Q. I'm married, thinking about starting a family in near future, and about to
leave my job. I've begun interviewing and have two offers: One with a florist
making $11/hr and working Tues.-Saturdays and all holidays, but have the
opportunity to be taught the craft of creating floral arrangements. The other
job is working as a Sales Director for 40K plus 12K bonus + 5% commissions over
quarterly sales goals for a trendy NYC restaurant. The money sounds great - want
to get pregnant, move out the city and buy a house, etc. What to do? I'm
enjoying floral design and it's rewarding because it allows me to be creative,
but no money, etc.-- so how satisfying can that be in the long run?
A.
Sounds like you've got two good options, both of which could have strong
potential for the future. As much as I would love to be able to advise you to
take one option over the other, this is a decision you’ll need to live with, so
it’s important that you take ownership of the decision making process. But,
what I have done is provide you with five key questions to help guide your
decision making process, as you try to weigh the arguments for-and-against each
option:
1) If the
salary and benefit package was the same for both options, which would you pick
and why? The
promise of high income potential can lure even the most goal-minded individual
off her chosen career path. While money is certainly an important
consideration, it's helpful to isolate the issue of money from the initial parts
of the decision-making process to avoid being blinded by flashing dollar signs.
Once you've evaluated the other components of the two offers independently, then
it's time to factor income potential into the equation.
2) Which
job will give you more of an opportunity to develop skills, contacts and
knowledge that you think you will need and would like to use five years from
now? When you
leave a job, the salary disappears but the skills, contacts and knowledge
learned from the job stay with you, becoming a part of your marketable
portfolio. Focusing on your future career goals (or hopes for starting your own
business) should help you more readily identify the most relevant job to
pursue.
3) Which
job lends itself more readily to your present (and anticipated) lifestyle needs?
If you're planning on starting a family, flexibility will become a key issue for
you. The costs associated with working when you have children can be quite high
-- sometimes almost negating your take-home pay. Think about which career path
is more likely to offer options for home-based business opportunities or
flexible employment possibilities.
4) What
are the opportunities for advancement within each company or industry?
Long term potential is often more important than immediate compensation
considerations. Are there other positions within the company that you would
like to move into once you've gained more experience? Do you see more
opportunities for growth in one industry over the other? Think about the types
of jobs you could move into in the future that might provide you with additional
stimulation and flexibility.
5) Which
work environment feels more comfortable?
The people you work with, the types of job duties you handle, the number of
hours you're expected to put in--all of these factors contribute to making a
work environment either stimulating and enjoyable -- or stressful and unrewarding.
Particularly when you are faced with the difficulties associated with balancing
family and work, having an enjoyable work environment is worth a tremendous
amount – remember that your job pays dividends that a high salary alone can't
provide.
Finally, if you find yourself still wavering after carefully weighing the facts,
ask yourself what your intuition tells you to do and listen to that inner voice.
Sometimes, we just know in our hearts, even when we have difficulty articulating
the reasons, that one choice is better than another.
©
Nancy Collamer, Jobsandmoms.com
