Career advice: I got a job offer!
Colleen-
I got a job offer from a new organization. The new position would challenge me as a professional but be a bit more inconvenient with life balance. The old position is very convenient for life but I’m bored at work all the time.
Help!
Hi New Opportunity-
No but seriously ‘Hi new opportunity!’ How exciting. Maybe I am making some assumptions here but it sounds like you either sought a new opportunity or it found you. The fact that you are using the word ‘bored’ is indicating to me that something needs to change. Now that doesn’t mean you have to accept this new opportunity or stay where you are at- but it does mean that you need to switch it up. Otherwise…you’ll continue to be bored. And also the universe will just keep throwing new opportunities your way until you have no choice but to make a change. So you either do it yourself or let the universe slap you in the face with it.
You always see the stuff that says ‘what’s meant for you will find you’ and as much as myself and others would like to control every aspect of our lives…you simply cannot. Let’s dive into ‘convenient’ okay but boring. Sorry…but you need to hear it. I don’t think I’ve ever been excited or passionate about anything that was convenient. Also, just because your routine now is convenient doesn’t mean that you can’t make the next phase of your life convenient as well. Change doesn’t have to be bad or stressful- it can simply be. It feels like you might be a bit adverse to change- same here, my friend. But how can you find excitement and passion in your work if you don’t modify?
Like most people over the past three years I have made a few career changes. I left a company I was at for five years and where I first started post graduation. It was the only thing I knew and I wanted to make a change. I battled with this decision for some time and constantly changed my mind. I finally had to commit to a path and I chose to leave what was convenient for me. And guess what- leaving wasn’t the most amazing thing that happened to me. In fact- it was actually horrible BUT I learned a lot. This is what my mom likes to call a ‘learning moment.’
I was let go after eight months and without any warning. My emotions were all over the place. From defeat, sadness, anger, acceptance, anger again, fear, and regret. I was upset with myself. I put myself in this situation and it didn’t work out. Good thing I am in therapy and meet with my therapist frequently. My therapist likes to call this the ‘maybe stage’ and when she first told me this- I didn’t want to hear it. But now, it’s one of my favorite things to share with others and to remind myself of constantly.
There aren’t many moments in life where you get to re-route. Think about it- most of us get a job and stay there. Yeah- you might move around but typically people stay when they find a job that serves most of their needs. It’s easier. Finding a new job can be stressful, scary, and most of all; time consuming. Maybe I’ll stay in the same line of work. Maybe I’ll completely change it up. Maybe I will take time off and rest. Maybe I will have a creative spark and start an advice column (wink, wink, nod, nod).
This changed everything for me and I fully embraced it. I was trying to think back on moments in my life where I felt like the possibilities were endless. It’s been awhile…and that made me sad. So I decided to embrace the cards I was dealt and to ride this ‘maybe’ train. It made me feel like a child. I allowed myself to be curious, try new things, fall and pick myself up, make new friends, and live without a care of what the future looked like. Because whatever is to come next- maybe it will be amazing.
You have this new job offer that sounds like it would challenge you and switch things up. That sounds like a perfect solution to fighting off boredom in your current role. However, it doesn’t mean that staying is a bad choice. Sometimes convenience is a priority in many people's lives and if that is what you need, do that for you. Just existing as a human is a lot. Opportunities will come and go- what is meant for you will find you. If you decide to pass on this opportunity - that doesn’t mean you won’t get another. You will. Again, either by choice or it will come in HOT.
All of this babbling leads me to believe that nothing is as permanent as we think. Whatever decision you make, remember that in the future you can make a different one. Very simple concept but let me tell you this blew my mind. If you take on this new role and the inconvenience is too much or you find yourself bored again or it just sucks, guess what? You have the power to change the path you are on. EXCITING, right?
Well I’m excited for you because no matter what comes next- it seems to me that you are on the path of change. Change leads us to discover new parts of ourselves, meeting new people, experiencing life from a different perspective -GROWTH. Can you imagine if we stayed the same? Now that is a stimulation I don’t want to be a part of. Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace through this inevitable change. I’m eager to find out what happens next.
All the best, (I need to think of something better…maybe next time)
Colleen
