should I even consider interviewing somewhere else if I’m happy with my job?

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager .
A reader writes:
I am having a personal and professional struggle deciding if I should even entertain the idea of applying for an attractive job when I am fairly satisfied and secure where I am, a position I never found myself in before.
Some context: My education and first few years of professional experience were in media and communications, but I ended up joining the corporate world at Company A, a large, global manufacturer, as a lowly helpdesk tech because, while the field was starkly different, the significantly better pay and benefits immediately improved my life.
I did pretty well, but that success didn’t translate to a meaningful promotion. After years of applying to internal positions and being rejected at the end for lack of more experience, I started to look outside. After nearly four years at Company A, I finally found a good media-related role with Company B, a smaller but very stable business, where I have thrived thanks to a wonderful manager – the best I’ve had by far – and a good team environment where I have grown a lot in a few years.
That is where I am right now: I have a good role with a lot of freedom, a lot of projects, great professional development, good work-life balance, okay benefits, and a manager who I see as an outstanding mentor and professional. Some things could be better – benefits, pay, flexibility – but it’s nothing that makes me complain. There’s been no reason to look at the grass on the other side, and I didn’t, until now.
I received a message from a recruiter back at Company A about a position there, this time in my field, that honestly sounds like a shoo-in for my skills and current experience. I know Company A already, my salary and benefits would be bigger, the role would have a more direct influence and a global scope, and I’d see many work friends who are still there. But I would be going into the unknown in regards to my manager and team in a rather sketchy time in terms of the economy, and I’d be abandoning a manager and team who I am eternally grateful to for giving me the shot I needed to jumpstart my career.
Am I being stupid? Should I just continue to grow where I am and pay no mind to the opportunity? Or is it fine to take a stab at it and get the experience of applying to something without anything to lose?
You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today. Head over there to read it .
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