This new service is a minefield. One you would be wise to stay away from.
According to the website, the ultimate goal is to, “encourage useful discussion that resolves difficult workplace issues. We provide a safe environment in which to do that.”
However, safe doesn’t necessarily mean completely anonymous. The site claims, “Unless required to by law, we will not reveal your identity.”
The service, as noted in this LifeHacker.com article, might reveal the sender. “The catch? Tell Your Boss Anything flags messages with violent phrases or cursing, and if a manager flags a message because it’s abusive, Tell Your Boss Anything might reveal your identity. Keep a level-head if you decide to fire off an email to your boss.”
If you’re going to be level-headed, why not have a conversation with your boss instead? Not to mention, if you’re in a small department or have a unique writing style you’ll be giving yourself away.
Photo from: RicomossI’ll be the first to admit, I’ve made this mistake more than once. A few times, it has worked out well for me. Others have been total disasters.
Don’t accept the first job offer that comes your way, just because it is the first.
Think about that for a minute. Job hunting is scary. It is intimidating and isn’t easy. But trying to fit yourself into a company that doesn’t work for you or a boss with a personality that doesn’t mesh with yours is worse. Unless the position is a perfect fit and will offer you everything you want in a company, culture and in personal relationships with co-workers, it is ok to turn it down.
Yes, your parents might be disappointed and your friends might not understand, but they are not the ones who will have to work there for nine hours (or more!) a day, five (or more!) days per week.
It is perfectly fine to turn down a job you wouldn’t find the work interesting. Of if after the interview you have a gut feeling that it wouldn’t be a good fit. Don’t ignore that. Don’t just say, well it might not be so bad. You have instincts for a reason.
I was on one interview where my possible future boss, stepped on every sentence I had. She was a bit abrasive even in the interview setting. If I had listened to my gut, I would have realized that if she acts this way now, she’ll be even worse if I actually worked for her. And she was.
If I hadn’t just accepted that job off the bat and had waited just a week more, I could have accepted a job in a better environment, with a more collegial staff. I didn’t accept because I had just started a new job. I still kick myself for that.
There are many resources available to you to help decide if an offer is right for you. Just start with Google or your Help a PR Pro Out comrades. In the end, it is your choice. If it doesn’t feel like a choice, consider that a sign that it might be worth waiting for the next opportunity.
