So here’s the deal: I still have thoughts – sometimes even multiple ones a day – but I fell out of the habit of turning them into blog posts. I’d like to correct that, but I make no promises. At this very moment though, I feel like I should be able to start cranking these out again more frequently than a couple of times a year. Sound good?
Last week, I was grabbing an iced coffee from the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf across the street from my office. On my way out, I saw an acquaintance who works in the same area sitting with someone, and we exchanged pleasant smiles and waves. The next day, she called me on my work phone. “It was so funny that I saw you there yesterday,” she began. “I was sitting with (insert name), and he just left his position as (title) at (company) and asked if I knew of anyone who would be a good fit for it. I looked up, and you were standing right there!” I thanked her for that and asked to hear more about the company and the position. She gave me a little info, and it didn’t sound like a good fit based on the location or the actual job duties, but I said, “Ya know, it never hurts to talk to people, so sure, I’d be interested in learning more.”
She said that it would probably be better (or more impactful) if it came from her recommending me instead of me seeking it out myself, so I said I’d email her my resume. Then she asked, “Ok, so what’s your salary – what’s your best number?” I immediately had two thoughts: first, that’s kind of forward of her to ask, but I guess she wants to see if it even makes sense to make the introduction. And second, that was an interesting way to ask that particular question. But I went for it and said something like, “Well, I’m currently making X but expect to be at around Y in the coming weeks, plus an annual bonus. I say ‘coming weeks’ but it should certainly be no later than the end of the calendar year. That said, I view flexibility, location, and benefits packages all as forms of compensation, so that number could fluctuate a little. That’s why I’m interested to learn more about what they’re offering, what the day-to-day responsibilities are, etc.” I may have rambled on for longer, but I don’t recall.
What I do recall, however, is her response: “(chuckle) Uh, I, uh, asked for your cell phone number.” Oh. I played her original question back in my head and found my mistake. She had actually asked, “What’s your cell – er, uh – what’s your best number?” “Cell – er uh” sounds an awful lot like “salary” when talking about job duties and responsibilities, especially if you’re a moron. So I responded the only way I could: “Well, I guess I’m feeling pretty open with you. My CELL PHONE NUMBER is…” She chuckled again, and we said we’d be in touch.
I was telling this story to a friend at work, and she said, “Why didn’t you ask her to repeat it before answering?” “Because I thought I heard her just fine! You don’t ask people to repeat things when you already know what they asked!” I replied. She understood. “But why didn’t she cut you off and save you from your whole salary speech?” She had me there. “I guess,” I said, “she just wanted to sit back and see how far I’d go.” Well, she certainly learned her lesson: when it comes to erroneously running with misinformation based on hearing something incorrectly, I’m practically Flo Jo.
