[Chrissy Scivicque]

You have two options:

A job that sounds interesting but pays less than you feel you deserve, or a job that sounds boring but pays more than you ever imagined you'd make.

Which one do you take? Why? And what do you do to make it work for the long term?

[AnthonyRusso]

In my younger days, I would have most likely taken the higher paying boring job, but now I can say with confidence I would take the interesting job.

I love what I do, and after 5 years of doing something I hated, (Collections...ugh!), but was good at, I definitely am a happier person now. Luckily I make more money doing WebConferencing and TeleConferencing, but would stick with it even if it wasn't more lucrative.

[NicoleMiller]

I would definitely choose a job that sounds interesting but pays me less than I feel I deserve. In my opinion, happiness does not come from money but comes from your enjoyment in life. If you spend 8-9 hours a day in a boring job, your frustrations will more than likely carry over into your personal life after work.

[Chrissy Scivicque]

So...if you take the job that is more interesting but pays you less than you deserve, how do you deal with that? After a while, no matter how interesting the job, it seems to me that you'd start to resent it.

I made the mistake of taking the boring job that paid more in the past. I thought I could find ways to challenge myself and make it more interesting. And yes, I foolishly thought that money would make everything more interesting. Alas, we all know where that kind of thinking gets us. But sometimes, you have to make the mistake yourself to really "get it."

The problem with taking a job that is interesting and pays less than you feel you deserve is the fact that money is a requirement for survival. It also is a reflection of your value to the company. If you love your job, but feel under-valued, will you continue loving your job??

This is obviously a no win situation I've thrown out here...we all ultimately want a job that is enjoyable and lucrative. But it's interesting to analyze how to make either of the above situations work long-term.

[NicoleMiller]

You are 100% correct. This is a tough situation either way you look at it.

If you really love your job, but feel under-valued, you can continue loving your job. It's all in what makes you feel valued. Does value have to be related to money or can value and self-worth come from internal satisfaction? When choosing the interesting job, you really need to evaluate if it will pay you enough to survive. If so, then your stress will be down and you can fully enjoy the job.

[jord0205]

If I can make money, I can pay off my debt. if I can pay off my debt, I can live with less income...thus be able to afford a more interesting (less paying) job...

I think I could relate to this situation in my life right now. College is expensive, living is expensive. My job isn't totally interesting or satisfying but I still enjoy it and learn enough to accept it..for now.

[Chrissy Scivicque]

That's a great point you've made jord0205. We have to remember that sometimes, a job is just a job. If it supports your bigger goals (like paying for school) a little boredom is well worth putting up with. And it sounds like you're taking the right approach - you're making it as enjoyable as it can be for now, but working to make sure you don't have to be there forever. Thanks for sharing!!

[annemarieh]

I went with the job that paid more. I have expensive hobbies (like glassblowing and traveling), and I live in one of the most expensive cities in the country (San Francisco). I may not have total job satisfaction, but it makes triple the money I was making at my old job that I really enjoyed. I love doing my job nowing that I'm making good money so I can do what I enjoy in my free time.

[Jodith]

Of course, there is a spectrum of jobs. Not all jobs that are interesting will be low paying and not all good paying jobs will be hideous.

I've had higher paying jobs that I've hated, but I've also had some well paying job that I loved.

In this particular scenario, I'd take the higher paying job, but keep looking for a better paying, more interesting job. And the only reason for that is because I'm the sole breadwinner in our family at the moment. Once the husband unit finishes his immigration process and gets his green card and actually finds work, I'll have more leeway in choosing jobs. For the moment, though, as long as the work environment is acceptable (i.e. no one is yelling at me), I can deal with a less than ideal job if it means we can pay our rent and other bills.

[robert@worldlingo.com]

Take the money. If you take the other job for money that falls short why bother? Take the money job at least if your unhappy you have the bucks to enjoy.