#CareerChange #JobSatisfaction #SalaryNegotiation #BigTech #HomeGoods #CorporateRetail
Are you feeling trapped in a high-paying job that makes you miserable? 🤔 Wondering if taking a 50% pay cut to pursue your passion and find happiness is worth it? 🤷♀️ Let’s dive deep into this dilemma and explore the pros and cons of making such a drastic career move.
## The Dilemma: Passion vs Paycheck
### Current Situation:
– Early career professional in big tech industry
– Making $160k/year salary
– Feeling stressed, uninterested, and miserable at work
– Work-life balance deteriorating
– Dreading going to work every day
### Desired Change:
– Interested in a job in home goods/ corporate retail industry
– Found a role that aligns with passions and interests
– Salary range is $80k, half of current salary
– Believes happiness can be achieved in new role
## Pros of Taking the Pay Cut
### Increased Job Satisfaction:
– Doing what you love can lead to greater job satisfaction
– More fulfilling work can enhance overall happiness and well-being
### Improved Work-Life Balance:
– Potentially less stressful job could result in better work-life balance
– More time for hobbies, family, and personal interests
### Career Growth and Development:
– Opportunity to learn new skills and gain experience in a different industry
– Possibility of long-term growth and advancement in the new role
## Cons of Taking the Pay Cut
### Financial Impact:
– Significant decrease in income could affect lifestyle and financial goals
– Adjusting to lower salary may be challenging initially
### Uncertainty:
– Switching industries comes with inherent risks and uncertainties
– Success in new role is not guaranteed, could lead to disappointment
### Perceived Job Value:
– Lower salary may be perceived as undervaluing your skills and experience
– Could affect future salary negotiations and career trajectory
## Considerations Before Making a Decision
### Self-Assessment:
– Reflect on your priorities, values, and long-term goals
– Evaluate the importance of job satisfaction and happiness in your life
### Financial Planning:
– Create a budget to understand how a lower salary would impact your finances
– Explore potential ways to supplement income or cut expenses
### Negotiation:
– Consider negotiating the salary for the new role or exploring additional benefits
– Communicate your value and skills to potentially increase compensation
### Transition Plan:
– Develop a transition plan that includes networking, skill-building, and job search strategies
– Seek mentorship and advice from professionals in the new industry
## Final Thoughts
Making a career change that involves a significant pay cut is a personal decision that requires careful consideration. While money is important, prioritizing job satisfaction and happiness can lead to a more fulfilling and meaningful career. It’s essential to weigh the pros and cons, assess your priorities, and plan strategically before making a decision.
Have you ever taken a drastic pay cut to pursue your passion and find happiness at work? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below! Remember, your career is a journey, and it’s never too late to make a change for the better. Good luck on your path to happiness and fulfillment in your career! 😊🌟
#CareerChange #JobSatisfaction #SalaryNegotiation #PassionVsPaycheck #HappinessAtWork
All depends on you. Write down the pros and cons of the change, sleep on it overnight, and do what you think is best the following morning. If it’s still unclear, then use the status quo heuristic: don’t make a change if the reason isn’t compelling enough. If the reason is compelling enough, you’ll talk yourself into it. Good luck!
I left $105k to deploy to Afghanistan, worth it. The next cut I took was $95k down to $89k – totally worth it, I’ve since climbed up within the better career and clearing $144k.
Go be happy. You can always climb that ladder.
I’m doing it right now. 77k to 50k
It depends is 80K enough for you? If it is, then 100% go for it
Life is too short to be miserable at work imo
Money does not make up for your sanity. Take care of you.
You’ll be just as miserable but for a whole lot less. I wouldn’t take a pay cut.
I think personal happiness is worth as much money as you can afford to lose. So, if you can meet your financial obligations on 80k then it’s worth the tighter lifestyle (eg you will have to budget carefully, you won’t be able to splash the cash on a whim, you will need to ensure you have an emergency fund).
I’m a big believer in the saying that money doesn’t buy happiness but it makes misery far more survivable…so imo, do your sums and if you can pull it off then go for it.
Choose happiness! As a chronically depressed person the best advice I can give you is choose happiness.. you will be able to make money If you need to later Im sure.. but happiness is realmente hard to find.
I just took half my salary (in same company) for a part time role, and it’s the best thing I ever did. However, I’m 54 and have saved all my life. To be honest, I stayed in jobs like your current job too long, but am now enjoying the security that afforded me. If you’re 26 and have the skills to be in big tech, I honestly think a 50% cut at 26, even if it’s a job you love, might be too much. But you should definitely not stay in the current job. Be up front with your management, tell them that you want to make a change for a job that you enjoy more and that has better life balance. Pay cuts are not bad, but there’s got to be a great job out there for someone highly skilled like you that has less than a 50% pay cut at 26.
Depends on where you live and what your expenses are.
If you’re dumping half your current income in savings and investments, then you can afford to ‘live’ without that half.
Apply to the role, see if you get an offer and then do the deep decisioning.
Screw happiness get the money and then fuck off.
You absolutely can find an opportunity that is on par with what you are making and does not make you miserable. There is also a way not to feel miserable TODAY while you look for another job. Everything is driven by your thoughts. They create your feelings which turn into actions and bring you the results you have today. If you set out a goal of finding a job that pays as much as you make now or more with work life balance as well as other aspects you would love, I promise that you can make it happen. I am a career coach and work with people on this all the time. Please feel free to reach out.
Jobs suck, being happy is a choice. If the job really sucks that much that you can’t be cheerful the get out before it kills you. Just realize that being happy is on you not a job. I managed to be happy in some pretty shitty places doing some pretty shitty jobs.
