Career Stress: Should I Take the Job or Wait?
You don't have to be stressed and confused!
The stress of making the right decision!
Career choices are common causes for high stress! Imagine this: You get a job offer, but it pays less than what you want. Do you take the job or wait for something better? There are pros and cons to each situation, but how do you decide when you don’t know what to do?
Here’s are 2 similar stories with 2 very different outcomes. They are true stories from working with my clients as a career coach (edited for confidentiality).
Andrew’s dilemma…
Andrew was laid off 9 months ago from his job in graphics design at the State. He has been searching for full-time work, but he’s having a hard time finding something that pays close to what he was making. Andrew is a hard worker and a talented designer; being out of work has been very stressful for him.
Eventually Andrew gets an interview with Smart Company. The interview goes well, the environment appears to be a good fit, and he likes the short commute. Everything about this job looks wonderful! Then Andrew gets the job offer … only the pay is lower than what he wants. On one hand, Andrew is excited about getting back to work & being creative. On the other hand, he’s feeling the stress of having to slice & dice his budget. After thoughtful consideration and planning, Andrew takes the job.
Stress lifting … and look what happens
After a few weeks, Andrew’s can feel his stress level decreasing. He feels better about himself because he’s making a contribution and feels a sense of purpose. His energy is higher & he’s finding creative inspiration he thought he lost. It isn’t long before he is making an significant impact. After 3 months on the job, the GM is so impressed with Andrew’s motivation and creative ideas, he offers him a promotion with a bonus. Now he’s making more money than he did in the job he lost. Life is good! Stress? Gone!
Contrast Andrew with Brandy…
Brandy has been out of work for 10 months, and she’s feeling the stress big time! As a technical project manager, she thought she would have an easy time finding a job, so she played while she was on severance. The last month of severance she kicks her job search into high gear only to find there aren’t that many jobs and the jobs she’s applying for aren’t paying what she wants. Brandy decides she’ll just wait it out, only while she’s waiting, and she’s about to lose her house. She’s depressed and angry – her confidence is at an all time low.
Some of you may be experiencing this dilemma right now, or you may encounter it in the future. It’s a stressful thing to have to deal with, but you can easily work through the situation and make a wise decision without all that drama. Use the tips below to help you think through your situation:
5 Tips to Help You Lower Your Stress & Make Better Decisions About Whether to Take the Job or Wait
- One of the biggest factors for success is knowing yourself and having the courage to be yourself. Look for situations where you have high potential for being your best. Money is a factor, but it’s not the only one.
- Today’s world is less stable & secure. We’re going to have to be more agile and flexible than ever because jobs don’t come with a lifetime guarantee like many used to. Whether or not you take the job, do your homework. What is the potential for advancement? Are your personal values, mission & goals aligned with the company’s – if they are your chances for success are much higher. What is the fiscal health of the company/organization? It pays to do your research. Make sure you are driving YOUR strategy for getting what you want.
- Talk the situation through with someone … be curious and open. You may not have considered all the options available to you. Getting help means you are strong, not weak. You’ll also find that simply talking through your options will decrease your stress & help you think more creatively.
- Every situation carries an element of risk to it. It’s important to weigh your options, but get some help if you have “decision constipation.” There are numerous tools available to help with your decision. Mind Tools has some great resources to help you make better decisions. Click here for a link to their decision-making tools section.
- Sometimes people are in a situation where they have to take a job they don’t really want – completely understandable these days. Just remember, there is a big difference between taking a job that pays the bills temporarily and denying your talents.
BONUS TIP: Join the IAM Learning Community as a Free Member! Once you receive your user id & password, you can download the IAM Essence Map Tool. This tool helps you focus your attention on the best of who you really are and not the drama you’re in. Use the map to help you easily work through the stress and get clear about what’s right for you.
Please share your tips for reducing career stress! Are you, or have you been, in a situation where you’ve experienced this dilemma? What are some things you’ve done to help you make a good decision?
What happened after I chose my word for the year
In early 2010, I wrote a blog about choosing a word for the year. My word was enamor, and I wrote about using it to help me be my best and help others do the same.
I have had a word for the year for the past two years, and I love how it helps me to focus on what I really want to be doing and who I want to be. I have also used it as a kind of gut check to make sure I’m staying on track.
