Passion over Prestige: Why I Turned Down an Opportunity with Amazon to Grow with an Ottawa IT company
Michaela Alexis
Official LinkedIn Learning Trainer & Coach | Over Caffeinated Toddler Mom, Live and Virtual Keynote Speaker, & Author of No Fear Networking | Helping 200K+ Professionals Thrive on LinkedIn, Book a Call Now to Grow!
Last week, I was approached by Amazon for an opportunity to work in a position that had Michaela written all over it. It was within their toys and games marketing department. Marketing Nerf guns for a living? It seemed too good to be true.
When the LinkedIn message hit my inbox, I nonchalantly Googled the sender, certain that it was just another LinkedIn scam. I gasped when I realized that everything checked out, that this was a real opportunity presented to me.
I was overwhelmed, sitting in my cubicle, staring at this invitation to apply for such a prestigious position. My mind flashed back to months ago, back when I was posting on Linkedin about looking for a full time position. That girl never dreamt that her life and luck would change so dramatically in just a few short months.
It immediately knew what I needed to do. I told my boss at Grade A. In fact, I showed him the email. Never, ever, in another career would I ever consider sharing something like that with my boss. But extraordinary circumstances yield extraordinary reactions. First, I reassured him that I wasn't going anywhere. Then, I considered how I would respond. After a few minutes, I took a deep breath, and replied,
Everything that's happened to me so far in my career journey, from being laid off and to being told by a CEO to stop writing and focus on starting a family, to battling agoraphobia and landing my dream job in two weeks on Linkedin has led me to this liberating place of confidence. Change is inevitable, but your values and perspective are always under your control. You are the author of your story.
A great career is so much more than perks and a paycheck. A dream job is about how you feel every morning when you wake up, the vibes you get when you pass your colleagues, and your reflections at the end of the day. It's about the knowledge you absorb and your optimism for the future.
A great career is built on relationships, and like any relationship, it's susceptible to temptations and the allure of greener pastures. But sometimes, your best opportunity is to have faith and bloom...exactly where you are.
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Follow my journey from when it all began! Start here:
https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/how-i-landed-my-dream-job-two-weeks-top-5-linkedin-tips-alexis
Small Business Consultant/ Social Entrepreneur
6 年Congratulations! You went with your gut feelings, passion, and your true purpose and happiness in the journey of life. Good luck!
Wild Card - draw me for a winning hand | Creative Problem Solver in Many Roles | Manual Software QA | Project Management | Business Analysis | Auditing | Accounting |
6 年Amazon works their people to death. Jeff Bezos gets rich from uncompensated overtime. So you dodged a bullet by not working for them.
Data Analyst
7 年My first take on your article was that I thought you could have spent more time connecting with this person, Micheala. I thought best approach was to discuss Amazon, the person's experience, ask questions, etc. while still making it clear that you were happy at Grade A. My thinking was that this could transform into another opportunity. But I ran it across someone whose opinion I value and what came out to her was your passion and authenticity! I sit corrected. Congrats on finding your passion and I look forward to learning more lessons!
Women’s Empowerment Events
8 年Where is the "Love" button? Love this post. Great perspective Michaela! <3
Design professional with the perfect balance of persuasive, professional, persistent, and personable
8 年Thank you so much for sharing this. It is great to see someone focused on what is truly important. I'm so happy for you!