One of my viewers on YouTube asked me to offer my thoughts about accepting or considering lower offers.
The notion of accepting a lower salary than you are accustomed to hits home at a deep emotional level as well as a professional level. It is emotions that cause someone to agonize over what is really a straightforward business decision.
Let me offer a few pretty straightforward scenarios.
Mohammed has been out of work for 8 months and is offered a position at a comparable level to where they were previously for $20000 less than the $150000 they previously earned.
Yes, it will take while to return to their previous earnings but they have already lost two thirds of a year’s income. The longer they are out of work, the less likely they will be able to return to their career.
Accept the offer. No one is beating a path to your doors.
A second scenario:
Preeti has five years of experience, is currently working and is offered a job that she is interested in for $10000 less than she is earning. The position is five miles from her home and she will never have to commute again.
Here she has to consider the financial cost of commuting, the personal value of her time and make a decision (personally, I would do it but I would try using my technique from, “The Easiest Way to Negotiate a Higher Salary” video to see if I could persuade them to improve their job offer.
In my mind, the harder issue is combining less money and lower position. Where you are asked to consider such circumstances, even when the job is attractive, if you can afford to turn down the job, it is worth doing so.
NOTE MY CHOICE OF PHRASES–IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO
Here the issue changes to one where you have to think longer term.
Will the impact of a demotion affect your career? Yes.
Will that cost you money and opportunity? Certainly money. Probably opportunity.
But even that isn’t clear cut. After all, if I were to add in that the job offer was from Apple or Google on their next hit product you would answer differently, wouldn’t you?
So, to sum up, there is no clear cut simple answer to whether to accept less money. But there is a clear cut suggestion of detaching the emotional charge of doing so with the factual.
© The Big Game Hunter, Inc. Asheville, NC 2013, 2015