The best move isn’t always the biggest one. Sometimes, it’s the one that aligns with who you are—and where you want to go.

I help early career professionals navigate the workplace with more strategy and less confusion. To offer real-world guidance, I’ve been asking senior leaders:
What do you wish you’d known earlier in your career?

So many people are on the job hunt right now. That’s why I chose this story to share this week. Today’s answer was expressed to me in the form of a regret.

A successful entrepreneur told me he once left a role he liked (interesting work, good boss, plenty of growth) because a new opportunity looked amazing on paper.  It gave him more money, bigger title and more prestige. But he had doubts, even before saying yes.

He ignored them.

The job was a disaster. It took a year to undo the damage and get back on track.

His advice?

Don’t ignore red flags and don’t chase shiny objects.

When we’re early in our careers, we’re often told to move up as fast as we can. Go for the most well-known company or the biggest title. Some people act on those facts alone.

But research tells us: good decision-making should be more thoughtful.

The “somatic marker hypothesis” (Damasio, 1994) suggests that our brains use emotional signals, in the form of gut feelings,to help us anticipate risk.The best decisions often come from a balance of data and intuition—not one or the other.
A 2022 study showed that 72% of job switchers experience “shift shock”.  That is a realization that the new role isn’t what they expected. Lots of times, that comes from not spending enough time really figuring out about the choice and reflecting on whether or not it’s really good.

So if you’re evaluating a job:

• Don’t ignore your doubts or gut reactions
• Ask hard questions about culture, expectations, support and values.
• Don’t be afraid to stay where you are if you’re still learning and growing.
• If you can’t decide, that’s information itself.

Having ambition is smart, but having clarity is wise.

Have you ever made a move you regretted? Or walked away from a shiny offer and been glad you did? Drop a comment—someone might really need to hear it right now.