Passing Up Opportunities
Today I wrote an email passing up what would have been a quasi-dream opportunity.
The problem was, while the freelance work involved would have been fun - to the point that I would have probably done it for free under different circumstances - it simply would have taken up too much of my time that is so very limited right now.
And this, I discover, is why we get "paid." Jobs are, essentially, a very simple economic model of supply and demand. I have only so many hours, so I can do only so many things. Given that I'm one of those weird people who absolutely love their job, I don't need to find career fulfillment outside of my work. I am (for now,) fulfilled with what I do and the pay that comes with it.
As such, my employer gets 110% of my work time. What I mean by this is that they get me until my work is complete, as is expected from a salaried employee, and i put in extra time to better my skills and knowledge for my fields of expertise (new media production/marketing, strategic foresight, customer relations, and online spiritual matters).
I also have some ancillary hobbies and dreams, of course. But pursuing a livable fulfillment in such hobbies is nigh impossible... not because I couldn't commit to working towards those dreams, but because I wouldn't want to sacrifice my current job supporting the church through digital media to do so. I imagine I will grow out of this job given a year or two, but I need to be - and I love being - committed to it first hand.
So, when I recently saw a freelance opportunity to possibly some digital media for a comic book publisher and an opening in my schedule, I jumped at the opportunity. But my time is limited, and the window passed as I began my final MBA course and got more digital media freelance my way that I knew would pay more than the comic book publisher... and I wasn't a proven commodity to the publisher yet, so I'd have to come in quite cheap and do a decent amount of work just to be fully considered...
So I had to email back today and decline going forward.
The toughest part of it is the concern that you've burned bridges by showing interest in an opportunity then, ultimately, having to decline it. Getting a foot in the door at any major publisher like Marvel or DC is a highly competitive market... and something that many people never get.
Sigh.
There are only so many hours in a day, Aaron. You can't meet up with every dream you come across.
The problem was, while the freelance work involved would have been fun - to the point that I would have probably done it for free under different circumstances - it simply would have taken up too much of my time that is so very limited right now.
And this, I discover, is why we get "paid." Jobs are, essentially, a very simple economic model of supply and demand. I have only so many hours, so I can do only so many things. Given that I'm one of those weird people who absolutely love their job, I don't need to find career fulfillment outside of my work. I am (for now,) fulfilled with what I do and the pay that comes with it.
As such, my employer gets 110% of my work time. What I mean by this is that they get me until my work is complete, as is expected from a salaried employee, and i put in extra time to better my skills and knowledge for my fields of expertise (new media production/marketing, strategic foresight, customer relations, and online spiritual matters).
I also have some ancillary hobbies and dreams, of course. But pursuing a livable fulfillment in such hobbies is nigh impossible... not because I couldn't commit to working towards those dreams, but because I wouldn't want to sacrifice my current job supporting the church through digital media to do so. I imagine I will grow out of this job given a year or two, but I need to be - and I love being - committed to it first hand.
So, when I recently saw a freelance opportunity to possibly some digital media for a comic book publisher and an opening in my schedule, I jumped at the opportunity. But my time is limited, and the window passed as I began my final MBA course and got more digital media freelance my way that I knew would pay more than the comic book publisher... and I wasn't a proven commodity to the publisher yet, so I'd have to come in quite cheap and do a decent amount of work just to be fully considered...
So I had to email back today and decline going forward.
The toughest part of it is the concern that you've burned bridges by showing interest in an opportunity then, ultimately, having to decline it. Getting a foot in the door at any major publisher like Marvel or DC is a highly competitive market... and something that many people never get.
Sigh.
There are only so many hours in a day, Aaron. You can't meet up with every dream you come across.