Katie came to me recently with an interesting candidate situation…
A treasury professional was approached about a role from a good company, and it looked like a great fit for them personally.
It was well worth exploring, and the candidate was told that.
Their response was:
“Yes, I’m interested. But they’ll need to move quickly because I’m looking at a couple of other offers.”
Now, to me, that sounds a bit like going to look at a house and saying;
“I might put an offer in, but I’m looking at other houses first.”
Then you come back later, and guess what… the house is sold.
That’s exactly what happened here.
And worse off, the candidate wasn’t actually sitting on multiple offers.
They seemed to have forgotten something fundamental:
Yes, you’re assessing the company. But they’re also assessing you.
Neither side gets to dictate all the terms.
I see this mistake surprisingly often…
Someone assumes the market is waiting for them, that opportunities will still be there whenever they decide they’re ready.
They think recruiters, hiring managers and companies will pause everything until they’ve made up their mind.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.
A few weeks pass…
The interviews happen…
The shortlist moves forward…
An offer gets made, and someone accepts.
Then suddenly I get the call:
“Actually Mike, I’ve had a think, and I’d like to go forward for that role.”
Too little, too late. And they’re often genuinely surprised.
“What do you mean it’s gone!?”
Well, while you were deciding whether you were interested, somebody else decided they were.
Now, before anyone misunderstands me, I’m not saying you should rush into every opportunity.
Far from it.
You should absolutely ask questions, challenge assumptions, and have a genuine think about the role to make sure it’s right.
But there’s a difference between making a considered decision and assuming the market revolves around your timeline.
About a year ago, I wrote a newsletter about a candidate who had left a £60,000 role and immediately decided their next position had to pay £80,000.
Not because the market said so.
Not because employers agreed.
Simply because that’s what they wanted.
A month later, they came back ready to discuss roles they’d previously dismissed. And by then, those opportunities had already gone.
The lesson hasn’t changed.
The market doesn’t care what salary you think you deserve or how frustrated you are with your last employer.
And it certainly doesn’t wait indefinitely while you decide whether you’re interested.
What matters is the value you bring right now.
So one of the most valuable traits a treasury professional can have is self-awareness, not technical ability.
If you understand your strengths and market value, and are ambitious without being unrealistic, then you should be able to spot a good opportunity when it appears.
But remember that opportunities, like most things in life, have a shelf life…
And sometimes the biggest career mistake isn’t taking the wrong job, it’s missing the right one because you thought it would wait.
Best regards,
Mike
