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“So Moses, do you have any question for me?”. That was the customary question asked by the hiring manager as we wrapped up the interview.
This was my chance to make a lasting impression and really show my enthusiasm for possibly moving on to the subsequent final round of the interview process. I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts. And then uttered the following words as my response..
“No. I think I’m good. I don’t have any questions.”
Turning Down A High Paying Job Because It’s About More Than Money
The hiring manager was floored as she began to realize she had failed to woo me in. She was being rejected by a candidate – something that rarely happens.
At that point, her desperation kicked up as she proceeded to make her last ditch effort to regain composure and control by going so far as to telling me that I was her ideal candidate – and that she would love for me to move forward to the final stage of process.
But of course, to no avail.
So why did I turn down this high paying job opportunity? Because it’s about more than money for me. In fact, as I’ve said many times on this blog and on the podcast, I care very little about money.
Give Me Freedom And Peace Instead
I’ve also talked a lot about freedom and peace being at the top of my list of values in life. These are the values that underlie every decision I make. And I’ve learned to not sacrifice these values for anything – especially not for money.
It’s nice to have confirmation that the things I speak about in the blog align with actions I make in real life. This is not theoretical, rather, it is me living out each and everything I discuss.
That said, let me breakdown the principles that drove my decision to turn down a job that would have put me in the top 22% of all earners (including dual earning households) at $163,000 per year.
Listening To Wisdom Of My Past: Never Take A Job That Isn’t A Good Fit
With experience comes wisdom. And after having 12 professional jobs since starting my career in 2012, I have a lot of experience to lean on.
In my younger years I would have leapt for any opportunity to make a lot of money. For instance, there was the time in 2017 where I left a comfortable job in my home town that paid $48,000 for a job in Washington D.C. that paid $72,000.
That was a hefty pay raise, but the problem here was that I hated the field I was working in, and ignored the internal voice telling me to get out. As a result, I barely survived in that new job for 6 months before making my exit in marvelous fashion.
This job was different as I don’t mind the work I’m doing. The issue with this job would have been that I could tell almost immediately that the hiring manager and I would not have gotten along. I have a strong personality and I’m not afraid of conflict. As a result, I could tell that accepting this position would have been like scheduling an impending heavy weight bout.
I've Learned To Avoid Stress Like The Plague
Though the relationship with my ex girlfriend of 15 years came to an end, her impact on my life has a lasting impression. That’s because she gave me one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received and I’ve been living by it ever since.
One day, while emotionally crumbling under a pile of stress, my then girlfriend told me that my problem was that I constantly made decisions that brought on the stress in my life. Over the long years of our relationship, she watched as my ambitions got ahead of me and drove me to take on more and more responsibilities and risks that ultimately resulted in overwhelm and failure.
She then told me that the best way to not have stress was to avoid it in the first place. In other words, she was telling me to learn to project out the consequences of my decisions and carefully pick actions that would maintain peace and tranquility.
The lesson was learned, and this bit of wisdom helped me see very clearly that this role would have been one wrought with stress as I would have been tasked with managing multi-million dollar initiatives that according to the hiring manager “tracked all the way up to the CEO”.
Some may be intrigued to interact with CEO’s, but it’s a hard pass for me.
More Money Wouldn’t Have Changed My Life
In terms of making money, 2023 was a stellar year. Combining a generous severance package from my layoff with a hefty income enabled me to generate after tax earnings in excess of what this job would have paid on a pre-tax basis.
I’m definitely proud of myself for becoming a top earning man. But, I can also say that the money has made me no happier than I was in the year prior as I approached becoming debt free before ultimately hitting the milestone in March 2022.
I’m anticipating that I’ll be making 40 – 50% less in 2024, which makes the idea of pursuing a high salary enticing. But then I step back and realize that making more money would produce no tangible improvements in my life since I’m already content with where I’m at.
I’ve never been someone who pursues money for the sake of buying material pleasures. And unlike many people, I’m unwilling to sacrifice my health or happiness for a few extra dollars.
So my thoughts are why should I destabilize an already grand situation?
I Also Don't Need The Money
Being debt free, having low expenses, and owning just about nothing makes for a powerful situation. I need very little to survive and thrive – which positions me to be very selective with how I give away my time.
Things would be different if my situation were different.
If I had the typical lifestyle design of a mortgage, several car payments, a family, and all the related bills – I would probably be more motivated to take the safer route.
But for now I’m taking advantage of the position I find myself in as I use it for maximum freedom. And speaking of freedom..
