Opportunity knocks only once.
An old proverb once said. And many added that when opportunity knocks, be sure to answer the door.
I always believe that opportunities are aplenty in this vast world. Sometimes, though, we are not aware of such options or are not ready to grab them just yet. Does this make such opportunity a missed chance? I do not think so.
Opportunity knocks only once
They say opportunity knocks only once and there may not be a second chance. We need to be alert. But more than that, we need to identify if such option is an opportunity to advance ourselves. Sometimes, there are opportunities dressed as adversities and vice versa.
Let me share with you one opportunity I just had.
The missed opportunity
Golden Opportunity or Fool’s Gold
I got a job offer. It was for a writing post. I passed the series of interview and got a commendable grade on the sample article asked of me to write. I could start this week, much to my gratification.
I asked for the job details and compensation.
As a newly hire, I need to undergo a certain trial period. I am required to pitch a number of articles a day. And I need to submit the draft on the same day. For that, I would receive only less than half the compensation I was initially told. But after that trial period, I will get a fairly decent pay per approved article. The promise of a higher compensation comes in when I become a regular. The pay per article would be based on the total average page views.
I did not ask anymore when would one be regularized. I politely declined.
What makes for golden opportunities?
I did not accept the offer because I know my workload. I know my limits, and it is best not to pursue things that will lead to my downfall. Committing to a certain number of articles in a day may be too easy for others but not for me. I still have a house to manage and school kids to look after. My 18-month old son also needs my attention.
I was honest with them as well when I mentioned the trial period compensation made me uncomfortable. I just felt it was way below minimum.
I hope I did not act on impulse. I know I did not act on impulse. I acted appropriately on the value the job opportunity would bring to my family and me. I resigned from work in the first place to look after the boys and manage our household. Helping my husband financially is not a priority but would be highly appreciated. Committing myself to a job that would require me to work at least six hours will bring no advantage on my part.
Not so great opportunity is golden for others
The job offer may be a golden opportunity for one or two. It may be the answer to his prayers to earn within the comforts of his home. It is definitely an opportunity to improve himself and hone his English proficiency. Writing entails research and interviews, and that would be advantageous to a person in acquiring new knowledge from his readings and meetings. His confidence as a better writer will indeed develop. And based on experience, writing is a big part of most office duties and responsibilities. This job offer then becomes an appropriate training ground for students, for instance, should they grab it.
Golden opportunity or fool’s gold
Golden Opportunity or Fool’s Gold
I once saw a television documentary about gold mining. Many less-than-knowledgeable miners would often mistake gold-colored minerals as real gold. Only that during appraisal, they would learn that the tons of stones they got were relatively worthless. Because they were all fool’s gold.
The opportunity presented to me that morning may be indeed an opportunity. But inasmuch as I would love to commit, I know something more important would suffer. And that to me will be a missed opportunity. I do not want my time for my boys to be put behind just to invest in a fool’s gold.
Right opportunity is golden
Now everything is made even clearer. The path is different for everyone. It is prudent to go after the doors that are open to us. But we should be wise enough to make a good decision and hold on to that belief. Not all opportunities will bring the greater good. Some might be traps that would all the more exhaust us. This then makes it not the right opportunity for us. When in doubt, always remember that right opportunity is golden. How golden? When you need not compromise anything especially your time for your family.
Have you ever mistaken a fool’s gold as a golden opportunity? Would love to hear from you, please.
* My special thank you to Robert Lee. I had doubts writing this post as I do not want to speak disloyally of the company who hired me. They, after all, only offered a job opportunity. It just so happened I cannot make a commitment. Robert Lee personally made an outline how I would write this post. “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” (James Allen). Again, thank you.
Hi Momi Berlin. Your reflections are becoming my favorites when I visit your blog. It is nice to discern and even pray over opportunites that come our way. I agree that we should weighing first our priorities. I appreciate your honesty when it comes that on how you presented it here. I feel how graeful you are but at the same time open enough to know how you can really commit to something.
Thank you. I always aim to be honest in anything I write because this blog is what I will leave to my boys to remember me by.
And Sir Robert was really correct in sharing this. To be honest, I have the same experience. The contract was every 3 months so in our country, it’s understood as a contractual. Being an HR graduate, this was unacceptable to me as it is against my principles. There’s nothing really bad in sharing these kind of stories as these serve as warning to others as well that while you look for the right opportunity, there will be those vicious people that will take advantage of you.
Really had second thoughts. Then decided to push through with the writing and conceal some details. Really have no intention to speak ill of the company.
