Employee gets offer from rival company, decides to take the job, until current company gets word of it and demands employee stay: ‘Please be joking'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
May 26, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

What must an offer letter contain to convince you to leave your job?

One of the biggest "complaints" about the current job market is that people often find themselves stuck in their current jobs, and instead of working hard to move up where they are, they prefer looking for another job with better conditions. People claim that these days, it's a lot easier to find a new job than to move up in their current one. This is why people leave their jobs after one or two years, even though their parents often stayed in the same workplace for 20 or 30 years.

Which leads to the question, what would it take for you to leave your current job for a new one? Is better pay enough? Must the new job have a job title that sounds better than your current one? 

The person below posted their success story to Reddit's r/antiwork Subreddit, describing how they managed to get both a pay raise and a promotion, all thanks to one offer letter from a rival company. Originally, they weren't even thinking about leaving their current job; they were happy where they were and knew the future held benefits if they stayed. However, while they were on PTO, a rival company called them up and asked them to interview for a role with them, and out of curiosity, this employee decided to say yes.

The interview led to a job offer and an offer letter, and the offer letter was simply too good to refuse. This led the employee to return to work from their PTO with the intention of handing in their notice. After they did, they were surprised to discover that their current employer was not ready to give them up so easily. Suddenly, this employee had a counteroffer as well, one that made it easy to stay.

Should they accept the counteroffer, or should they move on and accept the new job offer instead? Scroll down to read the full story.

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  • Woman carrying a box while leaving the office smiling
    via Vitaly Gariev

    Woman carrying a box while leaving the office smiling.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • "I Took An Unexpected Job Offer And Turned It Into A Counteroffer"

    I like the company I work for, I don't love it. I've learned a lot here but I'd leave for the right role somewhere else. Also they have a gym onsite which is a big plus.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • I was soft looking but nothing serious because the company was just bought out by one of the biggest companies in the world. I'm due to receive at least three payouts in the next two years:
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • one retention bonus this year, one in two years, and an equity payout next year. All three stand to be substantial, with the one in two years equal to a year's salary. It wouldn't make sense for me to leave.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • A couple weeks ago I was on PTO when my phone rang with a local number. It was a company in my area that I'd heard of and they asked if I could come in for an interview the following day
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • because they were "desperate to fill a role you'd be perfect for." | said I was in PTO and would be in the following week. They offered to do the interview later that day, online, with the whole team. Definitely got my attention.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • So I did it. And they offered me the job in the interview and I received the offer letter the next morning.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • I went back to my job four days later and gave my notice to my boss. She said "oh god, please, no. Please be joking."
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • Woman during a job interview
    via Ahmet Kurt

    Woman during a job interview.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • She went and told the CEO (former owner, before the sale) and he came into my office and said he wouldn't accept it. He said "don't BS me, show me the offer letter and I'll beat it by $5,000 today." So I did. And he did.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • By the end of the day I had a 35% increase and a promotion to Senior Manager, with a signed. agreement for a promotion to Director within a year. Best PTO I've ever had.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • Business handshake
    via Getty Images

    Business handshake.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Confident-Rice3697 This is literally the only way notice should work. "I'm leaving" and suddenly they discover 35 percent more money and a promotion lying around in a drawer somewhere.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • g1nko And now they know you're looking and can replace you on their terms instead of yours.
    via g1nko
  • 80% of people who take the counter offer are gone within months. I hope it works out for you, but statistics aren't on your side here.
    via g1nko
  • Papa_Bearto2 OP That the thing, I wasn't really underpaid based on my area. I worked with someone at a temp agency and she gave me the data for my role, experience, and team size. With this increase I'm toward the highest end of the pay scale for my role in my area.
    via Papa_Bearto2
  • IHave47Teeth Good job OP, ignore the debbie downers in the comments. I would've done the same thing, highest comp, higher title, and the knowledge of what the job and culture is already.
    via IHave47Teeth
  • quickcalamity Is it just me or does the new company sound a little shaky? On the spot offer before even meeting in person? Why are they so desperate? And sorry, how much do you have to sort
    via quickcalamit
  • of not totally love a job to walk away from all that free money?? A wise friend once said: Don't look for your job to make you happy, learn to be happy in your job.
    via quickcalamit
  • Threash78 I'd be mad they weren't paying me what I was worth if they needed me so badly.
    via Threash78

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job offer promotion boss workplace-stories employee manager job tales-from-the-workplace ceo pay raise workplace company job interview
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