Warning: I turned down a promotion last Tuesday and everyone thinks I'm crazy

My boss offered me the team lead spot after our manager quit. It came with a 15k raise but meant I'd be in meetings all day in Phoenix. I actually like the hands-on work I do now, fixing problems directly. Has anyone else said no to more money to keep a job they actually enjoy?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesfox23d ago

Ever think about how weird it is that we're all just expected to want to climb the ladder? My uncle was a master mechanic, could have run the whole shop, but he said being the boss meant just talking about cars instead of fixing them. He stayed turning wrenches until he retired and never seemed to regret it. Sounds like you might be the same way, where the actual work is the good part. More money doesn't fix being bored out of your mind all day.

bell.laura23d agoOG Member

Totally! I read an article about "craftsmanship pride" that made this exact point. It said some people get real joy from mastering a skill and doing the work itself, not managing others. Your uncle sounds like a perfect example of that. The article called it choosing depth over breadth, which really stuck with me.

jessica_hernandez1719d ago

My dad's a carpenter who turned down foreman jobs for thirty years. He said the moment you stop making things with your hands, the job becomes about budgets and schedules. That trade-off just isn't worth it for some people.

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