What Every Limitless Woman Should Know About Making the BEST Career Decisions

“What? I just told you I’m resigning and you are offering me a raise?!”

What Every Limitless Woman Should Know About Making the BEST Career Decisions

By: Yasmin Razack

limitlesswomen.ca 

I was working at a non-profit organization for about a year and thought it was going nowhere. I was THE ONLY paid staff member and became very frustrated with the lack of structure, lack of direction from my  [volunteer- yes he was not paid] supervisor and most of all I just felt as though no matter how hard I worked to advance the overall mission of the organization – the resources to support my ideas were not there. I was ONE paid staff person, I constantly felt isolated, was constantly discouraged and overall felt hopeless.

So I looked elsewhere and got another job. I admit I was lukewarm about it because although it was related to my skills + experience it did not speak to my passion. What it did have was all the things the my current role lacked and it offered more money.

A lot more.

I set up a meeting to speak wit my [volunteer] supervisor at the time and in the kindest way possible told him I was leaving for another position; my heart was pumping and my body was filled with anxiety.

I wasn’t 100% sure about this.

He knew it, I could feel him sensing what I was feeling. What happened after that shocked me, he asked me what the salary was the new job was offering.

What? I nervously told him secretly embarrassed that money was the topic during my ‘resignation’ discussion with a volunteer supervisor working unpaid.

After I told him he responded with, “I will give you that, no problem. I will get approval from the Board but please don’t take that job. It’s not you”

OMG. WOW! The increase in pay was close to 12k and at 24 years old that was a lot of money to me- and still is!

He went on to tell that he was impressed with my work, initiative and what I can bring to advance the overall mission of the organization. Which honestly I needed to hear -44% of us leave our jobs because of lack of affirmation we are doing it well. 

What did I do?

The early days of Harmony Movement 

I stayed and it ended up being the best career decision I ever made. The NPO I am referring to is called Harmony Movement (www.harmony.ca), where I went on to become Program Director and manage a team of four people. It grew and is still growing and when I talk about my career, the experiences at Harmony have taught me invaluable lessons and allowed me to meet incredible people that still help me in my current role today.  The organization now has a team of 7 and delivers educational initiatives in over Canada. It still amazes me to think about where it was when I started to where it is now and I feel honoured to be a part of that growth…

When is it right time to move on?

I became somewhat obsessed with my role at Harmony, with no kids or husband I was in my twenties extremely passionate about my work. I was dreaming BIG, really BIG about the future of the organization then it happened….

I was co-facilitating a session with one of my colleagues and she just took it over; I watched her skillfully demonstrate the ability to do the work that I was doing alongside her, with a unique flavour in a way that made me think:

“Wow…she can not only do my job! She can also bring fresh ideas to Harmony”

The Limitless Woman I am referring too: the amazing Leticia Rose! 

Robin Sharma writes that leadership is “our ability to grow and develop leaders” and I knew at that moment she had what it takes to carry on the work I was so passionate about doing…I realized that in that moment I needed to move on.   BEFORE MADE A DECISION TO APPLY TO OTHER JOB OPPORTUNITIES I CONSIDERED THE FOLLWOING:

• I hit a point where I knew I needed to grow more professionally and my role at Harmony as Program Director was to grow others.
• I wanted to take my knowledge, skills and experiences to a higher level that would allow me to introduce new strategies to a different sector OUTSIDE of non-profit.
•  I felt that I had left a somewhat of a ‘legacy’ by developing sustainable initiatives that could only grow if I made a decision to leave with the right leadership- Leticia!
• I had reached the highest I could go in the organization…

Now what?

So I applied to multiple positions in addition to a PhD program at McGill University in Montreal; I was offered 3 jobs at the same time and got into the PhD program! All of them were fabulous jobs and I was SUPER excited about the PhD program…How did I make the decision and what did I choose?

I was at the point in my life where I considered the following:

• What sector did I want to work in and why?
• One offer was contract, did I want that instability even though the job was outstanding and a promise was made that it would become permanent?
• Where was I in life? I had just met the man of my dreams, we were dating for the past 10 months…did I want to go away to Montreal? Or was a family in the near horizon?
• Was a PhD necessary to advance my career goals?
• Would I be able to grow in my new role? What were the people like that I would be working with? Could they develop me professionally?
• The job I was most excited about would offer me $25,000 LESS than the other offer…how much did money matter to me at that time?

These are questions that guided my decision, and it was by far not only the most important career decision to date.

And the hardest.

Are you thinking about moving on from your current role?

Oh and one last thing: NEVER apply for a job you are not willing to take. 

Yasmin Razack is a Personal + Professional Life Coach who works with for women in transition to unlock their limitless potential in all aspects of life. For more information please visit limitlesswomen.ca or email her at yrazack@gmail.com.