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Turning down a great job
Question:
My employment counselor advised me to take the first job I got offered, because it's impressive, but I don't actually want the job. Am I making a huge mistake turning down the job?
Answer:
If you have the emotional and financial capacity to keep looking, then you are entitled to do so. It's your life. Only you can decide how you want to live it. If, on the other hand, you are facing financial ruin, then your employment counselor's advice would seem to make more sense. Taking a job that's been offered, even if you don't think you'll stay forever, is a perfectly legitimate way to take care of yourself.
It can be particularly hard to turn down a job that looks "impressive." Counselors, colleagues and family members will wonder if you are crazy, since from their perspective, this job looks good. It can help them--and you--understand your decision if you can articulate why this job is not a good fit for you and also clearly describe the type of job you do want.
The people around you will be much more supportive of your job search, and of your rejection of certain jobs, if they know what you are looking for and if they see you moving decisively in that direction. Then, turning down a job that isn't the right fit will make sense to them.
It's when you turn down a job with a vague sense that it isn't right, but no idea about what would be right, that the people around you, like your employment counselor, will start to get antsy. From their perspective, if you don't know what job you'd like better than the one on offer, why not take the impressive job you have in your hand? So for your sanity and to get them to back off, be prepared to explain why you are turning down the job offer, and what you intend to do about finding a job that is the right fit for you.
Karen Chopra
| March 5, 2010; 6:03 AM ET | Category: Job Offers , Job Search Save & Share:
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Posted by: eman2 | March 8, 2010 7:59 PM
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First off. What does your experience and background look like. How long have you been looking? Which field are you looking in? As someone else pointed out - unemployment is a hair below 10%. Do you really want to pass up on an opportunity. With regards to a marriage of wants and needs - I wants to be able to pay my mortgage and feed my kids.
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Posted by: xianyou1 | March 8, 2010 8:10 AM
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You ARE making a huge mistake if you don't have another job lined up. That's the bottom line. You can waste as much angst as you can afford if you have some other offer you would rather have. Otherwise wake up and smell the 10%+ unemployment.
Posted by: Nymous | March 8, 2010 6:08 AM
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I have taken 'impressive jobs' twice and they both ended badly. One lasted over 5 uncomfortable years, the other, lasted 10 weeks before going .poof in the .com bubble. Do not let your ego or advisors get in your way, if it feels wrong, it probably is.
Jobs are supposed to be a happy marriage between wants and needs.
Posted by: deanx | March 8, 2010 5:50 AM
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If it doesn't involve relocating, I would suggest taking the job and trying it out. I recently was given a severance (along with 8 colleagues) when my company was sold. Fortunately, we had months to prepare for the possibility and two weeks when we knew it was real.
So, I had time to network and, sure enough, an impressive job opened in the same town, yet in a different field -- which actually broadened my background. I took it because I had to, never got comfortable.
However, I worked hard, did good work -- and another job came along in less than a year, in my "new" field. I took it; it suits me and I didn't miss a beat, financially or otherwise. In fact, with my severance, 2009 was a banner year for my wife and I.