Money every time. If they have to pay you to do it, then you don’t really love it. The more you make, the sooner you can quit and never work again. Then you get to do what you love.
That said, money and free time lost on commuting should be counted against your pay, as should increased rent. But a stepping stone towards much better jobs in the future is worth a lot of short term pain. My opinion (since you asked): if you are serious about grad school and are making a real effort to get in as soon as possible, then take the new job and get a second job to make up the difference because roomates suck. If grad school is just an interesting idea, then stay where you are and save for retirement.
Mtgman, what’s not to love about a 25-30 hr/week job that pays very well, is easy to do, with management that loves you, plus you get to come in at noon? Is it in some miserable city? Do they make you wear a tie? Do you have to castrate cattle with your teeth? If not, can I have it?
Don’t forget that the $10K pay cut is gross and the $2K transportation cost is net. So you need to gross up the latter i.e. $3K (very roughly). So you’re effectively taking a $7K drop (maybe $6K depending on the rounding), not a $10K drop. And if petrol continues to rise in price, that drop will decrease. And then there’s the time aspect which only you can answer.
A job is always better when you like it but for most of us a job is money. So if you like your job 51% of your time you stay.
Same goes for money, if you can’t live without things money will buy you need a higher paying job whatever the cost. If the kids are gonna bitch at you constantly because you can’t afford high speed internet or cable, you’re better off earning more.
Yeah it could be said money don’t matter, but to some it does and they can make you pretty miserable for years before they learn that lesson
I think this decision might be effected by how much I simply do not like my current job. I was told I was going to be terminated soon and by my best calculations it was supposed to happen today. I got prepared and walked into the office today ready to be walked out before I could put my things down. Now it is almost time to leave and I am still here, which should be comforting but honestly dissapoints me. I was ready to go and very anxious to never have to come back here and now I am dissapointed not to have been fired. That can’t be a normal feeling if you enjoy your job at all!
My last job was decent money for the job and soulsucking mostly because of a toxic boss, the company was ok. Right now I might take home about the same but I am much happier even with more hours required and non existent benefits.
Sometimes the self employed have nothing, sometimes thay have it all.
I like my job, but if I mostly didn’t like it (without it being sheer tourture) I would still do it because I gotta live. I’ve had a gajillion jobs and I find something good in every one of them. Life ain’t a bowl of cherries and that’s ok with me.
Your job is who you are for a lot of people: clergy, teachers, nurses, doctors, artists–it’s a different life, but not a worse one. It’s not the only way I identify myself, but it’s in the top three, and I don’t think I am unhealthy for that.
The money. I happen to think career fulfillment is bullshit from business writers who have never held a real job in their life.
99.9% of the jobs in the world are to be tolerated. You trade away 40 hours of your life every week in exchange for pay. Money can’t buy happiness, but worrying about bills sucks. Having extra money to be able to afford hobbies, nice dinners, travel, whatever makes the 40 hour trade off worthwhile.
No, you shouldn’t stay at a job you absolutely hate. But, the grass is usually not greener. My current job would be tolerable, but my immediate manager makes it miserable. Thus, he’s likely get a letter from me in the next few weeks.
While I would love to work or do something I really enjoy, there is no money in it. So my current job I really really like, bordering on love because there are great people there. The job is easy, but challenging at times, though over all I don’t mind going there at all.
Though on the weekends I am going to look into volunteering at an animal shelter. Weekdays, semi love and for the money. Weekends, something that is for fulfillment.
I was miserable in my last job, I had a toxic coworker and a boss who didn’t give a half-a-shit about it. I remember saying that I would take a substantial pay cut just to be free from the bully. A year ago, I got fired from that terrible job (because I had been applying elsewhere) and my new job brought with it a $6,000/year pay cut. I had gotten my wish! The way I see it, I pay $6000 per year to avoid working with a psychopath (who threatened my life!) with the Gutless Wonder for a boss. Yeah, I feel quite a bit of financial stress now, because of lifestyle adjustments and because I have a film I want to make in my spare time and currently cannot afford a new computer, but I honestly don’t know how long I would have survived there. It still bothers me that I, the target of the abuse, had to take a financial blow because of the boss’ ineptitude, but I try to dwell on the fact that I’m a survivor, more than a victim. That place was extremely toxic. I was afraid for my life, and the stress from that environment had been affecting my health.
Had I stayed there, the money would have bought a nice headstone for the early grave to which I was headed.
Given that the job pays enough for you to be comfortable, go with the one you love every time. Why be stuck 8 - 9 hours in hell? Plus, you are a lot more likely to get promoted doing a job you like, and do well in.
Be careful of the foot in the door idea, though. I’ve seen people getting Ph.Ds and being treated the same as before, without either much of a raise or more responsibility. You might do better interviewing with a new one. Of course it depends on what the Ph.D is in.
Look for balance. Weigh job along with family along with recreation along with outside intellectual/emotional interests. Depending on how the other 3 areas are going, the job situation could be a much more, or less, important part of the whole picture.
I’ve worked in real jobs for 28 years, and except for a year and a quarter, loved them. The money is fine too, but I work on career related stuff on my own time. I suppose that’s the difference between a job and a career.
You are what you do. I think the most inspiring people are defined by loving their jobs day after day. Admittedly thats maybe 5 - 10% of the world, but if you look hard enough you will find it. Go for the job you want to do. It will only lead to great things.
I am at the point of nearly changing careers because teaching I think is not entirely what I want to do. I don’t want to become the miserable teacher of 30 years that has no respect.
Life is change! Who knows? A new roommate might be exciting. It may add a new dynamic to your life.
Not a true statement. You only “are what you do” if you like what you do. And then it’s only part of who you are. Inspirational or not, a job is not the only thing that defines a person.
Truly liking your job is the answer. You are there for a couple of thousand hours a year so if you are unhappy you are unhappy a LOT of your waking hours. I have had jobs I didn’t enjoy and got out of them as soon as I could.
I really enjoy my current job. Everything about it - the work, the people I work with, the whole workplace environment. Our director told me once that she makes excuses to come and hang around my unit’s area because it “cheers me up to see people having so much fun and working so hard.”
No amount of money could make me go back to sitting around in the morning, having a cup of coffee while dreading the day ahead.
I think you are defined by your actions. If you do your chores you are responsible…there are people who don’t do their chores.
No one is going to look back on someone’s life and say, “He was an inspirational person because he WANTED to do this” they will say “He was an inspirational person because he DID this” We are defined by our actions like it or not. Our actions are the footprint we leave on the world.
Now that can be many things to many people. I have met inspirational doctors, and inspirational bus drivers, and inspirational accountants! The key is liking and owning what you do.
I think to not at least strive for that goal is unfortunate. And I’m not saying we all will get there eventually…I know I’m not there yet. But I won’t give up on it.
You’re right, but it your job is part of what defines you. Isn’t the goal to try and match a job and your interests up? I think to deny that a job is part of who you are is simply absurd. Do you think that spending 8 hours a day five days a week in a job for 10 years doesn’t reflect on who you are? Your co-workers and colleagues will be seeing you day after day and reflecting on your performance and attitude in the workplace. You will have an effect on them. Of course what you do after work is part of who you are as well, and there is nothing saying that those can’t be two completely different things. But to enjoy one half and not the other seems to me to be poor deal. You can’t simply say one half of your life doesn’t affect the other. You have to at least like a portion of what you do.
If you aren’t defined by your actions…then what defines a person? Ideas? Wishes?