Typically referring to employment, an opportunity is a chance to make (more) money, to do something you enjoy, or to experience something new. When opportunity knocks, do you say yes or no to it?
What Influences Your Choice
Sometimes the need to make money and pay bills will influence that decision. Assuming money isn’t the deciding factor and there are other variables to consider, how would you weigh your decision?
There were times as a freelancer when I felt obligated to take any work I could get. Now that I have a full-time job, I have more flexibility and freedom in the freelance work I choose and how I spend my time.
I was approached with a freelance opportunity to create and manage social media content for a potential client. I wasn’t excited about it. I hardly, if ever, post on my own personal social media accounts. And even though I manage social media in my current position, I post once a week, whereas the freelance opportunity sounded like it would be a daily thing.
I enjoy creating content, but it can be time-consuming, and I didn’t have the bandwidth to commit to this new project. Even with scheduling posts in advance, I dreaded the thought of the work as it sounded more like a chore than fun.
We Prioritize What We Want
Another time, a friend encouraged me to apply to an opening for a social media / PR manager role at the company he worked for. Again, I wasn’t excited about it, primarily because I was already working somewhere I enjoyed. The only reason I considered it was because of the significantly higher salary, but was that enough to take the position if offered?
We tend to prioritize the things we want. I look back and see how I really felt about that opportunity. It wasn’t a priority for me. I wasn’t actively looking for a new job and only considered it because of the money. I wasn’t sure if it was a good fit for me or if it was something I wanted to do. I also wondered if it would be a stressful job.
I still applied, but didn’t submit my resume immediately. If circumstances were different — if I were looking for work, if the role was more appealing to me, or I desperately needed the money, I may have felt and responded differently.
Questions to Consider
I appreciate the opportunity to make extra money, but what kind of work would I prefer to spend my time on? When opportunity knocks, I ask these questions.
- Is the work in line with what I’d like to do? (e.g., writing, copyediting, voice overs)?
- Would it be stressful, and if so, would it be worth the stress?
- Do I have the bandwidth to take on the project?
- Would I be motivated to do the work?
- Do I want it?
I’m as grateful for the opportunities that arise as I am for the ability to choose which ones I say yes or no to.
