Am I Crazy? I Walked Away From A Promotion
Posted on April 2, 2010 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Life Design
It’s been an interesting few weeks. My manager took another position in the company. The first word is that they were not going to fill the position. The next day they posted the job announcement.
I work for a small division of a larger company. There are three of us programmers that support the division, insulated (along with the rest of the developers) from the main offices in another state.
I know this business. There are four of us in the company that understand the products. I’ve worked with the products and the teams the longest of all.
I am also part time, by choice.
I decided to throw my hat in the ring. After all, if they were willing to take me as a part-timer, why not? The position has significantly higher visibility, more responsibility, and better pay.
So I went through the process, shadowing my boss. I sat in on the interminable phone calls, released code, processed requests. And today I had my interview.
The VP interviewing me said that I was hands-down qualified, well-respected in the organization, and more than capable of doing the job. Then she asked me if I was sure I was going to be able to do what was required, because it was currently being done by a more-than-part-time person.
The position, first-line support, requires after-hours and weekend work. Sometimes a lot of it.
By the time I walked out of the interview, I knew my answer.
NO.
I went part time so that my daughter would not have to do before- and after- school care. So that we could do things like Brownies and piano lessons. I use my extra time to relax. I write. I garden. I do my housework during the week.
I like what I do during the day: I like moving mass amounts of data effortlessly and coming up with clever solutions to sticky problems. And I like leaving that behind me at the end of the day.
And I realized I didn’t want to give any of that up.
So am I crazy? Some people would think so.
I don’t believe I am. I feel good about this decision. It’s a matter of putting my life design first.
Photo by jaxxon
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Comments (8)
LJ,
You are not crazy. It takes someone who has clear principles and priorities to walk away from what most people would filter as more money = better. Good for you!
Jason Edleman
You are “crazy” in the eyes of people who are too professional to have a functional life outside the office.
But you are not crazy to real humans.
Thank you! I guess I do like having a functional life outside the office.
For putting your daughter first, I offer you a resounding “Hell Yeah!”
…and a hearty (and envious) “Congrats!”
Thank you! That is very kind.
Great decision…you only have one family but can have many careers
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