Job Security & Dosh VS Job Satisfaction

Plastic Scouser

A big career dilemma - do I:

a) carry on down the path to a 'brilliant' career with the prospect of tons of dosh, job security, the chance to walk into a job anywhere in the world, a respectable position etc. etc.

or,

b) give it all up and try to get myself my 'dream job' - with a lot less money, starting at the bottom again, and no job security?

I'd particularly like to hear from the more mature boards contributors - if you had your career over again would you go for job security and the knowledge that you could always pay the bills, or a job that had neither of these things but that made you happier at work?

Stark

Perhaps more detail would help. Though I'd lean more towards 2), you only live once, can't take money and security with you to the grave etc.

By the way, how poorly paid is the second job? Is it a case of it really won't pay the bills, or that you'll just have to sacrifice material comforts like car etc.? People regularly go through years of college and debt to further their careers so it might not be too much of a sacrifice in the grand scheme of things.

Plastic Scouser

Stark wrote:

Perhaps more detail would help

I'm not sure the details are that important tbh....I just wondered what other people's opinions and experiences were

chump

I think it has as much to do with age and station in life versus anything else. If you're still in your 20's, early 30's, nothing tying you down, no-one relying on you and you want to do it, why not?

If on the otherhand you've 2 young kids, a wife who works part-time or looks after the kids etc. etc. then no way.

You gotta weigh up the pros and cons!

Stark

Plastic_Scouser wrote:

try to get myself my 'dream job'

Plastic_Scouser wrote:

I'm not sure the details are that important tbh....

It's porn, isn't it?

whiskeyman

As you may see from my own thread, I've had to make up my mind on this today.
I was offered a better role with better pay, but I've decided to resign due to zero recognition for my work carried out to date / incompetent management / lack of job satisfaction. I just didnt want more of the same.
I just knew I can't work with these guys anymore as I'm getting no satisfaction.

I probably will have to take a pay cut and start afresh... but I'm doing my best to look at it in a new light.

I'm in my mid-20s by the way... this has been another factor.
I know I'm still very young and can afford to take on a new challenge.. and hopefully be rewarded more (either financially, or with a greater level of satisfaction....... hopefully both of course )

RicardoSmith

Well you have to be able to support yourself, and usually those dream jobs involve some form of compromise that may end up ruining it for you. Just make sure that those faraway hills are indeed greener.

I have come to the end of my tether in some jobs and just had to leave, even though it hurt me financially. However I just couldn't start at the bottom. Because at the end of the day your work to earn a living. Only when you have that covered do you have the luxury of considering more lofty goals. Its one thing to consider this when you are financially secure.

Try living on a reduced salary for 3 months and see if you can live with it.

Plastic Scouser

Stark wrote:

It's porn, isn't it?

I said MY dream job, not yours!!

Plastic Scouser

Thanks for some good points there guys....

I am only in my mid-twenties so could afford to take a risk at the moment as whiskeyman said, but then again I have to agree with RicardoSmith as well - you do work to earn a living (I mean, if I won the lottery tomorrow I wouldn't be in a hurry to get any job!)

Some good stuff, to think about....thanks.

posiedon

In my opinion, if you like what you do in work, then you will do well and the money will follow.
Obviously this only applies to jobs where you do get paid, and not charitable / voluntary positions. Being as young as you are, you could certainly aford to give it a shot for a while, and then you can always revert to your previous career possibly.

leeroybrown

I often think that I should have done something more lucrative than my current career path, right down to figuring out how worthwhile it would be to change now.

I suppose it's a case of balancing up how much you are driven to do this dream job and how much satisfaction you can derive from the more lucrative option.

And remember, theres no real right answer...