Never sell yourself short

I turned down a job today.

The interview went well, the three people I met were intelligent and genuine, the job would be with a large company where there was potential for growth and the location would be a reverse commute. But I had to say no.

They provided me a salary starting at less than what I know my experience, education and skills are worth. I had no choice because in the grand scheme of things, never sell yourself short.

Over the past week, I’ve picked the brain of five friends across senior and mid-levels positions. I found several common factors they all mentioned that helped me weigh my decision today:

• Know how much you’re worth – your degree/education, years of experience and skills add up
• Know how low you are willing to go – if the offer is too low, maybe you can negotiate more telecommuting days
• Stand up for yourself – even if you are miserable in your current position, put on the logical thinking cap when salary negotiations arise and understand that accepting a low offer would create a bitter attitude within yourself if you did accept the position; nobody wants to start a new job feeling that they are underpaid for their level of skills/education/experience
• Move on – the right job is out there and view a minor setback as a learning experience

It might be risky and scary to expect more jobs to open up after thanking no to an offer, but it’s well worth it to go to work happy and enjoy what you do.

No, thank you.

Next.