Job satisfaction v money?
Author
Discussion

Blanchimont

Original Poster:

4,089 posts

145 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Hypothetical question, as me and a mate were chatting about it earlier.

Took job A. at salary x but enjoys the work, is left to do what's required and not micro managed.
Job B which was applied for before Job A has just come back to him offering Salary X+7k.

Job A. he can't earn more as the salary is banded, but has a lot of large scale projects to do that he can use as bartering tool to raise his salary. (Saving the company circa 15k doing work, that a third party was going to)

Job B is better salary but not sure on the job itself.

What would PH do?

Shnozz

30,061 posts

294 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Job A every day of the week unless the money was so low that I couldn’t afford to put a roof over the family’s head and food on the table.

£7k is a small price to pay for what sounds like far more happiness.

Drawweight

3,488 posts

139 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all


I think we'd need to know a lot more than 'not sure of the job itself'

There could be any number of reasons that job B is better than job A and maybe he's focussing on the negatives.

bristolbaron

5,334 posts

235 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Too many variables.
Is b) definitely going to be a worse job or just potentially, is currently salary enough to live comfortably on, what percentage of salary is 7k, do longer term plans involve career progression or are they happy at that level, do either provide additional benefits- better pensions etc.

It’s very easy to leave a bad job for less money, not so easy to leave a good job for more.

borcy

10,313 posts

79 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
+7k doesn't really help. What are they earning now, £17k or £170k?

The Leaper

5,499 posts

229 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
The key to deciding is what is "A"? If it provides a reasonable standard of living then stick, if it provides hardship then twist, maybe.

R

slipstream 1985

13,538 posts

202 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
yep is it 20k vs 27k or 50k vs 57k. That is a big variable. To me i hate being micromanaged and usually perform worse when it is forced on me.

Blanchimont

Original Poster:

4,089 posts

145 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
It's £31k > £38-40k.

He can get by but has a lot less disposable money. It's enough to cover his bills, and leave him £300 month to blow on what he wants. 38k-40k will leave him about £900-1000 to blow on what he wants.

He likes job A because he's left to do it how he wants, he sees massive potential to improve the business, and grow knowledge and as a person. They're really keen on picking up knowledge and skills from him, so can see potential in the new place. The issue is for him is that he can't just ask for a payrise currently as the salaries are banded and he's on the highest within the band he's in.


Job B is a job he applied too before starting at job A. He initially liked the interview and felt he could've been happy. However, he was told he was favourite for the job, told an offer was guaranteed, and then after about 2 weeks he was told the role had been put on hold. He's doesn't want to be messed around, and is concerned that after being given the run around for nearly a month whether it's worth continuing with job B. He's lost confidence in whether they would be a good company to work for.

He wonders whether he can have best of both worlds, and once he's proved his worth at job A, and saved the company money, and improved the quality of the equipment he's working with he can justify asking for more, as he's improved efficiency and saved the company money in the process (Circa £15k, once projects are finished) Job A are really happy with him as he's moved 2 year projects on massively and nearly completed a couple in a matter of weeks and he's happy too. Job A is also casual clothing, which suits him and he hates wearing shirt/trousers. Job A also involves a circa 2 mile walk to the office each day, which is helping him get fitter.

Job B is identical to Job A, but whereas at job A he's in charge of implementation of new equipment, refining processes and modern-ising it all. Job B will be working with new equipment and processes after they've been handed over.

He's stumped.



Jasandjules

71,977 posts

252 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Job Satisfaction is worth many thousands of pounds.

67Dino

3,642 posts

128 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Blanchimont said:
It's £31k > £38-40k.

He can get by but has a lot less disposable money. It's enough to cover his bills, and leave him £300 month to blow on what he wants. 38k-40k will leave him about £900-1000 to blow on what he wants.
Not sure he’ll have that £6-700 extra after tax and NI. More like £4-500 I think. Still a very nice car, so not an easy decision, and really depends on what’s more important to him: enjoying life or advancing his career.


rog007

5,821 posts

247 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
Job Satisfaction is worth many thousands of pounds.
Some may even say it’s priceless!

Jasandjules

71,977 posts

252 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
rog007 said:
Some may even say it’s priceless!
Indeed. Pretty much anyone who has had a poor manager, poor company, bullying and horrible colleagues etc and who dread going into work each day......

Kev_Mk3

3,423 posts

118 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
A.


Job satisfaction is priceless

LosingGrip

8,640 posts

182 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Based on what you said about company b messing him about, I'd go for A.

UpTheIron

4,057 posts

291 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
I've spent many years chasing the money and have done well enough out of it financially. It's flipping miserable though.

Started a new role a while ago at MUCH less money but doing the same sort of thing albeit with good people and in a nice environment. Job satisfaction and quality of life wins for me.

xx99xx

2,701 posts

96 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
UpTheIron said:
I've spent many years chasing the money and have done well enough out of it financially. It's flipping miserable though.

Started a new role a while ago at MUCH less money but doing the same sort of thing albeit with good people and in a nice environment. Job satisfaction and quality of life wins for me.
I suppose it would now that you've built up some wealth!

MitchT

17,089 posts

232 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Depends on a number of factors.

Low pay that's restricting your life - go for the money.

Decent pay - go for the job.

Also factor in commuting times and costs. A worse paid job with a shorter, cheaper commute can, on balance, be a much better deal in life.

Brads67

3,199 posts

121 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
I too a 70k wage cut to get a job I wanted and get away from the job I was doing.

And that was from £100k one year to £30k the next.

Was a great move for me.

Silenoz

953 posts

176 months

Friday 18th October 2019
quotequote all
Job A every time.

Satisfaction, happiness, lack of bullst rules etc is worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Been there, money definitely not everything, doesn't buy peace of mind.

Pommy

14,452 posts

239 months

Saturday 19th October 2019
quotequote all
The problem is that a higher income job potentially leaves you trapped - you cant leave because you dont end up just spending the extra on stuff you can give up, you spend it in fixed debt like a bigger mortgage or nicer car payments that you cant easily get out of, coupled with the drive to buy bigger and nicer things as you feel you deserve treats for putting up with a job you hate.

If you take more money for a job you dont like, save all you can and have a 3 year plan to get out asap with the benefits in your back pocket.

Young me would have taken the cash.

Older, wiser me will take job happiness every time.