[mholmes680]

I've been part of 6 separate buy-out/merger/acquisitions (from both angles). In year 3 of current one.

The event, whether you are acquired or acquiree, presents significant and unique opportunities to move vertically and/or horizontally to improve your situation. If you're sitting there wondering about job security then you (a) didn't have job security in the first place; (b) are wasting everyone's time, including yours.

[kodablah]

I don't think job security is the concern, I think job enjoyment and personal fulfillment is. For many here that I gather can work just about anywhere they want, sometimes the movement direction to improve your situation is outwards. The real time waste in several cases is hanging on.

[toyg]

I went through an acquisition myself and was told the same. In reality, nobody in our team ever got any opportunity that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. The main chances came from people resigning and leaving holes that someone else had to fill by working twice the load.

[gaius]

presents significant and unique opportunities to move vertically and/or horizontally to improve your situation

If you are better paid than the existing employees it's actually more likely that your salary will be frozen until it "harmonises" with them. You are also unlikely to have the contacts at the acquirer for an interesting lateral move, even if its permitted in the terms of the acquisition, I think the last time we were told there would be no internal transfers for the first two years.