Money or job satisfaction?

2»

Replies

  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    I'd prefer to be somewhere in the middle (I'm boring like that).
    I just realized that I have recently been placed in this situation.

    Was informally promised a low paying job that I'd enjoy and would set me up towards my dream job, but before getting a confirmation I was also offered a high paying job that I would have utterly loathed. I picked the first one, no regrets whatsoever and will give it a good shot.

    If it doesn't work out, then I'll sell my soul.
  • LiftBigtoGetFit
    LiftBigtoGetFit Posts: 3,399 Member
    I'd prefer to be somewhere in the middle (I'm boring like that).
    I just realized that I have recently been placed in this situation.

    Was informally promised a low paying job that I'd enjoy and would set me up towards my dream job, but before getting a confirmation I was also offered a high paying job that I would have utterly loathed. I picked the first one, no regrets whatsoever and will give it a good shot.

    If it doesn't work out, then I'll sell my soul.

    But the low paying job is a stepping stone to "dream job" which I'm sure pays better than the stepping stone job that you are starting at. If stepping stone job was it forever (pay included) what would your choice have been then?
  • Noamsh
    Noamsh Posts: 79 Member
    Since I'm just about to get the most useless degree one can possibly study for and currently have zero career prospects, a job, ANY job, would be good. :laugh: (other than being a waitress of course.)

    let me guess, english lit?

    And...... we have a winner!

    ETA: I forgot to mention the best part! I live in a non-English speaking country!
  • silversociety
    silversociety Posts: 222 Member
    Had you said average paying job for the second I might of gone for that, but seeing as you said it'd be a low paying job, I'd be inclined to pick the first.
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    I'd prefer to be somewhere in the middle (I'm boring like that).
    I just realized that I have recently been placed in this situation.

    Was informally promised a low paying job that I'd enjoy and would set me up towards my dream job, but before getting a confirmation I was also offered a high paying job that I would have utterly loathed. I picked the first one, no regrets whatsoever and will give it a good shot.

    If it doesn't work out, then I'll sell my soul.
    But the low paying job is a stepping stone to "dream job" which I'm sure pays better than the stepping stone job that you are starting at. If stepping stone job was it forever (pay included) what would your choice have been then?
    The question is a little too abstract to answer, the position I took is a post-doc which by definition is supposed to be temporary...

    Money has diminishing returns after a certain level so I'd probably pick average pay and job satisfaction over high pay, but I'd probably pick a loathsome high paying job over staying permanently at my current level of income and job security.
  • Right now, pick two. But if I was living alone with no support it would be number one.
  • NormInv
    NormInv Posts: 3,303 Member
    Since I'm just about to get the most useless degree one can possibly study for and currently have zero career prospects, a job, ANY job, would be good. :laugh: (other than being a waitress of course.)

    let me guess, english lit?

    And...... we have a winner!

    ETA: I forgot to mention the best part! I live in a non-English speaking country!

    Too easy....my guess is you live in a middle eastern country - egypt or qatar
  • fitfan11
    fitfan11 Posts: 544 Member
    I'm military......which do you think I chose?
  • JackKopCh
    JackKopCh Posts: 8,042 Member
    Second!

    I quit my really well paid job of 4 years at the start of the new year, I really didn't like it!
    No regrets!
  • ThriceBlessed
    ThriceBlessed Posts: 499 Member
    I'm an artist... I will not likely ever get "job satisfaction" from anything else, but with galleries charging 50% commision I will not likely ever get enough money to even live on from being an artist. So, I'd take the boring job for lots of money, and be able to use the funds to save up for my own gallery someday in the future, then I could sell my own art in the gallery, give classes, and charge other people commission to sell their art for them.
  • GoMizzou99
    GoMizzou99 Posts: 512 Member
    Job satisfaction...hands down.

    I quit my high paying (6 figure), high bonus job to start my own company. 9 months into my new business I can attest that job satisfaction ranks way up there.

    Ask me in a year if I made the right decision financially.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    I'd rather have job satisfaction IF the money is enough to live on. I've settled for 2 low-paying part-time jobs right now. I don't dread getting up in the morning to go to either one. They're physical enough jobs that I don't just push paper and make phone calls, so they satisfy me in the sense of "I have produced something today." Neither one of them is very mentally stimulating, though. But I kind of LIKE boring. Exciting is a fire, or a robbery, or at least drama. I don't have much of that, and I like it.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    I'd take the money and would use the funds to make sure my personal life was more interesting. A boring job and an interesting life is a good balance.

    Assuming that the high paying job didn't reduce my quality of life by added stress, work hours, travel, etc. Job satisfaction is great, but the jobs I've had that had high job satisfaction ALWAYS had really low pay, which meant I had a low life satisfaction since I couldn't afford to do anything or buy stuff.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
    job satisfaction. Money is great, but I can't imagine anything more horrible than going to a job you hate just because it pays well. I am lucky, I have the best of both!
  • Noamsh
    Noamsh Posts: 79 Member
    Since I'm just about to get the most useless degree one can possibly study for and currently have zero career prospects, a job, ANY job, would be good. :laugh: (other than being a waitress of course.)

    let me guess, english lit?

    And...... we have a winner!

    ETA: I forgot to mention the best part! I live in a non-English speaking country!

    Too easy....my guess is you live in a middle eastern country - egypt or qatar

    Close.. But no. lol (srsly? I look Egyptian??)
    And now I'm curious - what made you say the middle east?
  • COTrainer
    COTrainer Posts: 838 Member
    No money where I work, all about the satisfaction of making a difference in the world
  • annastasia_82
    annastasia_82 Posts: 940 Member
    I'd have to go with a high paying boring job. I can do all kinds of fulfilling and interesting things outside of work even if I don't make a lot of money. Though making more money would allow me to do even more.

    I've had lots of low paying jobs, so I would be nice to have a high paying one. Right now its average pay but in an industry that I am really passionate about. So that works for me.