I took a job a while back that seemed like a step down at the time. I was heavily recruited in my field and decided to go to a company that was still very much growing. I could’ve gone elsewhere for more prestige or a better title, but I felt like this was something that would pay off as the company expanded. It was a logical move in the end as I wasn’t super far along in my career and had room for some risk (even though it was a small risk).
Things started out slow, and the growth didn’t really come as expected. Fast forward a bit, and I was asked to change my role and take charge of a team that was in disarray. It was in an area that was outside my comfort zone a bit and handling responsibilities I really wasn’t fond of. I wasn’t happy about it, but felt like there was little alternative at the time.