New Role? Consider What Can’t Be Taken From You
Finding Contentment Through Workplace Stoicism
Two years ago, I was concluding a multi-month job search that ultimately landed me at Google. As I was deciding between offers, I used a decision making framework that has served me well.
Instead of focusing on the typical stuff like the team, technology, or product, I created a prioritized list of my values, cross-referenced those values with the things that could not be easily taken from me after I joined. I then ranked my offers according to those attributes.
It might seem overly dark to consciously consider what can be taken from you, but I’ve found it to be a liberating exercise. When things inevitably get unpleasant at your new role, you can think “well, at least I got what I wanted.” And as a famous poet once said, that can make all the difference.
Here’s how it works.
What Is Difficult To Take From You?
Employment in the US is at-will. That means most of us can be laid off without cause at any time. In a very real sense, everything about your job can be taken from you.
But at least in the tech industry, even during the present downturn, there are some things that are difficult or inconvenient to take from you. In descending order of difficulty to revoke, they are:
Employer’s reputation
Base salary
Title
Location
Everything else about a role can and should be treated as transitory: your boss, team, project, tools, go to market strategy, bonuses, promotions, products, even the company’s customers. Keep this list in mind and don’t get too attached to these aspects of your work!
What Do You Want?
If you don’t know what you want in your next role, I won’t be able to help you, unfortunately. Only you know what it’s like to live in your skin 24 hours a day. As 50 Cent so eloquently put it:
“Look in the mirror, ask yourself who are you?
If you don’t know who you are, how could your dreams come true?”
-50 Cent
But you don’t need to be an internationally famous rapper to discover what you want and need. Just start listing out what you feel drawn to. Don’t try to filter the list and keep the wording simple.
Here was my list for the job hunt that landed me at Google:
Work with a manager or team I’ve worked with previously.
Work in person with a team in Austin, Texas.
Work for another company with a good industry reputation.
Transition back to being a product management individual contributor.
Work on a team that is building a 0 to 1 effort.
That’s a pretty long list, but you gotta reach for the stars!
Are You Getting What You Want?
Google has been great, but no company or role is perfect. Here’s a comparison of what I wanted and what I got:
Work with a manager or team I’ve worked with previously.Work in person with a team in Austin, Texas.
Work for another company with a good industry reputation.
Transition back to being a product management individual contributor.
Work on a team that is building a 0 to 1 effort.
Notice anything about this list?
I’ve been at Google for a little over two years. I’ve managed to keep 100% of the things that I wanted and are difficult to take. I work in-person with folks here in Austin, for a company with a great reputation, and my title has remained the same: Senior Product Manager.
Meanwhile, I wasn’t able to get my #5 preference and the manager I joined the company to work for left 6 months after I joined.
I feel great about the outcome. I joined with a clear understanding of what I was likely to get … and that’s exactly what was delivered.
Why Is This Important?
There are always days when work is challenging. On those days, it can be tempting to look back and wonder if you made the right choice when accepting a new role. Regret can easily lead to fear and frustration. And as Master Yoda put it: “Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate… leads to suffering.”
So there you have it. From 50 Cent to Star Wars, you can’t afford not to subscribe to this newsletter.