What more important, the money, or the job?

tintin82

tintin82

tintin82

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Im in a very fortunate position where i am in an industry where i can basically pick and choose what type of job i do. However this has me at a cross road which has been occupying my thought for nearly 2 years and am coming to a decision point again and am so stuck at what way to turn.

Background. Both job involve me working away from home

Job A
  • Trained for it for 10 yrs
  • Enjoy it (not bounce out of bed every morning enjoy it, but like it as in 8/10)
  • Money by no means bad, just not amazing
  • Has a good amount of professionalism and pride attached, clear ladder of progression, though never to the pay levels of job B
  • Very easy to get to, nice enough comfortable living conditions

Job B
  • Offshoot from job A
  • Bored out of my tree most of the time, can sit on the internet all day if i really want, and get through a fair number of books on the Kindle. When i do work, it is boring, unchallenging, and hold little interest. I dont hate it, but am so boreded as in 4/10.
    [*]Money is amazing, double that of job A
  • Little professionalism and pride, there is a ladder of progression, but the jobs hold even less interest for me.
  • Job place a pain in the butt to get too, frequent delays, not the nicest living conditions when i get there

I left job A 2 years ago thinking i would regret it if i didnt try job B. Now employer at job A has asked for me to come back, and im at that cross road again. Job B has provided lots of nice holidays etc for my family, and will mean i can retire very comfortably 5 yrs early. Ohh decisions decisions!

Has anyone been in a similar situation and can offer advice?
 
A everytime.

But I wouldn't go back. It's never the same and you have moved on in yourself too.
 
I'd go for A. So the money isn't as good, but you spend 8+ hours 5 days a week there, better to do something you enjoy for the majority of your waking life surely? (As long as the money is enough to live on of course...)
 
More importantly than the job itself or the money, are the people who you work with. The people make the job, and I've got the best colleagues ever atm. Only on £13k mind, but rather £13k with nice people than £15k with ego tripping born-agains.
 
Haggisman said:
I'd go for A. So the money isn't as good, but you spend 8+ hours 5 days a week there, better to do something you enjoy for the majority of your waking life surely? (As long as the money is enough to live on of course...)
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Erm those maths don't erm Add up
 
Right now I'm in a job I hate but the money isn't bad, but I'd honestly take a pay cut to do something I'd actually enjoy.
 
If all your needs and wants are met, take the issue of money off the table. With the two choices, the answer seems obvious to me.
 
tintin82 said:
You would be suprised at how bored you can become. Try sitting in a cublical for 12hrs a day for weeks at time browsing the net, and see if you dont think there is more to life.
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Been there, and honestly I didn't have a problem with it.

Really, if I could be paid a seriously nice wage to sit and read books on my kindle I'd jump at the chance. It's what I'd be doing at home in my own time, so why not? Why does "work time" have to be filled with actual work? Is it a guilt complex, perhaps?


Burnsy2023 said:
I simply couldn't do that. I'd eat myself through boredom.
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Reading novels is boring? Not in my opinion.
 
Pestilence said:
Been there, and honestly I didn't have a problem with it.

Really, if I could be paid a seriously nice wage to sit and read books on my kindle I'd jump at the chance. It's what I'd be doing at home in my own time, so why not? Why does "work time" have to be filled with actual work? Is it a guilt complex, perhaps?




Reading novels is boring? Not in my opinion.
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I think its part a guilt complex, but more a lack of professional pride and feeling totally wasted. Part of me says to do the job that pays the most, and reap the life time of financial reward for myself and family. After all, work is only making money for someone else!
But the other part of me seeks more. I sometimes wish i could just be content where i am, forget about my career and just enjoy doing so little!
 
B

But only if you are allowed to "surf the web" or "read books" which would turn that 8 hour day into say a practical 2-3 hour working day plus doing your own thing

If you really can do what you want then I see it as a paid hobby. In fact find a related hobby that you can do whilst at work or do training online or study with the OU in something you like.You can always leave with double your money when you really are bored of it and with 10 years experience you should be able to find a position like job A again

Work to live not live to work
 
Need more details on both jobs to give a response. Don't even know what role it is and what's involved. You could be sat like a turnip in an office all day or having to drive around the country. Do you have to deal with annoying clients/customers? Is it calm one minute and then everything must be done by yesterday the next?
 
jimjamuk said:
B

But only if you are allowed to "surf the web" or "read books" which would turn that 8 hour day into say a practical 2-3 hour working day plus doing your own thing

If you really can do what you want then I see it as a paid hobby. In fact find a related hobby that you can do whilst at work or do training online or study with the OU in something you like.You can always leave with double your money when you really are bored of it and with 10 years experience you should be able to find a position like job A again

Work to live not live to work
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Thats pretty true. Im not offically supposed to sit here and do my own thing, but we do as there is such little work. The manager know we surf loads, but they may have something to say if they popped in and we were building model planes or studying astro-physics :)
 
tintin82 said:
I think its part a guilt complex, but more a lack of professional pride and feeling totally wasted. Part of me says to do the job that pays the most, and reap the life time of financial reward for myself and family. After all, work is only making money for someone else!
But the other part of me seeks more. I sometimes wish i could just be content where i am, forget about my career and just enjoy doing so little!
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I did figure as much.

I think many struggle with that. The will to ensure that what you're doing for a good half of your day during the week actually matters, and that you're putting yourself -- your mind or body -- to the test every chance you get. It's what makes a satisfying job.

Though on the other hand, why must that be? In my mind, it's equally as fulfilling to be able to explore your own hobbies and do your own thing while being paid for it. That, to me, is also a major boon. It simply feels like you're wasting... but honestly, you're getting good money to enjoy your time. That's as much of a benefit as having a fulfilling job compared to the masses of people sitting at checkouts etc. hating every moment of their minimum wage existence.
 
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