This is definitely a "choosing between 2 good options" sort of dillema, but it's tearing my brain apart.

Do I go with the new job?

It's a well-known general web search engine that seems to have good energy happening and some good press. Their corporate situation is stable and positive. Their focus is on innovating a better experience to win market share away from Yahoo! and Google.

Or do I stick with the old job?

It's a pretty well-known consumer information portal which has spent the past few years kind of under-funded by its parent company, but which appears to be on the upswing. I really consider it a valuable resource and would feel better on the whole "changing the world for the better" score if I could stick things out and have a major impact where I am.

Problem is... I've been promised a brighter future here before...!

I'd have to claw my way through layers of red tape to better pay where I am.

I've got an offer that's a 15% raise AND 15 minutes from home (as opposed to 30-35 minutes).

Either options is good and a ton of money. What do I do???

I hate choosing between good things. What do I need to remember? What am I missing?

Go. Leave on good terms and you can always come back with a stronger bargaining position.

Yes, go. If previous promises have not materialised, then they know you'll stay on the basis of an unfulfilled promise.

Take the bird in the hand. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Cliches exist for a reason. They hold a grain of truth. The place you are at may well be on the upswing but it is just a likely to be another chimera. Go with the stronger player. As orthogonality says, should things really get better at your present firm you can always come back bargaining from a strong position. If they hold a grudge then you are better off out of there.

At least that has been my experience.

It's hard to tell what the "bird in the hand" is. I have total security, respect, and credibility where I am. Like, years of it. Yes, the salary offer is higher elsewhere but that's not the same as instant respect.

In a way, the current upswing gives me an out. I feel better leaving if things are on the upflow in my wake. I have people reporting to me to consider, and I feel better knowing they are part of a project which is core to the company. The only problem with leaving is missing out on good times to come...!

I think you may have just pointed the way to your answer scarabic. " I have total security, respect, and credibility where I am. Like, years of it. "

What do you want at this point in your life? "security, respect, and credibility" or convenience, more cash and new challenges?

The safe or the new is, I think, the question you are asking yourself.

Arse_hat has a good point. For a long time I thought convenience, cash, and challenge were all there was to get out of working, and came around to wanting security, respect, and credibility only later. Yet there was a time in my life for both views.

Tough call, scarabic. (But sweeeet!) I can't advise you, but some things to think about:

What kinds of things could potentially make you either miserable or just less happy at the new job, and what more can you learn about those specific aspects? What do you know about your supervisor there? Have they been completely clear on hours and duties?

Would your current employer expedite a pay raise if they knew you were offered the other job?

Will the closer location actually result in a bit more free time for you, or is there a chance it would get swallowed up in working overtime?

Do you have a clear idea of the top-down work ethic and general focus of the business? Because even if your immediate boss is a sweetheart, the top dog is the one who ultimately makes or breaks the work atmosphere... Someone who is very, very sales oriented may undervalue or misunderstand tech/creative people, for example. What is the background of #1?

What's the turnover like at the new place? Lots of turnover is a bad sign.

what orthogonality said

Many good questions to be asked...

Would your current employer expedite a pay raise if they knew you were offered the other job?

Ugh. This is perhaps the lamest part of all. First, no. They don't do that on principle. I feel that by letting them know I am considering leaving, I have probably *lowered* my chances of ever getting a raise. This is not out of spite but out of some asinine HR belief that paying people more in this situation actually causes them to leave. Or something like that. The worst of it is that they only do pay adjustments every 6 months and I just missed one. They won't budge until March now.

I'm meeting with HR today to hear their empty platitudes like "pay is only part of compensation" blah blah...

The truth is that the work is probably more appealing where I am. It's just a question of whether my baggae outweighs my passion at this point. If I can jettison the baggage, there's a chance I might stay. But that'll be tough.

Is the new job willing to let you come and hang out for the day/half day and get your feet wet and see if you think you would A. enjoy being there, and B. fit in?

I have no answer, but I am sending my best thoughts your way.