Been into this kind of experience before where I thought that it was it but it was on contrary. I was very confident that time because the job was really suits my qualifications. After that unfortunate event, I always make sure to weigh them before going into conclusions. Well, it was a lesson worth pondering.
Lesson learned the hard way, sometimes. The good thing is, it helps us to think first then before we grab anything.
Berlin,
I am glad we had a little talk. In as far as writing, the client who had offered the job was protected and definitely not violated. In my view, what they offered was a legitimate job. Whether or not one chooses to accept or decline is another thing, though.
An offer and ensuing discussion is nothing more than a business transaction waiting to be completed, or not at all.
For other people, this may be a good job to accept, depending on their needs, capability, ability and time. For others, it may not be good, such as in your case due to your other obligations.
So a job could be long-term, or short-term. There are different jobs with varying time frames and offers. Some freelancers may be looking for short-term ones, while others may want to feel secure with long-term ones.
It comes down to the right job for the right person. Once that is met, then you could say that yes, the opportunity is golden.
P.S. Once I have a sales agent. He said, “Do not be angry if you buy a product only to find out someone else is selling it cheaper. The fact is that you accepted to price and agreed to buy.” What I mean by this is that there are people who are upset with job offers. They do have the option to decline, so what is the fuss? But once a job is accepted, then be the best always, but always keep an eye for better opportunities.
Another lesson worth reflecting, Robert. Thank you.
It’s quite admirable that you were able to access the opportunity and determine that it was not right for you. I commend you for that.
Sometimes things aren’t always as shiny as they look. For me, it probably came during one of my very first jobs…I believed the hype of being a door to door knife salesman and quickly realized it wasn’t the thing for me.
I can relate to your decision. I used to work as a ghost writer but I stopped after 8 months because I realized that the pay is not worth it. I spent hours of writing and I have less time with my son. It reminded me the reason why I resigned from my work, to have time for my son. Ok na muna ko sa blog. 🙂
“There are seasons in our life that we need to say NO to good things in order to say YES to great things”
I agree on don’t pursue things that will lead to your downfall. At least you know your priorities. For sure, sa galing mo yan, more golden opportunities to come.
I like how you were able to clearly outline your thoughts. Sa totoo lang, I am amazed on how well you manage your time as the home maker and still maintain this blog. And yes, it’s sometimes okay to say NO. I am actually guilty of that. Sa totoo lang, I am way beyond exhausted every weekday, and minsan pati weekends, just because I work 6-8 hrs a day. So even I am only a WAHM, I still feel veeeery tired everyday and all too guilty that I cannot give all my focus to my son. Taliwas sa naisip ko when I’ve quit the corporate world na akala ko mas may time for the family and myself. Of course meron, pero not as I’ve expected it to be. But I have to work. Ang iniisip ko na lang, one day will come and I will no longer need to push myself to work 8hrs a day just to get a decent pay every 15 days. Konting ipon na lang and ‘upskill’ and I will be able to push through with my entrepreneurial plans and have more time for my family, especially my babies. 🙂 Anyway, sobrang napaisip ako sa article mo na ito, Momi Berlin. Napa-reflect ako bigla if the opportunities that I have accepted are really aligned with my goals in life and ano nga ba ang dapat kong gawin. Hmmm…..
This is so true. Not all opportunity are for you or maybe, suitable for you. Not because it sounds good for others, it may be the best for you. You have to way the pros and cons and also your priorities. I know as a mom, your family comes first – and this is the first thing you have to think about before grabbing opportunities.
I remember withdrawing from a job opportunity as assistant editor for a petroleum company’s marketing department despite the huge salary that came with it. Many people disapproved saying that it was a once in a lifetime offer and it could have redeemed me, career-wise, but I have never regretted that decision. Not all opportunities that come our way are meant to be ours, and that’s okay. It’s better to be assured of our priorities than be easily swayed by monetary rewards. 😉
I can definitely relate to this. I get a decent amount of work offers but I’ve been declining all of them no matter if they’re hard to pass up, simply because I know what my priorities are. Like you, my priorities right now are my kids and household. That is why I only accepted a freelance job that allows me to work on a schedule that I prefer. I’m sure you’ll come across another opportunity that will be a better fit for you. 🙂
While reading this post, I remember a line that say we cannot have the best of both worlds. It forces us to choose one over the other. There are times we have to make decisions to choose even if we don’t want to. Weighing consequences first becomes my number 1 basis on what to do in a particular setting.