What would you do if you weren't afraid?

Last summer, at the height of my job search, I applied for a communications job at a community services non-profit with a focus on childhood advocacy. Like most of the jobs I went after, the online application included a field for salary requirements.

That's a tricky question, yes? Your price as an employee is more than a dollar figure. You have to measure out-of-pocket costs like insurance premiums and commuting against softer ticket items like retirement contributions, vacation time, job flexibility, corporate culture and growth opportunities. But generally you have an idea of where you'd like to be.

At that point in time, Luke and I were doing okay, but as a one-income family with three children and no short-term plans to change our situation, I had to make my next career move count financially. We had dreams of building an emergency fund, replacing the family car and switching our starter home with something more permanent. We couldn't accomplish all those things without my getting a huge raise in salary.

On the other hand, my career is more to me than money. I want work that means something, too. So even though non-profits aren't hot spots for accumulating material wealth, I threw my hat in the ring.

Three weeks later, I received the follow-up email I was hoping for, but with a twist. There was another open communications role, one that focused raising awareness around childhood education to parents, donors and legislators. Because of my writing gig for Parents.com, the hiring manager thought I might be a good fit and asked if I would interview. He was also very honest about the salary range falling beneath what I listed on my application.

We arranged for a quick call (not an actual interview) the next day.

And it was a good conversation. We talked about the job description, key initiatives, work schedules. I think I would have loved it.

Then came the issue of pay. By this time I'd been actively job searching for more than four months and was steadier on my feet when it came to talking money. So I asked for the range. Roughly the same I was making, maybe a little less. 

I asked for 24 hours to think it over. The hiring manager was gracious. 

You can figure out the rest of the story.

Of course, there's a happy ending. I found a great job doing interesting work in the salary range I wanted. Luke and I still aren't millionaires, but we're much stronger financially than we were last year. It was a smart career move for my family.

But I wish I'd taken the interview.

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I have another story like this: a company reaching out with an amazing opportunity, me stepping out of the process. Once again, my reasoning sounded logical. Not the right time to make a career switch; the money might not be there; the drive would be long; I would have to learn Skype for the interview.

(Seriously, that was one of my reasons.)

I need to stop thinking this way.

I need to stop getting in my own way and assuming I have all the answers. I need to be open to surprises, even if the balance sheet doesn't add up or the odds aren't in my favor. I should have given the non-profit a chance to court me for the job. So what if I got to the end and the pay was too low? Would I have lost anything in the process? What could I have gained instead?

Similarly, I should have panicked for a couple days about learning Skype and working in BuFu Egypt and agreed to that second interview. I'd been foaming at the mouth over that job all summer. So what if it came at the wrong time? Does change ever come at the right time?

Before you drop out of the race, at least put on your shoes. 

This post inspired by the "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" Tumblr by LeanIn.org. My thoughts on the actual book are still forthcoming.

Comments

[@StateofKate]

Love the question, "Does change ever come at the right time?"
Wise, indeed.

[daddyd]

Today, at CVS, I asked a wise older man if the weather was to hot to play golf. He said, " Life is complex." Nice answer. When there is more than one factor, and even then, life is complex. However, we all move ahead and do the best we can at the present time.