Discovering My Non-Negotiables

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Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want out of a job. Back in September, I was listening to this episode of Interview Boss, and the title was “Job regrets? What to do when your new job sucks.” I didn’t think too much of it because I was still working at my previous place of employment, and I didn’t have any new job prospects. So, I kind of zoned out through it. Then, right before Christmas break, I wondered what I had gotten myself into by taking on this new job. It wasn't that it sucked; it's a decent job. It was just going in a completely different direction than what I was originally told. There were 3 major changes, and from one day to the next, I had responsibilities put on my shoulders that I hadn’t signed up for. And I just felt so stressed out and overwhelmed. So, as I was heading into work one morning, I thought about that episode and decided to give it another listen.

As I listened to these two women talk, it made me think about what I wanted. And I started thinking about what was important to me. At one point, one of them asks about non-negotiables. So, I started thinking about what my non-negotiables were - right then. Had my priorities changed? Would they change again anytime soon? And I began to think about how my previous job and this new job made me feel. I knew that nothing out there would be perfect, but what were the things I found important that I didn’t want to compromise on? For instance, was pay a major factor? Or was a flexible schedule more important? Was the work environment a deal breaker? And so, I started coming up with a list of things I wanted in a job.

• A good work environment // I don’t want to dread going to work. I don’t want to deal with people talking badly about each other - every single day. I know that workplaces have gossip, and not everyone is going to get along. But I firmly believe that good leadership can have a lot of influence over how often and how long these behaviors are allowed to go on. Having toxic coworkers is not fun, and I want to limit it as much as possible.

• Good benefits for myself and my family // Medical and dental insurance are important to me because I have a family, and I also would like to add to it in the future. Not having insurance or having a terrible plan is not something I’m okay with. Even the best individual plan through the Affordable Care Act sounds like a joke regarding premiums, copays, and deductibles.

• Good starting pay ($48k net) with reasonable yearly raises // The price of everything has gone up. The cost of living is getting higher. And as long as I’m doing good work, I feel it should be compensated accordingly. And it should be equal to anyone else at the same level. Man or woman. 

• 40 hours of vacation and 40 hours of sick time to start automatically // I’ve been in the workforce for a very long time. My work history shows that I am loyal and consistent. Starting over without these benefits while having a daughter and family is not ideal. So, this is something I wish I could negotiate.

• An 8 a.m. -5 p.m. workday // I want to clock in, do my job, and clock out. While I’d be flexible if it were an EA position, I want clear boundaries. I want to have a good work/life balance. And I don’t want to be made to feel bad for that, either. This is one way to help avoid burnout.

• Training and learning opportunities // I want to be good at my job. I want to advance and stay up to date with skills in my career. And I want to make the employer feel/see that I’m worth the money I’m being paid. So, being able to attend a conference, take a course, or go to a workshop each year would be amazing.

• The option to work from home in case of an emergency // When kids get sick or when we have to make a last-minute trip out of town due to emergencies, I’d like the ability to work from home or remotely. I enjoy going into a physical office away from my house to work. Still, there have been times in the past when I wished I could have been able to work remotely rather than burn through my vacation - especially since my job was almost exclusively done on a computer.

• A wellness program // Extra time (30-45 minutes) either during lunch or before/after work that I can take to work out at a local gym, run, or attend a therapy session. Limited to twice a week max. Our physical and mental well-being is super important. I’d like to work for a company or business that understands that.

I get that some of these may not be 100% attainable. But I feel like there’s room for negotiations on most of these. And the right employer will be open to discussing them. However, sometimes I think that being in a small town limits these opportunities because they’re all pretty “modern” concepts that many businesses around here aren’t necessarily on board with yet. So, maybe this is all just a long shot. A “dream job” that doesn’t exist. But after finishing that podcast episode, I realized that I currently have at least three non-negotiables. And that's something I can work with going forward.