Got a job offer that would have required me to move cross country. After a couple months of negotiations and a trip to meet the new team and brain dump on them, the offer came in 15% below the low end of the already wide salary range.

This was a dream job, but the difference between what I expected to get based on my experience and what they offered was like 40%.

Wasn’t in good place financially, and turning down it down was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

Luckily I found something local that is an even better fit at my expected salary a few months later, right as covid hit. I often think about how different my life would be if I’d just taken the job as almost everyone I knew said I should.