A counteroffer is an inducement from your current employer to get you to stay after you have announced your intention to take another job. You may be flattered and find yourself at a crossroad confused about what to do. Here are some questions to think about:

• "What made me look in the first place?"
• "What has changed to make me stay?"
• "Why do I have to be leaving to receive a raise?"
• "Why do I need to exert this much pressure on my employer to get a promotion or raise?"
• "What new skills and opportunities will I be missing out on if I stay?"
• "Will my loyalty be questioned?"
• "Why should I pass on this new opportunity when I invested the time to get this far?"
• "If I stay, am I curtailing the opportunity to broaden my experience and increase my value to a much larger number of potential employers?"
• "Will I be able to keep my skills sharp?"

Some important points to consider:

• Now that your employer is aware of your dissatisfaction, will your loyalty be in question?
• When promotions are considered, will your perceived lack of loyalty affect future changes?
• When the word gets out, could it affect your relationship with your co-workers?
• There could be a strong impact later on your sense of pride. You could feel like you've been bought.
• When times get tough, will your employer begin the cutbacks with you.
• Your company is likely to begin looking - immediately - for your replacement.
• Statistics show that 85% of those who accept a counteroffer end up leaving - voluntarily or involuntarily - within one year. (So why not do it when YOU are ready?)
• You will probably wonder where the extra money is suddenly coming from. Why wasn't it available before?
• Again, a counteroffer raises doubts about the type of company you work for. Why should you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you're worth? Ask yourself if the same circumstances that caused you to consider leaving will likely recur in the future.

So be sure to weigh everything carefully, leave in good standing, and pursue your career growth and goals!