Don’t Arrange the Furniture Before the Sale is Final

Realtors will tell prospective buyers, “Don’t arrange the furniture before the sale is final”.

As a career coach, I tell my clients the same thing. Let me explain.

What it means, in real estate terms, is never fall so in love with a house that you are mentally arranging your furniture before you own the place.

If you’ve ever searched for a new house or apartment, you understand the feeling you get when you find what appears to be the perfect new home.

It’s fun to think of putting the TV on this wall, artwork over here, the couch over there. Closing your eyes, you imagine all the parties you’ll throw. It’s so exciting to think of your future in the new house!

What harm is there, really, with getting so pumped about a new house?

For one, the deal could fall through. You need to have your game face on and be prepared to walk away. If you’re too caught up in the fantasy, you may end up paying more than you should.

Negotiating a job offer is similar to buying a new house. When we find an opportunity that we think is “the one” we start to “arrange the furniture”.

We envision ourselves in the job, driving to the office, sitting at the desk, engaging in projects and being part of the team. We think so far ahead that we fantasize about paychecks and vacation time. There may even be feelings of relief that the job search is over.

It’s good to be excited about a job opportunity. Yet we need to keep our minds sharp, take a giant step back and remember that we don’t actually have the job yet. Nothing is signed.

Humbling as it is, the company may offer the job to another candidate.

If we do get an offer, things can change and it may not be exactly what we hoped for, or at all like the opportunity first presented to us. We should maintain complete objectivity while negotiating the best possible agreement. And be prepared to walk away in the rare instance that it’s really not right.

When we mentally “arrange the furniture”, becoming so engaged that we see ourselves sitting at the desk, we tend to lose our negotiating edge. We may agree to points that otherwise would give us reason to pause, such as salary or vacation, or even the job responsibilities itself, simply out of fear that we may lose the opportunity if we don’t acquiesce to their demands.

Keep your game face on until the ink is dry and you are happy with the terms of the agreement.

Then – and only then – start arranging the furniture, mentally hanging pictures in your new office.