I Value More Freedom Over More Money
One of the stipulations of this job would have been the requirement of an in office hybrid schedule of 2-3 days per week with “ the potential for more days at company discretion”.
I know return to office is the new wave. And I anticipate having to do it in the future. But for now, I’m choosing to hold firm on remote because I’m not ready to turn in my freedom for a bit of extra money.
What makes me confident in this stance is the fact that I currently have a fully remote position. And while I’m not sure how much longer it will last – I know my value on the job market which makes me confident in vying for one of the increasingly prized fully remote roles that many others clamor for.
And since I’ve mentioned knowing my job market value, let me expand further on that next.
I Understand My Job Market Value & I Have Options
Getting a job that puts you in the top 10% of individual earners doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it comes about by landing in the right career path and managing that career in a way that positions you to be able to demand such a high salary.
The main factor here is that I’ve consistently delivered on the things I’ve been hired to do. I also have the refined skill of articulating what I can bring to the table, which instills confidence in those considering hiring me.
Plus, I’m aware of the value I bring since I’ve successfully managed the multi million dollar budgets under my care in the past.
I Have Options Because I've Strategically Created Multiple Viable Career Paths
Beyond executing at work, I’ve been intentional about maximizing my career options by strategically building a set of skills and qualifications that make me a viable candidate for 3 distinct career paths at any given moment.
My primary objective for doing this has been to ensure I have maximum job security and resiliency since I work in a field known for rampant layoffs. But a secondary benefit is that it clearly gives me leverage at the interview table. Knowing that I can quickly pivot into multiple six figure career paths removes any desperation since I know I have options.
My Path Is Already Set
I have a well established vision for my future and I’m diligently working to bring it to fruition. In other words, my path already is set and my task now is to carefully limit distractors that will take me off course.
This job would have been one of those distractions because for one, it would have required a lot of work. And while I never shy away from working hard, I know that doing so for someone else will take me away from the pursuit of my own dreams.
It’s the same decision a musician makes when deciding to take a record deal or go independent.
Signing the record deal guarantees them immediate cash and resources, but comes in exchange for freedom, ownership, and control. Meanwhile, the road of independence is a lot less certain. The artist has to bootstrap their way to success without the resources and support. But In the end, victory is a lot more rewarding as they own everything they create while calling their own shots along the way.
I Believe In Myself
I believe in action and results over talking, so I don’t reveal much about my ambitions. But I do have a handful of unique goals that serve as a tremendous source of motivation for me.
If I didn’t believe in my ability to achieve these goals, then taking the job would have been a no brainer. Why not take the surer thing when it’s an opportunity many people would kill for? Going to work, making a ton of money, and living a normal life doesn’t sound so bad.
But as I said, my path is now set. And I’d much rather chase a dream and fail than never try and live with regret. Plus, I truly believe I have what it takes to pull it all off.
Slowly Losing My Ability To Play The Career Game
I’m noticing a shift within myself where I’m losing my ability and patience with the “career game”. I believe this shift is driven in large part to my innate maverick spirit. And is then accelerated as I attain more and more freedom.
A clear example of this would be a situation that happened this past week where a team member of mine and our intern attempted to assign me several menial tasks to an effort they were leading such as copying and pasting existing links into a spreadsheet. Here I am interviewing for a high level role at one company while members of my current team (including an intern) attempt to assign me tasks more appropriate for the intern. My response…
“I’m not doing that”. And I never did.
My Talents Extend Beyond The Walls Of An Office Building
Another part of this is that I know that I have talents that extend beyond work in the traditional sense. I’ve always been a creative, independent person – and I’m finally arranging my life to align with where I’m suited best.
I know that at some point in the future I will reach a point of total independence from work in the traditional sense. But in the meantime, I will continue to show up and play the game as best I can.
In Conclusion: Be Careful What You Ask For
Some of you may read this and think that I’m crazy for passing up such a wonderful opportunity. To which I say.. be careful what you ask for.
Have you ever given thought to how a place that is generally considered the world’s richest country could have a life expectancy so far behind much poorer countries such as Taiwan, Slovenia, and Puerto Rico – and many others?
Of course, there are a multitude of reasons, but I believe a lot of it is driven by our lust for money. There is a level of stress and sacrifice involved with what we in America deem as success. To achieve it, we hand over our time, health, and happiness for the pursuit of dollars. Combine these with extreme levels of stress and it’s no wonder we don’t stick around longer.
At any rate, I stand firmly by my decision with no semblance of doubt. Because as I’ve already said, my path is already set.