Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
(From the archive)
You have been interviewed three times and will receive employment opportunities from the company. Hopefully this offer will be more prestige and opportunity than you want.
And maybe not.
What should you do before you receive a quote?
Check out the factors you decide to leave. What’s wrong with this job? Be with others? What was the wound that ultimately led you to decide to change jobs? I think it’s important to do this to ensure that the factors that leave the decision are addressed. You may never know for sure, but you can know they are satisfied.
For example, if your only reason to change jobs is to reduce commuting, is it wise to find a job next door to your current employer? If the reason for your number changes is to spend more time at home, how does the company accept quotes from a company that requires a lot of travel and hours?
If (if this is big) the reason you learn to do this overwhelm the reasons you shouldn’t, then you might think it’s worth accepting such a offer.
Determine what you must have without paying attention or absurdity. Donald Trump (before he went to politics) said: “The first step is to know exactly what you want. You have to be clear about your goals.” What are you definitely going to get rid of this opportunity? Would you like to be a little flexible about this? Yes, if this isn’t the first answer, what do you really have to have?
Not long ago, I represented someone in a senior position as a client. Everything went well until we negotiated and when they gave me a clue, he wasn’t sure what he wanted. I told him: “Cancel your schedule for the day and sit down and figure out what you absolutely have to have and what your second level of requirements are. Otherwise, you will never be sure you are doing the right job and getting what you want from it.”
So if you haven’t done that, sit down and write down some records about why you were looking for another location and keeping it on your system so you can view it later.
When the negotiation begins, check out what you have to get from it so that you can make sure you have reached your goal.
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