Cheap, Fast, Good. Pick Two.
Have you ever heard that? You can have something cheap and fast, but not good. You can have something fast and good, but not cheap. You can have something good and cheap, but not fast. You get the idea, there are compromises in life. When you get everything you want, it’s very special.
How is this a career lesson? How many times have you compromised in your career? Never? Wow. That’s rare. Careers — life, for that matter — always involve compromise. The key is picking the right compromise.
So ask yourself, what’s important to me right now? What am I willing to compromise? Do I need a job fast? Be prepared for looking at a lot of low paying jobs. Want a job that pays well? You could be looking for a while. Time to take a good, fulfilling job? It may not be fast, and you may not get top dollar, but it could be the best decision of your life!
How is this a career move? Your career will inevitably require compromise. That’s not the question. What’s essential is knowing the compromise you’re making, so you can make the compromise that’s right for you — so you can make a good decision, quickly, that won’t cost you your career.
A Trick Question …
How many job offers do you need to have to get the best job you ever had? Okay, trick question … One!
Yes, it would be nice to have multiple offers all at once, but really, you only need one. But it has to be the right one.
The right one? How would you know? It’s not a matter of knowing after you get the offer; it’s a matter of knowing before the offer is made.
No, I’m not talking about being clairvoyant, although that would make the process MUCH easier. It’s all about knowing what you need to have BEFORE the offer is made.
Think of it this way … Don’t you usually know your campaign goal before you visit a donor? You don’t just wait for a donor to name a number and decide right then and there to make that your goal, right? But too many times folks get a job offer AND THEN decide whether it’s the right job for them at the right amount.
How is this a career move? Make up your mind about what you need before you walk into the interview. It doesn’t just save time; it lets you bargain from a position of strength and makes you a much more attractive candidate.
Which Came First, the Stat or the Visit?
In my experience, fundraisers are notoriously poor at working with statistics. Once the analysis gets beyond how much they raised this year and comparing it against last year, either the fundraiser loses interest or is out of his or her league mathematically.
That’s not to say that fundraisers aren’t intelligent. They just know where they need to be, and it’s not behind a desk grinding out numbers.
Why is this important? Because in fundraising, like your career, knowing where you need to be is key to finding your next job. Typically, that’s not behind your desk grinding out resumes. It’s out in the community, meeting the people who have the jobs.
How is this a career move? Get out and meet someone! Anyone? Well, yes, that’s better than sitting behind your desk, but meeting people who do what you want to do at another organization is even better. Get out and connect on a friendly basis. Find out what their day looks like and who they know. And if you must, after the meeting tally the meeting on your spreadsheet, and send someone a resume!
Are You From a Dysfunctional Family?
One of my favorite cartoon images (Far Side, I think) shows five or six people standing in a large, empty hotel ballroom, drinks in their hands, under the banner “APFF: The Association of People with Functional Families.” It speaks volumes — especially in the “family” of the workplace.
Are you from a dysfunctional family? Sure. Who isn’t? The question is, is the family so dysfunctional that you need to leave?
Don’t worry. We’re not going to get into an analysis of group dynamics, here. But before you opt for a “divorce,” you need to think “Can I make this better for me right here?”
How is this a career move? Like in fundraising where it’s much easier to get a gift from an existing donor than to find a new one, most times it’s much easier to fix your current situation than to get out entirely and try to find a new job. At least it’s worth looking at.
So before you look to take out your APFF membership and leave to join a “family” that looks perfectly functional, ask yourself, “Can I get at least more functional here?”
