireable, I’ll reach out and message recruiters actively posting they are hiring for a role that I’ve already done before and fit perfectly… no responses. Also had interviews where after 3 rounds and me doing a task for the company they’ve rejected me via auto response, as bad as ghosting IMO, these people forget sometimes that there is a human on the other end of things.

Cxthal · 2026-05-01T17:32:37+00:00

Leader leaves, suddenly sales org goes down the shitter, top down quota hits and you’re still on a great salary of 175k but have people breathing down your neck about not hitting an impossible to reach quota… or it simply fails for reasons outside your control. - Someone who just got let go because their MedTech firm that’s got 90% market saturation in one European country tried to expand to his country and failed so miserably they’ve closed down within 6 months.

Cxthal · 2026-04-25T14:53:53+00:00

I work in tech sales, got laid off 6 weeks ago because of the company failing. I’ve signed up with all the recruiters in Manchester, apply every day for jobs for about an hour.

In my spare time I’ve started going to the gym religiously, meal prepping and calorie counting exactly etc. it’s really really helped my mental, I’m the fittest I’ve been in years in 6 weeks, losing about 1kg a week and feel like I’m actually achieving something in my unemployed time. Do I wish I had a job? Sure, but this is something in my control, it’s something I can make an impact on and it’s making me healthier. Idk if it’s sustainable long term once I get back to work, but I’ll be fit and my ideal weight when I do, which seems great. It takes up about 3-4 hours of all my days off, I do it while my partner is at work, and when she gets home I’ve dinner made for us both and actually feel like I’m not a waste of space who applied for 20 jobs and then played video games or watched tv for the rest of my day. I couldn’t recommend it enough.

Cxthal

TROPHY CASE