Don’t celebrate too early!
I know you would be wondering what I meant by that. Yes, I mean when you hit the jackpot, be cautious on how you celebrate. Of course, I know that success can be intoxicating. It could push you into taking unplanned action.
Got some unfortunate news yesterday which got me upset. A close relative who worked in a real estate firm had the nerves to resign from his job when he was yet to sign an offer letter from a new employer. What’s more, he upgraded his wardrobe with new office-worthy wears just after his final interview, thanks to a loan shark.
He had negotiated a 1.4x his current net pay, a 40% increase in his previous salary, only to be offered a net pay of 0.6x, 40% less of his previous salary.
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Mathematically, this doesn’t stack up and it is sane to reject such offer, ceteris paribus. So he did what a sane person would have done without considering his actions carefully. He rejected the offer and started afresh as a job seeker.
In his words, ‘Sis, I’ll tell you what…they didn’t stick to the agreement, besides, I was given a supposedly unrealistic monthly/quarterly target which is not fairly commensurate with the salary. Also, I have over 6 years of work experience and will not debase myself to earning what is deserving of a fresh graduate. By the way, it’s a marketing job in an unpopular microfinance bank and I don’t even find it befitting bla bla bla’’….He was saying gibberish as it was evident that he was all kinds of discombobulated.
Anyway, he is now jobless and also in a huge debt that will take a miracle to come out of it.
What do you have to tell him?
Well, I will say this to everyone out there, especially the employees, before you tender your resignation letter, be sure you have been given the appointment letter that states your salary expectations. So that your decision would be based on what you have at hand. It’s like a bird at hand that’s worth than thousands in the bush.
It reminds me of my time as a job seeker, I attended an interview and passed it. I was sent a congratulatory message. Out of excitement, I told every cat and dog in my community.
I packed my bags and prepared for the new destination (Lagos). When I arrived at the company, I tendered the printed congratulatory message, but I was told to wait for a week. The recruiter said they were getting my new office ready. I waited for a week. A week turned to five months. Till date, I heard nothing from them.
I regretted celebrating too early. I regretted having to wait endlessly without doing nothing. But I appreciated the lesson it taught me.
Until you have resumed into the office, never assume you’ve been hired because the decision could still be reversed. Yes, you cannot be like Usain Bolt – not many are that lucky to celebrate before the finish lines.
Credit: Sarah Funmi Ajayi