This is about buying time really… if you’re making 160k you are making double of $80k but you will be saving a much higher amount of money than double of what you’d save with 80k.
Keep the 160k but with a twist. Have an evil plan. Save up like if you were working for 80k.
Take unpaid time off like… 6 months cuz 1 year working for 80k = 6 months working for $160k so you just bought yourself 6 months of free time.
Build your own SaaS. Become your own boss. Now you’re in control and never have to put up with jobs you hate.
Enjoy your new freedom.
Yep.
I’m poor, but I’m happy and every time I meet some hustle-grind-type person I always find myself glad that I picked happiness over financial success.
If you find something you really enjoy go for it. Or take a miserable job that pays a ton and retire earlier.
I make less than what you do now and am just as unhappy/burnt out. One of those supposed feel good roles.
You are really young. Now is the time to take risks. I say go for it if you can swing it financially.
Try a trial day there, or 3 days for free. Then you have a better understanding if its worth it
What’s the current role? Is it SaaS sales?
Take the pay cut if you can still live comfortably
I just took a job at 1/3 my former pay- the big difference is that I’m already old, house paid for, kids through school, nest egg built, no debt and my wife also works. I’d think hard about doing this at your age, maybe if you can pace yourself and change the dynamics that are making you miserable you can ride it out for a while and build up some cash. Either way, you’re obviously doing something right, so congrats to you for your successes.
That’s a bad idea. You won’t end up happier. The truth is your job is to sit at a computer, type and click the mouse. Occasionally have meetings and talk to people. That’s not that bad. Your new job would be the same thing probably. Just less pay.
Took a 25-35% pay cut a few years ago. We had to dip into our savings (sell stocks, no biggie. no impact to retirement). At that time, it was worth it. I was working 60 hour weeks in a miserable, toxic work environment, no work life balace, horrible coworkers, and bad geographic location. This all impacted my home life.
The new job had everything. Good location, great coworkers and environment, just lacked pay. After a few years at the lower paying job, I ended up getting a job that was a +40% increase, so it ended up working out.
I actually know someone else (former coworker from toxic job) who did actually take a 50% pay cut and is happy with his decision.
find a middle ground, a job paying 140k but with good work life balance
I agree with many of the other comments saying yes, switch jobs. I have went for less pay and more happiness when I was in my 30’s then went to a job for more pay and I am miserable. (I am going to sound old here…) You’re young, I think it is good experience in general to switch jobs. Interviewing, learning new skills, meeting and learning from other people you work with. I have heard recently that it is good to switch jobs every 2 years if you are not getting advancement or a good raise where you are at and you will likely make more money doing so. I am in my early 40’s and do not have the practice of switching jobs and its not easy and I know I was much more ambitious when I was in my 20’s and wish I could have some of that back.
id do it in a heartbeat if you are not happy.
Pop rocks ruined a whole generation. We are in this together friends.
Cries in $65k while being 6 years older than you
So young and 160k annually, damn what I have done
Hey op – I’m on sabbatical for the same reason and rejecting a $150k/$300k ote job for the same reason. My recommendation is to not go below a threshold. For me that number is $120k
If you’ll be happy and 80k meets your needs, go for it. A lot of money isn’t worth being miserable if your life can be happy and sustainable with less.
Without a shadow of a doubt, you should leave your current job in my opinion. But maybe consider looking around for a new job that pays more than 80k? You shouldn’t need to search that long and hard to find something in the 110-130 range (minimum) considering your title, years of experience, etc. especially since you’re in the tech industry.
I recently took a pay cut (from 160k+ to 120k) and I am 100x happier. No regrets at all.
I took a deep pay cut to move to another industry. Two years later, I received another job offer in the new career, for as much as I made at the first job. I had zero regrets taking that pay cut. I hope yours turns out as well as my experience did!
I’ll just leave this here. There is something more important than money to consider. That’s happiness. If a job makes you happy vs miserable all the time, it’s worth more than gold
If you know you’ll be happier yeah. Grass ain’t always greener though. Worst case is take the cut and hate the job.
Top end salary of 80k doesn’t sound good. Also you have no idea if the job is good, you think its good. Can be worst.
My advice is keep you current job, send out applications in your industry instead. Maybe take a 10% paycut at a company famous for work life balance.
I think so. Happiness is important.
If you can afford to live on $80k and you will be happier, I’d go for it. Life it too short to keep doing something you hate just for the money.
No
Unfortunately, due to tech layoffs, a lot of teams are in survival mode and behaving in a very toxic. What you can do to lessen the trauma from this is to learn how to accept work as work and detach your self worth from work with a IDGAF attitude. Still show up to do an excellent work, be a team player, but care less inside. Find a hobby. Do creative things outside of work. Explore nature. In this perspective, work is more tolerable.
My advice, keep milking the job for as long as you can. The power of compounding interest is far too powerful. Don’t make investment decisions in your life either your emotions. Happiness is overrated. Freedom is pure bliss. So focus on freedom and not happiness.
31M who has been in tech for 11 years now: I would absolutely take that cut. Fuck the stress and constant reasons to be unhappy, you can live a good life making $80k at 26, and you will grow in much more fulfilling ways while also seeing your comp grow along with it. I don’t miss the extra money enough to go back and lose the root of happiness in my life, and I’m much happier now somewhere that aligns with my passions and morals.
And I mean the world might end up burning in a decade, I’d rather have spent this time doing stuff I like and in my case, even help the future of our planet