Trust Your Nose
July 17, 2008 By: almostgotit Category: Career Transitioning, Uncategorized, employment, goals, instincts, job search, jobless, jobs, polyvore, umemployment, vocation, working
I’ve developed a pretty keen sense of smell in my old age, and it’s nearly always “right on the nose.” Last year I turned down a management job at one company just months before the entire company went under; seven months ago I resigned my directorship of another and have watched them lose acres of ground since — as I’d warned them they would. Nor have the latter found anyone willing to be my replacement.
Many years ago, I ignored an “icky” smell at another job, until I had to leave that position when we moved to Canada. I later found out that my boss had sexually assaulted my predecessor.
My nose knows.
I don’t really want the news my nose is bringing me now, because it’s making me too picky. I need a job. I could persevere and take one of these stinky jobs anyway, but I already know the likely outcome: been there, done that. So for now, I’m sticking with the schnozz.
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July 17th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Lovin the photo and the analogy….you are one smellin wonder. I hope you can sniff out a good one.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Well, I’m impressed. I was never a good sniffer-outer of potentially bad work situations. Partly because I was so often quite desperate to bring in money……
Much better to make a good decision from the very start! So hang in there, almostgotit. Your way is the better way.
July 19th, 2008 at 2:20 am
Have you read “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell of “Tipping Point” fame?
He calls what you have the ability to “thin slice” or to scan a relatively small bit of information and make a “gut” call quickly. Sounds like it works for you.
Keep smelling, some enchanting aroma is right around the corner.
Marcia
July 19th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Thanks, all, for very kind comments. I really didn’t intend to impress anyone, though. I think most of us would do well to better cultivate (and then trust) our own instincts. My mother taught me this, when she said I should do it when *I* became a mother.
I love love LOVE Malcolm Gladwell, and Tipping Point and Blink are both amazing books. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I was echoing him, here! But I do think “thin slicing” is a wonderful way to describe a phenomenon which I believe is part of every person’s hard-wiring.