When Should You Turn Down a Work Opportunity?

 
Wed 01 Sept 2021

When Should You Turn Down a Work Opportunity?

Knowing which work opportunities to accept and which to reject can be really challenging. But the good news is it’s a skill that you can develop. Try these strategies to better assess which opportunities to take on and which to turn down.

    (1) Don’t just say yes to an opportunity that’s in the distant future. When making a long-term decision, ask yourself how you’d feel if it were happening tomorrow instead of...later. Would you still say yes?
    (2) Generously estimate the time required to do the job. Consider all the work that will be involved before getting to the exciting parts of the opportunity — for example, the prep time before the speaking engagement. How much time will it take out of your regular work schedule and routine responsibilities? Can you realistically fit the time commitment into your schedule?
    (3) Adopt some hard rules about which opportunities you don’t want to take on. (“I don’t edit book-length projects,” or “I don’t do wedding photography.”) This will help you set clear boundaries around the kinds of requests you’ll even consider. When developing your own rules, consider your strengths and the type of activities that actually energize you.

This tip is adapted from “When (and How) to Say “No” To Opportunities,” by Amantha Imber

***