I recently helped a client say ‘no’ to a job offer that wasn’t right for her.
It’s hard when you’re searching for a job, particularly when you’re unhappy in your current role, to say ‘no’ to any relatively good offer.
But part of the work I do with my clients is to help them uncover what they love about their work, what they’d like to change, and what the best next step will be.
For this client, in the interview process she got a gut feeling that the job wasn’t right for her, and I encouraged her to listen to that feeling. We talked about understanding the difference between anxious dread and anxious excitement by quietly tuning in to yourself.
The last thing you want to do is move from one position where you’re unhappy to another position where you’re unhappy. That gut feeling exists to warn us for a reason.
For this client, saying ‘no’ was the right decision. 3 weeks later, she was recruited and eventually hired for the right role – a role where she is highly valued, highly paid, and doing the work she loves.
Work doesn’t have to be everything – and it’s never perfect – but it should be more positive than negative overall, and should help you get where you want to go.
Sometimes saying no to the wrong opportunity is the best step towards the right opportunity.
Be empowered to say ‘no’ (‘no, thank you’) when you know the role isn’t right for you and leave yourself open for the next opportunity.
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