I am a site design EIT working at a small civil design firm under a huge architectural firm and have been here for about 1.5 years. My office consists of me and my manager, which has been incredible because I have learned a lot from him and we make a great team. He is also a very respectable man that has been a great mentor for me, I can walk into his office anytime with any question. Overall, I don't have any significant complaints; the firm environment is very laxed, never really have to stay past 5:30, I have half-day Friday's, my birthday is given as PTO. So I am in a very fortunate position and had no intentions on leaving anytime soon.
That being said, I came across a job listing this weekend that was published by a notable PE in the area. This PE started his own firm about 3 years ago and is looking for his first hire. I have known for a couple years that starting my own firm is something I am patiently working towards and think that I could benefit tremendously from joining a firm like this where I can learn how to operate a small design firm straight from the source. However, I understand that although I am in a very conformable position now, taking a new role with a new mentor is high risk and that the grass is not always greener. Its also a risk of how many projects a one/two-person firm will acquire, so I am worried about the stability of said position. I am meeting this PE soon to talk about the position in-person and if we would be a good match, so nothing guaranteed yet.
I would love any insight from individuals who share similar experiences or any advice on how to determine what the best next step for me and my personal/career growth.