Earlier this week, I posted the first three steps I take when considering big career decisions. Today, I’ll take you through the remainder of my process.

Photo Credit: boetter

Step 4 – Compile the Answers

Take a moment to gather all the thoughts and advice you’re received from others and put it all in one place. What’s the big picture? Do you feel you have all your bases covered? Now is probably a good time to determine whether the answers to your questions have prompted any new questions. It may take a few iterations of developing questions and getting answers before you’re comfortable. That’s ok. It’s important to take your time. Don’t get me wrong, at some point you’re going to need to make a final call, but it doesn’t have to be immediately.

Step 5 – Deal With Objections

It could be that in getting answers to your questions, you came across some sticky issues. There may be some things that would be deal-breakers for you, and would prevent you from taking a particular opportunity that otherwise looks great for you. This isn’t the time to concede defeat. Think about these objections. What would it take to remove these issues?

I think there’s a lot to be said for thinking of ways to mitigate against these issues. You might be surprised how a situation can change when you make suggestions. In my case, I had a serious concern about the amount of time I would be spending away from home, and that my short trip could become a very long trip if manufacturing didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped. Rather than say “No I can’t take that risk”, I discussed with my boss the potential for adding a training component to my role so that I would have time to train a local engineer to take over my role after a predetermined amount of time. That way, my objection disappears, because I have some insurance against my trip lasting indefinitely. With that objection gone, I’m much more comfortable pursuing this opportunity.

There’s very rarely such a thing as a perfect opportunity. There’s nearly always upsides and downsides to change. If you make an effort to mitigate against the downsides up front, you’ll create for yourself as close to a perfect situation as possible.

Step 6 – Make the Call

Finally, you’ve got to make your choice and communicate it to the people involved. This likely means a chat with your boss. I would recommend a couple of things here. Whatever your choice, communicate your gratitude. An opportunity is a compliment, even if it doesn’t work out this time. For that, you should be thankful. If you’re turning something down, be sure to explain exactly why, and that you’re still interested in this kind of thing for the future. If you’re saying yes, be sure to get clarity on next steps and what you can be doing to prepare for the next chapter in your career.

Conclusion

In engineering, people who show promise get big opportunities. You can be sure that your time will come. If you play it cool and think things through, no doubt you’ll make the right choice and be on to doing excellent things with your career