For the past 10 months, I've been working at a job that was somehow both overwhelming and mind-numbingly boring at the same time. I went in bc it was in the industry I'm interested in, but it turned out to be barely related to it.
Red flags from the start: they tried to offer me a salary lower than the one in the job description, no clear explanation of commission structure, etc. I think 7 people left in the past 6 months. Also heard stuff that sounded real shady, like they couldn't find staff for our warehouse so they thought they should try hiring retired people and Ukrainian refugees at lower rates (plus get their own kids to help out on the weekends) and that they didn't pay royalties to our artists for original works.
I told them about the offer today and they did everything you'd expect: said they were shocked, that i didn't give them an opportunity to shift my responsibilities to smth I'd enjoy more, that it was a “shame” since they were currently restructuring their commission plan and with the bonus it might match my new offer (no numbers or dates given, though). They also tried to get as much info as possible on my new employer.
I guess I should be happy, but I've honestly been so mentally drained for so long that it's hard to be excited. I can't stop thinking the new job is gonna turn out to be exactly the same, just as badly managed and exploitative as this one, and it's hard to have hope that it'll get better even as I've successfully chewed my foot out of the bear trap. Then I start wondering if the stuff i witnessed was really that bad, or if I'm just too young and naive to realize all workplaces are like that everywhere, so just pick the one that gives you the most money for your trouble.
Would really appreciate some insight into the situation at my old job, or words of support to help me actually feel happy about this new opportunity. I'm especially curious to hear what older people think, since most people at my old job are 40 to early 60s.