How can I make a big decision on a job offer in only two days…?

I work in the tech industry as a data scientist. Moved from the US to Germany two years ago in pursuit of better work life balance. Honestly, I’m loving it here with the 30 days of vacation, the job stability and the European culture around me, but I can’t stand my current company. It’s a bureaucratic nightmare with no sense of direction. My job here is not and will not be in danger despite the economic situation. I have a US green card that expires next August if I don’t move back, so I thought I’d try my luck with US companies. Last week I got a job offer in Boston that almost doubles my post-tax income, though my current salary is still considered very high by local standards, and Boston is extremely expensive to live in. I like the team and the work that they do, but the PTO is pathetic. Their HR came across as rather shady (wouldn’t give me a formal offer until I was ready to accept, lied to me about the sign-on bonus being non-negotiable, and promised me to send the offer last Friday but didn’t until Monday when my competing offer expired etc.). They gave me the final offer this Friday after some negotiation, and expect an answer by next Monday.

Now I’m not sure what to do given that I have just two days to think about it. This job would cut my 30 days of PTO to just 10 in the first year. It will increase to 15 in 2024. I can live with it, but I think I’ll be very unhappy. If I stay in Europe, I’m effectively giving up my US green card. I have a number of questions that I need to answer by Monday:

1. What options do I have here to advance my career, since Europe seems to offer much fewer opportunities than the US? This is the only fear that’s holding me back from giving up my green card.
2. How can I stall for more time? I’ve already asked HR and they said no, so they’re giving me one week in total since the initial offer.
3. Is my interaction with HR enough to raise red flags? It did leave me with a pretty nasty impression, considering that this is a major firm with a global reputation.
4. Should I be going back to the US at all, after seeing what happened to the tech industry and my friends in it?

What would you do if you were in my place? How would you make your decision?



View Reddit by TheMezzoPhysicistView Source