[ChrisBlair]

I do tech support and a lot of customer service for a company that makes EOD robots. Flatly, I'm good at it and it's pretty much me myself and I until I bring other people in, at my discretion. I have a knack for getting the right people together to solve problems and I'm good with tech issues in general, regarding application of the tech and what could be wrong. That said, it's a frustrating position and I'm not exceptionally happy with it. I am 'on demand' during business hours and management rarely knows what I'm working on due to the nature of the position, and so I am usually over-burdened with constantly changing priorities since they figure I'm doing nothing when actually I'm following up on literally a dozen concerns on any given day, for internal and external customer etc. I'm also somehow the Dangerous Goods shipping expert. Despite that, it has a measure of satisfaction because I help the end-users with life-saving equipment all over the world, and I do feel I make a difference in that regard.

Because of that I do a fair amount of work with foreign customers and I am familiar with ITAR and EAR requirements and how State Department wants licensing to be in place for X Y and Z. I execute a whole lot of due dilligence to protect the company, as a default requirement of what I do, becasue of our international nature.

There's a possibility of changing job positions to another department, the one that deals primarily with licensing and ITAR/EAR concerns for the whole company. Many of our products are technically arms.

This job would be completely new except for my fringe knowledge and would require training, and a new level of responsibility. I don't mind the responsibility and I know this new position looks good on a resume.

I am going to say "yes" to trying out for the position, of course. But on the outside chance it is offered, I'm not sure I'd take it. It's dry. Boring. Office bound. Tracking DSP-5 requests and status, dealing with exporters and importers and keeping tabs on everything even when I can't get the info (I see some of this through my work with the folks that currently do this job).

On the plus side, my understanding of how this company works and how export control is influenced by customer needs and international shipping requirements is a huge plus. Absolutely I can do this job. And presumably, there's a monetary benefit as well: the actual posting has not been made available to me just yet and that will be tomorrow I think. But a few years back a similar thing was offered to me. Not the same position but same company, different position but more responsibility and pay. And I agonized over it, accepted, was congratulated on the decision by the company...and the job fizzled away. That made me quit, and a VP called me to ask me to come back. So I am gun shy of these possibilities.

Lots of variables. I'm not looking for an answer, just tossing it out there for any wisdom in similar circumstances. I hate to waste an opportunity but this may not be an opportunity that's right for me. I would be leaving any tech role- my forte, and I am strictly speaking an Engineering Aide at the moment- for a new field that will possibly create a bad-looking hole in my tech resume, depending on what job I look for in the future: small experience in the new field, no current experience in the old one.

Good to have problem but I do not want to F up. Lots to consider.