Laying it on the line

I have tough choices ahead of me.  This decision that I made is a big one.  The execution is something else entirely.

I have kept this decision from the partner because you can't exactly go to your boss and say so I am going to give notice eventually, but not yet, so just hang tight a while so I can figure this thing out.  Oh yeah, and if you can, help me while I am at it.

Or, maybe you can.

This is a really tough call.  I talked to my colleague about it.  She works for the same person.  Her recommendation is that I confess that the partnership track is not for me and that I am looking to move to an in-house position.  She feels confident that although he would be disappointed, he would help me find and get the right position.  She felt certain that he would be nothing but helpful in making a transition.

And, I found out today that my contact at Google left Google like three weeks ago to go work for Apple, which means one of two things - either I need  a little more help getting the Google job, or perhaps there could be one at Apple.  Either way, I also found out today that the partner knows this contact better than I thought.

Perhaps laying it on the line would mean that the partner would help me seal the deal.  But what if laying it on the line means I am given only X amount of time to find a new job before I am fired?  What if laying it on the line means I get let go immediately?  Laying it on the line changes, well, everything.