It’s been a great adventure this year with my word beside me. I’ll share a few of my random awakenings with you below. And, at the end of this blog, I’ll tell you my word for 2011! Read on…
» Anyone who knows me knows that I adore my 13 nieces and nephews. Since I don’t have children, I strive to be an aunt who’s interested in & spends time with them. One day my 11-year old niece and I were chatting over email, and I sent her a picture of her with my dog. Her response was, “Oh, I am sooooo adorable.” Children are so brilliant. Why do we disconnect from our inner child when we get older and believe the lies that we are stupid, ugly, or bad? It’s ridiculous! That conversation with my niece reminded me to tap into my “adorableness” as often as possible.
» Creating a partnership with someone can be tricky. I’ve heard horror stories where people start a business together and wind up enemies or, at worst, in a legal battle. I’m really proud of Karen and me for making our relationship a priority as business partners in the IAM Learning Community. When conflict arises (and it will), we don’t get into much drama at all. We talk it through & get on the same page very quickly. Having a healthy partnership allows us to focus on our clients and become better at what we do.
» I did a great job this year of creating quiet mornings as I have really grown to appreciate the time to be still and reflect. I used to think I had to be moving at warp speed, juggling a lot priorities, and using the television or radio to drown out the quiet. By creating my quiet time, I’m much more present, focused, and proactive … and I’m a lot more productive.
» I want everyone to go to work every day doing what they love, being really good at it, and getting paid what they want. It breaks my heart to see people go to work stressed out, burned out, disengaged, even angry or hurt. I am so inspired by people who have the courage to get help and get on with creating a life they love.
» It’s official! At the end of 2010, I became enamored with technology. Karen is likely laughing because most of the year technology has not been my friend. Most of my new thinking has come from getting the right technology and the right technology partners. We finally have a system that’s robust, user friendly, and easy for us to manage & use. Ah … finally!
» One of the greatest blessings in my work and life is working with amazing, brilliant clients. I’m consistently blown away by their dreams, courage, and wisdom. They teach me so much. I am truly, truly enamored with them!
Did you have a word this year … or words, a guiding principle, a mantra? If so, I’d love to hear about it. I hope you’ll consider claiming a word for yourself in 2011 and use it purposefully to guide your work and life. I’d be delighted to stay in touch about our words!
Drum roll: My word for 2011 is “unleashed!” The word didn’t come to me in a dream or while I was sitting on a cloud, it came from a conversation I was having with Karen. As soon as she said it, I said, “I think that’s my word.” So, there it is … unleashed … sweet!
The Elusive Creative Leader
I recently read a great blog post from Navi Radjou, Executive Director of the Centre for India & Global Business at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. The post is on the website of Conscious Capitalism Institute “Why Are Creative Leaders So Rare”? Please click here for the whole post.
Radjou’s blog centers on a talk given by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India. Dr. Kalam suggests that corporations and nations need a new breed of leader – the creative leader. So what is a creative leader? Dr. Kalam’s 8 principles for creative leaders are:
- Vision for the organization
- Passion to transform vision into action
- Travel into an unexplored path
- Know how to manage both success & failure
- Courage to make decisions
- Nobility in management
- Every action should be transparent
- Work with integrity & succeed with integrity
Radjou describes how he and other audience members are baffled at how few leaders they know who actually embody these attributes. He targets CEOs of Fortune 500 firms, financial institutions, and politicians who are stark reminders of leaders lacking integrity. He dreams that business schools will begin cultivating leaders with a moral compass filled with integrity. I couldn’t agree more. My experience and observation is that 1-5 is somewhat the norm, but the going gets tough at 6, 7, and then 8.
What is it going to take for this to happen? How can our small voices effect such radical change from what we have now? Below are some ideas I’m kicking around:
- You first. Take a look at the 8 tenets and see where you’re succeeding and where you need work. Be the leader of you!
- If your leader is not a “creative leader,” encourage, inspire, challenge, coach him/her to make the change. Leadership can start anywhere.
- Start your own business and stop participating in something you don’t agree with.
- Look around & identify people who are “creative leaders” and join them. Help them grow so they become the standard for success.
- Stop blaming “the man.” You step up! Even something significant as standing up for the right thing is needed.
- Pull together a group of like-minded people and brainstorm ways you can make a difference.
- Students: Insist that your curriculum include training that centers on conscious capitalism.
- If you are a leader who has been part of the problem, be a part of the solution. It’s never too late to change. In fact, if you don’t change, you won’t make it. There are too many people who are tired of the status quo. It’s going to get a lot harder for you to be successful.
- Creative Leaders that we don’t know about – we need to know you. We need to hear from you. We are counting on you to demonstrate that success and integrity do go hand in hand.
I’d love to hear from you about how you are being a creative leader, what other ideas you have to help folks take a stand for creative leadership, what challenges you have for this model, and anything else you care to share.