Moving up the corporate ladder...Update: I have an interview!!

Pepperally

Or, in my line of work, nonprofit ladder.  I applied for a job today with more pay within my organization.  I told my manager, she is always supportive of advancing and challenging yourself, so I told her and she wasn't aware of the position but looked into it and said I'd report to our medical officer.  This is very intimidating to me.  I was a manager before but hated managing a team of people (dealing with HR stuff), but this position I'm a manager of projects, not people...that appeals to me.  I always seem to talk myself out of jobs with more responsibility, but then I get bored at the jobs with less responsibility (and make less $).  In away I've been my own worst enemy in keeping myself from advancing due to insecurity.  Anyway, whatever happens, happens.  I threw my name in the hat.  I also think that the job I have now is great for having a kid (which we plan on doing within this year/next year), just very laid back and flexible.  I fear with a job with more responsibililty it would put more pressure on me in trying to balance possibly being a new mom and having a more demanding job...yet I know women do it every day.  Again, it's just my self-defeating thinking.  Anyway, I just needed to vent.  Can anyone else relate at all to holding themselves back in their careers due to insecurities?

**Below is the update in full version - summary version is I have an interview Monday for the position.  The one person I will meet with I've interviewed with before and she told me I blew the interview afterward, although I got the position because she knew what I was capable of.  So, I'm intimated for sure about the interview...any interview questions that aren't typical that you've encountered??  Care to share?

CLoGreenEyes

I feel ya, @Pepperally. I was talking with my boss about this just this morning, and she bluntly said, "You just need to suck it up and do it. Face your fear, and then you know one way or the other what you can do. And you will probably surprise yourself." She was talking about how she would fight to keep me in the organization after I graduate and become an RN, but at the same time she feels like I would be limiting myself to take this job right off (it's not very skill-heavy and I wouldn't learn as much). So she was talking about an ICU opening close by, and while that scares the crap out of me, I can understand why she's encouraging me to pursue it.

I think we all get tempted to stay with what we're doing because we know we can work with it to some degree. But like you said, it slowly becomes intolerable to do less than we're capable of doing (like you getting bored with positions that have less responsibility). I feel like it's important to push yourself at least a little bit in terms of your career/hobbies/whatever that thing is that you're passionate about and good at. Even when you become a mom, you need something YOU can be proud of and work on for yourself. Whether that's your job or not is up to you.

Can you tell us more about the job you're looking at?

Pepperally

@CLoGreenEyes - Yes, you're right.  I want something I can be proud of.  I always thought of myself as good in academics and career, yet I have always held myself back to some degree due to lack of confidence.  I know I could be doing more.  I think I've gotten so complacent in this job I have because I'm not being challenged...it's made me mentally lazy! 

Sounds like you have a good/supportive and honest boss who wants to see you reach your potential...that is a great asset to have.  She knows what you are capable of so it's nice to have her in your corner!

The job is a new position, so it's hard to really grasp what projects it's focusing in on, but it sounds like it marries activities from the clinical department I used to work in with the quality department that I currently work in, and all of the people in those departments I know very well due to being with this company for 10 years.  I have a good rapport with many of the physicians who work here and work with a couple of them routinely, and they all of course report to the medical director that I would be reporting to as well.  I worked on one project where I had direct contact with him throughout this past year and hopefully I've made a good impression. 

CLoGreenEyes

It sounds like this would be a great way to kind of "ease" yourself into trying a new, slightly more challenging position. Since you already know a lot of the people you'd be working with, at least it's not totally starting over, and those people (I'm assuming) want to see you succeed and would be patient and helpful while you get your bearings. I dunno, you could do a lot worse for a new job.

I can totally understand what you're saying, though - I have definitely done the same thing to myself. I worked a job that was far beneath what I was capable of doing for almost two years, and my whole life suffered because of it. I was really scared to move into the job I have now at first, but I love it! I loved learning something new and feeling like my job was actually useful and helping somebody. Just from a quality of life and self esteem point of view, having a job that utilizes more of your potential is a great thing, even if you come home a little more tired at the end of every day.

leia1979

Have you ever read Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In? She talks about this type of issue in the book. In general, women have a tendency to want to be fully qualified for a job, while a man might be okay meeting 60% of the requirements, and the end result is women won't try for that next level job. Don't psych yourself out, and good luck!

Pepperally

@leia1979 - thanks!  I will look into that book!

Pepperally

I have an update and didn't want to start a new thread, but I'm looking for tips as well. 

I hadn't heard anything and decided to look up the job listing again in our system this past Monday, and the posting was gone.  So, I just said oh well, maybe it's best I don't get it, it's more responsibility and I might lose my flexible schedule and work from home opportunities if I got it.  Well, I came into work today and had an invite to a meeting - an interview for the job!!! - with FOUR people...all meeting separately during a two hour timeframe.  Two are with our chief medical officer and our chief clinical officer...the other two are people who have the same job title I would have.  The interview is this coming Monday morning. 

I'm kind of shitting myself at this point...but I'm excited as well.  I know I'm kind of bored with what I do but it also has a lot of flexibility and no stress.  I know there would be more stress reporting to those two, but the two women who have that similar job title now have been doing that for years so I will ask them how they like it, etc., and ask about the flexibility of it all. 

Anyway, if you have any advice on interviewing...crazy questions you've been asked, etc. that I should just prep for, please let me know!  I've had it easy with interviews thus far in my career, but the one lady I'll be interviewing with I interviewed with for a past position and even though I got the job, she told me afterward that I blew the interview.  So I'm completely intimidated.  Good thing is that I told my one supervisor and she told me she interviews horribly with that lady, too.  So I feel a little better.

BreMR

Ooh congrats!! That's so exciting! 

I think the worst interview questions are when they say "Tell me about a time you had to ________________, how did you handle it, what was the end result?"  Stupid questions like "you had to work on a team and you had hurdles. Or "you dealt with an unhappy client"   I can't handle those types of questions.

I also have a friend who is in a leadership position and he said that he doesn't like when candidates don't have questions for him.

Pepperally

Oh yes, you're right @BreMr...I do remember that one about telling a time that was a challenge or something and how I handled that. And thanks for the congrats! And I guarantee I will have questions...they made the job description kind of generic so I have tons of questions.

Peaseblossom55

Yay congrats and good luck!

Pepperally

Thanks! @Peaseblossom55

eilis1228

How was the interview?

Pepperally

It went really well! Thing is it seems like there is travel involved and it may be frequent. It's a brand new position so they can't give me a good idea. We are planning to have a baby within the year and I just don't think it would be a good fit with the travel unfortunately. I have to meet with one more person on Thursday since she couldn't attend yesterday. She has the same title as I would have so I'm really going to probe about the travel. Thanks for asking @eilis1228‌!

eilis1228

I'm glad it went well! Hopefully you can get more information on Thursday about the job details and the travel. Even if this new job falls through, it sounds like they'll keep you in mind for other opportunities!