Job Satisfaction vs Big Income

[Jay]

Hi there,

I need your opinion/advice.

I left my 5-year job as a designer on last January. The salary was good but it was the working environment that I adore the most. Not forgetting wonderful colleagues that now have become my second family.

I left the job not because I wanted to but due to circumstance. There was a serious instability caused by the HQ in HK. My colleagues and I in Malaysia were affected by it. My boss, managers and colleagues left the company before me. I was the last person to leave the Malaysia's branch.

I have been offered to work as a designer in a bank. As expected, they offer me with a higher salary with benefits. I am drawn to say yes to the job due to the salary and also because I thought that working in a bank would look great in my future job resume (Shallow, I know). From the way I see it, working in a bank doesn't allow me to grow as a designer. It's a 9 to 5 working hours type of job but with high pressure.

Few days ago, I received an invitation to attend a job interview for an advertising firm. The job interview will be held on this Wednesday. They offer a lower salary but they provide a great space for me to grow as a designer. It's a 9 to 5 working hours of job and requires over time once in a while.

I am 30 now. Soon will be 31. Unfortunately, money plays a huge a role now. Things are getting expensive and so on.

Part me wants to work in a bank because it offers a bigger income. But another part of me would rather work in a company with a lower wage as long as I am happy and fully satisfied with my job.

So which one matters the most? Which one is better for the future? Job satisfaction or bigger salary? How do I decide?

Any advice/opinion is fully appreciated. Thank you.

[Chimpy]

I can only give my opinion, and I would, in your position, choose the lower salary with the job I preferred. But that is just me. I've had this choice to make the past as well. As long as I'm financially comfortable I'm not the kind of person that wants a lot of wealth.

[VileKyle]

I'll agree with Chimpy on this one. From personal experience, going for job satisfaction over pay has been the better decision for me. I've had to make a similar choice before, and it was a risky one. I'm glad I did it though.

I am exceptionally good at math, and I originally pursued an engineering degree. I made some good progress on it and would have gone very far, but I started to realize that I just hated it. I just couldn't see myself living through a career choice that made me feel miserable. I ended up going towards my more artistic side, even though I'm not nearly as good at it and won't likely make as much money in the end. What matters to me, though, is that I will enjoy my life more because of it. What I do will actually matter to me.

So I say pursue the advertising job more if that will allow you to get more personal satisfaction and growth out of it. You'll definitely regret it less in the end.

[dfiant]

3 in a row.

Job satisfaction. THIS impacts your day to day life, your welfare and you general mental health more than income.

Do you want to spend the whole weekend dreading going back to work on Monday?
Do you want to spend the whole week waiting for Friday?

Money doesn't bring the ultimate happiness.

[MisterTinkles]

Money. Unless you can get a contract with BIG raises, benefits, and bonuses from a lower paying company, then it's not worth it......unless the lower paying company is a company you want to be a slave too for the rest of your life.

You need to work for the money while you are able. Nobody is going to take care of you, except you.......and the cost of everything just about doubles every other year now, so you are cutting your own throat by not making as much money as you can right now, while you are able.

Once you are in a financial position to have all the basics, have all of your bills paid off/paid up, and have money for retirement..............THEN you can get a job you WANT.

This is one of the biggest mistakes people make. They want a cushy job, and usually take that over a higher paid position that might not be so cushy. They have cut their own throats by throwing all that extra money out the window.

But, it's all up to you on what you really want.

[Woollyhats]

Go with the advertising job if you'd make enough money from them to be comfortable while saving a bit. You need enough money to live comfortably, but if both jobs offer this by all means be a little picky.

Create a few mock budgets pretending to work at both jobs, see how it plays out.

If the financial differences are significant, I would go with the less suitable but more productive job.

[Padshach]

There is a lot to be said for job satisfaction and quality of life. Money is important, but there are so many people with well paid jobs who have little or no job satisfaction.

[southbiochem]

The big question here is

Can you currently make a living with the lower income job?

Can you accomodate a budget that allows you to live decently with the lower income job?

Because if you can, then the obvious answer is go for that one. No one can put a price on mental health.

But if your economical situation is mighty pressing at the moment, then you might need the higher income job for the moment at least, until you can stabilize your situation and have more freedom to choose another job more of your liking, which would also may be easier do to this job's high profile.

So ask yourself those questions and the answer you give yourself will tell you which one to take.

[Evan88]

If the difference is not that much, then just pursue what you like. But if the difference is huge, like twice (or more) bigger than the other, then I think you should be practical

With inflation happening anywhere in the world, i think you have to pick the job which would pay you better...

I don't know but that's what I will do if I was on your boat..

You can stay there for some years, save a lot, and then you can pursue what you really like in the end. Like who knows you can establish a designers boutique with your earnings for some years in the bank

[Bowyn Aerrow]

Better pay.... I made the mistake of 'job satisfaction' and now am poor and hurtin for it.... I was stupid, I should have gone for the big bucks, retire early....