> How about - as an employee - using external offer to get a raise and stay at current job? Is that always a bad idea? I'm too lazy to look it up and verify bu

> How about - as an employee - using external offer to get a raise and stay at current job? Is that always a bad idea? I'm too lazy to look it up and verify but IIRC the majority of employees who ask for a raise with another job offer on the table end up leaving within about 6 months even if they get the raise. So yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if doing that basically puts a red flag beside your name for management. You also probably don't want to go that route unless you are actually prepared to leave... there's no guarantee that they will agree to give you a raise. I left a company this spring after ~4 years and thought I was in a very good position to get a counter offer. I was lead for one of their most important projects and was slated to move into an architect role to oversee a major revamp and expansion of that project. When I turned in my notice I told them (truthfully) that I wasn't necessarily look to leave if they were willing to make a counter offer, but the answer unfortunately was that they couldn't go that high for my role.