In 2000, Mike Wolson was working in downtown Chicago for a large executive recruitment firm that offered him a new assignment at a branch office after he gave notice that he planned to leave.
“I had been there for four years and they wanted me to stay,” said Wolson, who has a bachelor of arts in business and a law degree. He has been in human resources since 1997.
“I was offered a substantial increase in responsibility and salary. The job market was horrible at that time, but I was single [he’s now married] and I didn’t want to relocate to the suburbs. Instead, I decided that the freedom I would get from doing what I wanted was much better for me.”
He turned down his employer’s offer, despite the fact that “the unemployment rate was rising.” And in 2001, Wolson co-founded Chicago Recruiters, a recruiting firm that specializes in legal and financial professionals.
What to do when your employer offers you a new assignment or relocation that you don’t want to accept is an increasing problem among job holders who hesitate to say no–and risk losing their job or slowing career progress. They know they also risk getting a good reference and having health benefits.
No wonder they decide to take whatever’s given them. But Wolson, who had already decided to quit when the new position was offered, doesn’t see things that way.
“In my opinion, your decision should be based on whether the new opportunity is going to further your career goals and if it’s something you want to do,” said Wolson, who has a staff of five.
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“Just remember, if you go ahead and accept the position out of fear, success is not guaranteed. Job security is a thing of the past when you work for someone else. Even if you say yes, you still can be downsized, fired or, even worse, demoted.”
The executive emphasizes that even in today’s job market, “don’t say yes just to keep your job. The worst thing is the Sunday night blues, when you don’t want to go to work Monday morning. Then it doesn’t matter where you are located or what you’re doing because it’s not the right job for you.
“Follow your gut. The only control you have is making your own choices and following them.”
But there might be positive aspects to what looks like an untenable job situation, according to Carlos Rivera, Chicago manager of ProFound Diversity Recruiting Solutions, headquartered in Los Angeles.
The recruitment agency, founded in 2002, is a network of diversity job boards, especially those targeting Hispanics and African-Americans.
“My inclination is to look at everything as a new opportunity,” said Rivera, who has a bachelor of arts degree in international economics and has been in human resources since 2001. “Even something that doesn’t sound so good can also have a silver lining.”
By accepting the assignment or transfer, the manager points out that “you also maintain job stability and get to keep your job. Additionally, the new assignment can lead to new experiences that often become invaluable to your career advancement.”
So don’t automatically say no to an offer–and don’t necessarily say yes, Rivera advises. “Evaluate the offer and talk about it with people in the industry. Speak about it with others who are doing what you have been offered and are in a similar situation.”
About the latter, he adds: “They’re not too hard to find.”
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Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Monday and Tuesday’s Business sections. Hear her on WBBM Newsradio 780 at 6:21 p.m. and 10:22 p.m. each Monday and at 11:20 a.m. each Saturday. Watch her “Career Coach” segments on CLTV. Send e-mail to [email protected].