I have to make a choice

My client decided to find a new job. Since returning from maternity leave, she had been working as an accountant and her priority was to have a job close to home so that she could balance the demands of her employer and the needs of her family.

She successfully applied for vacancies and soon received offers from two different companies. Now she had 24 hours to decide which offer she would accept. Feeling pressed for time, she wanted to discuss the two options. 

When she came to me, it seemed clear from what she was saying that her mind was already made up. It was a pretty easy choice - the company was a few minutes away from her home, they would be fine with her working part-time, and she would work in her preferred language - German. I let her talk and guided her with coaching questions. From our previous meetings, I knew her work history, so, using a simple exercise, I helped her to compare the two offers with her experience of past jobs.

During the session, she realised what values she was really looking for in her new workplace and found new aspects that she had originally overlooked in her considerations. When she left, she was still undecided, but she had collected her thoughts and wanted to let them marinate before making her decision.

The next day she called me and said, "I woke up this morning and knew exactly what I wanted. I'm surprised that I hesitated at all. I mean, I wanted that job so badly! I called them and tomorrow I'm going to sign the employment contract."

She had chosen the option that, pressed for time, she had originally rejected.

Silva, accountant, mother with two kids