Go For It!

Of late, I have had many colleagues seek counsel on pursuing new opportunities inside and outside their current company. Several have hesitated, telling me ‘they are not sure they will want the position if it is offered to them.’ A few thoughts:

What is really holding you back?

Get in touch with what your insecurities really are. The concern may be fear of not being able to do the job, fear of out-right failure, or fear of moving into a new world and realizing it was better where you were. Look these revelations in the eye. Dig deep and get to the root of them. Challenging ourselves is how we grow – plain and simple. If we stay comfortable, we will be ‘there’ for as long as we allow ourselves. Stretch, push, and grow. It will reveal the strength within us.

Your answer doesn’t have to be yes.

Remember that we are qualifying the potential company, organization, and job – just as they are qualifying us. Just because they offer us a position, does not mean we have to accept it. This is a two-way decision. Never believe that if you are going for a position you are obliged to accept it; unless you have all the information from day one, which is highly unlikely. We don’t know what we don’t know when we are in the initial stages of interviewing. Even at the end of the interviewing cycle, there is no obligation – that is why they call it interviewing. (It is just like dating and thank heavens we didn’t marry everyone we dated!)

So – go for it. Reach. Stretch. Investigate. We never know where the next opportunity for growth, experience, and expansion will arrive. Explore them all! Use good judgment. And ultimately – follow your gut.