So often I read in magazines and blogs geared toward young (and older)
women that you should always be looking for a better job, with an increase in
pay. Many articles even teach you how to ask for a pay increase. But what
happens when you learn that money doesn't have to be priority numero uno?
I’ve gone through several huge job transitions in my
relatively young life. Out of college I worked on a newspaper where I loved my
job but in 2008, every newspaper in the nation was seeing hardship so my copy
editing position wasn’t paying the bills. I worked a great-paying sales job
that was challenging for a while, but involved too much time in an office. I
then moved my life from Denver to June Lake, CA, a small ski/fishing town
in the eastern Sierra – population 650.
I took a job working in an information center and bookstore
at an environmental non-profit where my office was a sun-lit store that smelled
like organic soaps and books (sidenote: I majored in English and Politics with
internships in environmental policy so I wasn’t too far out of my realm). For
an entire summer I was re-energized by work instead of dragged down by it.
Sure, I took a huge pay decrease, but I had saved so much at my other job that
I could deal with the change.
For several more years I managed the bookstore, but I wasn’t
being challenged, so I became the Marketing and Sales Director at a resort and
spa in the area. I had gone so far in the direction of happiness instead of pay
that I found I was working other side jobs to supplement my savings account, so
my free time was really lacking, AND I had no money. In reality, my “happy
place” wasn’t as sustainable as I had originally planned.
With a pay increase and a job in my chosen field, I was
extremely happy for a while. But, I took on other people’s positions as they
were let go or left the area. I found myself with a good deal of money, but my
entire summer was spent working 12-15 hour days, with very few days off. My
husband and I live in the mountains where it is sometimes a tough life
shoveling feet of snow in the winter and dealing with an entirely tourism-based
economy in the summer. If I don’t get out to hike, bike and run in the summer,
there really is no point in living where we do.
So, when the Office Director position at the same non-profit
organization was offered to me, I snatched it up. Yes, it is a slight
decrease in pay, but it is a huge step up from my previous position managing
the bookstore there. I am now going to be challenged professionally, working at an
organization that is doing work I believe in, have ample free time to spend
with my husband in the outdoors, and the workplace is just happier.
What I have learned is there is a ratio involved in work vs.
play. There are a few questions that I am now going to ask myself whenever I
consider a job:
- Am I making enough money that I can work just this job and pay bills with money left over for savings and a bit for spending?
- Am I being taken care of? Does the job provide health, dental, and life insurance? Is there a retirement plan? Often these things can add up to a lot of additional money when looking at a salary.
- What is the workplace environment? When I took the job at the resort a lot of people in our small town were wary of my change. I didn’t understand it at the time, but when people say “Good luck” in a menacing tone, maybe you should rethink your change instead of stubbornly trying to prove them wrong as I did.
- Am I going to have time off to rejuvenate? I’m a workaholic, and if I’m not scheduled for two days off a week, I will sometimes not take them if tasks pile up. After reading several management articles lately, studies show that people are more successful when they have time off. We all sound badass when we say we haven’t had a day off in 2 weeks and haven’t slept in days, but, how productive are you at that stage, really?
- Am I going to be challenged?
Hard work is important. But being happy while working is my definition of success.
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