Hold It! Don’t Accept that Job Offer Until You Consider These 5 Points

A good friend brought me up to speed on her career challenges recently, and after listening and empathizing with the unfortunate events that led to the recent job loss, I asked her what she had learned in the process. Her response included some good nuggets of hard-earned wisdom that we can all benefit from.  I offer her key points here with her encouragement.

(A very brief background…2-plus decades of great success climbing from sales rep to sales vp, and a long line of people willing to vouch for her integrity and character.  In other words, a true solid citizen and value-creating employee.  After this long string of success, two formative sales roles in early-stage tech firms have gone horribly wrong.)

5 Points to Consider Before Jumping In to that Cool New Job:

1. Trust Your Gut. I knew in both situations that there was something wrong with the jobs and the people I was going to work for.  Not being accustomed to being out of work, I convinced myself to overlook the concerns I had about leadership character and culture.  I was wrong in both cases. The owners from firm number 1 bilked their customers and their employees.  The owners in number two were so happy that I had build a good sales team and infrastructure they decided to "go in another direction." That was code for they didn't want to pay me what they had agreed to…probably because they never thought I would hit their numbers.

2. Don't Become Enamored by the Technology. Once again, I talked myself out of trusting my gut, in part because I saw such huge potential in the technology. It's intoxicating to bring potentially game-changing new products to market, and I admit to becoming completely blinded by the light shining off the technology.

3. Never Deny Your Self-Worth. This one goes back to my being unaccustomed to being someone who needed a job. After so many years of consistent service, good success and great jobs, I began to doubt my abilities and myself.  I wondered if I was too old to run at the pace needed by these firms, and I wondered whether I still had it in me to compete.  All I ever knew was success, and here I was and am facing a very foreign challenge.  I've worked had to bolster my self-esteem and recognize how unfounded my fears were.

4. Don't Expect You Alone Can Change the Culture. In one of the firms, I saw first-hand the Neanderthal tactics of the owners in managing their developers.  I know that I've typically had a good impact on the culture of the firms and teams I've worked with, and I truly believed I would be able to make an improvement in this situation.  I was wrong.

5. Get All of It In Writing. This one is embarrassing after all my time in sales, but I failed to lock down key issues, including separation terms in my all too informal contract.  I made some horrible assumptions about how I would be treated, based on good words from the founders.  I learned the hard way.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

It takes a big person with a heaping helping of emotional intelligence to offer such personal and important thoughts.  Criticize this individual all you want, I'm convinced she is a better and strong professional for recognizing her mistakes.  I'm thrilled she agreed to share her hard won lessons with the rest of us.  Use them in good professional health.

Thanks to Art Petty And Strategy & Management-Innovations, LLC.
http://artpetty.com/2011/06/01/hold-it-dont-accept-that-job-offer-until-you-consider-these-5-points/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+artpetty%2Fmanagement_excellence+%28Management+Excellence+by+Art+Petty%29

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