Career or financial decision?

Yesterday, I was browsing the career sites for Pfizer (PFE) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ). I used to own shares of Pfizer but sold them when they were not profitable to me. I still regularly invest in Johnson & Johnson by purchasing shares through a DRIP. Anyways, there was no jobs suited for me at Pfizer in La Jolla. There was one position open at Johnson & Johnson that is exactly what I am looking for. Career wise, it would be perfect for me to apply and get the job. Financial wise, I might be throwing away potential money I would have made just by staying at my current job.

At my current job, I invest in the employer stock purchase plan (ESPP) and have received stock options. At its highest point in the last 6 months, my ESPP was worth about $15k and my stock options were worth about $20k. Because of the volatility in the stock market right now, the ESPP is worth $12k and my stock options are worth about $10k. If I changed jobs, I could easily keep the $12k in ESPP because I already own the stock, but I would have to exercise the stock options and only receive $10k gross (~$7k post-taxes). I would lose out on a potential of $10k that the stock options could appreciate to in a bull market.

Comparing salary between my current job and Johnson & Johnson, a former co-worker in my department who made 20% less than me got a job at Johnson & Johnson and immediately made 6% more than me. So in the salary sense, a career change would be an immediate boost.

My 401(k) plan is another issue. I am not fully vested, so if I left before I am fully vested, I do not receive the entire company match. The way my 401(k) vesting schedule works, I get 25% of the company match after 1 year of working, and it increases monthly so that another 25% is vested by the 2nd year. It would take 4 years to receive 100% of the employer match during those 4 years. I am not due to hit the 4 year mark until May. I do not want to throw away retirement money that the employer gave me.

Finances aside, the career change would be a position with higher responsibility in a company that is recognizable around the world. In my current position, I have to explain in detail what my company does because it is not a consumer brand. With Johnson & Johnson, people immediately think "No More Tears" baby shampoo but also realize they make Accuvue contact lenses, Listerine mouth wash, and many other consumer products. In the R&D position, I can help change lives with my knowledge that can help bring a product to market.

Right now, I will hold off on applying to Johnson & Johnson. I will wait until May so that I can receive 100% of the employer match in my first 4 years of working. From now until then, maybe I can find another position within my current company to allow me to grow in the direction that I can see myself still doing in 5-10 years. That will allow me to hold onto my stock options and exercise them when they are valued higher. My former co-worker at Johnson & Johnson is one of my best friends. Ironically, I was her reference when she got the job there. When I do apply, I will ask her to submit my application internally because that has a better chance of getting reviewed since she can vouch for me.