Title says it all. Basically I am at a point where I can choose between 2 jobs.
One would leave me incredibly busy, completely stressed for the next 3-4 years and wouldn’t leave me with a lot of free time in general (it also has a very high burn out quote) and a lot of young people who enter the job leave shortly after. The pay would be good, the job is incredible secure, it would make me a civil servant and it’s a job I would mostly enjoy. I find it incredibly fulfilling and it is a lot of fun. But my job would be pretty much everything I do from then with no real time for other hobbies.
The other job is much more relaxed, it is even more fun and I would work with one of my hobbies. But the pay is dogshit I would make the least of any of my friends, it is less secure and the working hours are funky but regular. It might become very challenging to afford a family on this salary (not impossible though).
I feel like I am fucked either way. Any thoughts?
My nondream jobs also have shitty pay, so ¯\(ツ)/¯ i guess
Ahh yes the worst of both worlds. Sorry to hear that.
It’s a tough choice. Personally I try to minimize the time I spend at work where possible, even when it costs me some earning potential. On the other hand I am super anxious when it comes to having enough money, not necessarily to pay for the month’s rent and groceries, but more so later on when I have a family or am unwilling or unable to work any longer. I also read “high burnout quota” as “this is a horrifically toxic high pressure work environment” and I do my best to nope out of those real quick. Then again I’ve never had a job I’m actually passionate about that can do actual good for people, so maybe with that I’d be willing to extend my boundaries somewhat. Maybe just barely being able to afford a family is enough though, especially when your partner can work as well.
A number of years ago I went with option two, and pursued a career doing what I really love. I make crap,but love my job. Im actually excited to go to work. I cannot speak for everyone, but for me it was the best decision.
I will note that I do not have a family I have to support, which would have made that choice much harder.
15 years ago I went for the shittier paid but awesomer job. I jumped from there to slightly less awesome but increasingly better paid jobs three times since then. Now I’m handsomely paid, and my job is still reasonably interesting.
That said, at one point I was desperate enough to start hunting for very shitty jobs with great salaries. I was saved by an absolute stike of luck.
What I guess I’m saying is I don’t regret my decision back then. I don’t know what you do but in my line of work you can pretty much always find a job that sucks ass but pays well, and what’s scarcer is jobs that actually are fun and interesting. If that’s your case, too, go for the interesting job. If you’re lucky you can keep jumping interesting jobs with higher salaries, if not you can always jump ships and work a boring good paid one.
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Is it possible to do the well paid job for a while and grind it out to save some money then switch to the lower paid one after a few years?
Not really. I still need 2 more years to finish my necessary degrees after that I need to go through another 18 months of practical training (which I could fail, this is the part where most people quit).
Meanwhile I just received a job offer for my other dream career. I could start after I finished my bachelor’s degree (which is in a few months).
Well if I’m no longer in a Capitalist shithole society, then I’m working a job because I enjoy it to begin with. The pay is just a bonus. If I’m still in Capitalism, the only reason to work anywhere, ever, is for the money. If I can still survive/thrive, and retire with the “shitty pay” then maybe I could be ok. If not, then I have to pass.
You don’t live to work, you work to live.
Which isn’t a way to live for me and the reason why I am in this conundrum. Being forced to work a job that will burn me out just to pay the bills will 100% drive me to drugs and/or violence/suicide sooner or later. Something I would like to avoid.
Worst thing is the first job would be great if it wasn’t for capitalism and more and more responsibility being pushed onto less and less people.
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I mean my current job has really shitty pay despite my title sounding fancy, so if I could do my dream job and get the same pay, great.
I can’t answer what is best for your situation. Personally as I have gotten older I value my free time far more than money. My job doesn’t pay great, but it’s still more than I use in a month. If my salary doubled tomorrow, it probably wouldn’t change much for me, I don’t have a very extravagant lifestyle. On the other hand, if my free time doubled tomorrow, it would change a lot. My working hours are also “funky” (It’s a 24/7 business so sometimes I work graveyard) but you get used to that.
That’s speaking personally though. Straight out of university when I still had significant debts to pay back? I would value the higher pay, at least on the short term, more.
You mention family though, so that is another thing to consider. Personally I am childfree and never really need to plan for savings for a family. While I currently support my partner due to some stuff, she normally works as well so I don’t actually have dependents normally.
Take the well paid job and do it for a couple of years, or just as long as it possible without damaging your physical or mental health.
Build up some cash as a safety-net and work on forging your skills in the profession you really won’t to be in.
Remember, you can quit your job at any point, why not go for the best salary to start with. And bonus, you got something on your resume to base your wage on for future employments.
