Would you quit your job (high paying) for something you love doing?

[fisheerman]

Anyway, I listen to Dave Ramsey and read several of his recommended books and it's said over and over you should pursue something you love doing instead of a high paycheck. That way, you don't have "thank god it's friday, oh god it's monday" everytime you go to work.

This statement should be "pursue something you love doing and can make a living at instead of a high paycheck"

 

[nickbits]

Can't you find something in the middle? I wouldn't take the 25k job though.

 

[brainhulk]

my job pays very well, but it can be a pain in the arse when i get busy. I absorb the bad and enjoy my life when I go home. It' like the ying and the yang balancing out the forces of nature and shit like that...

 

[tatteredpotato]

I walked in, gave my notice and quit. The day after I got a knock at the door from the company owner asking me what was wrong, what happened. I told him I had just had enough and decided I wanted to do something I enjoyed. He got mad, really mad, and started going on about how I would never work again in that field if he had anything to say about it, how I was making the biggest mistake of my life, etc.

I don't understand why some employers take it so personally when you quit or want to cut back. It's a job, which is a business arrangement. I've run into situations like that even just doing on-campus work for professors.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

It's really hard to find a job without a college degree. I guess i'm stuck.

Does your company offer tuition reimbursement of any kind? If so, maybe you should take advantage of it and get a degree and then plan an exit strategy.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

OP, I've had to take a couple of pay cuts along my way in IT and always ended up making more money. You just have to know when to pull the trigger and analyze job opportunities along the way.

A few years ago, the company I worked for decided to consolidate IT operations and I was given the choice of "interviewing" for a position at either Danbury, CT or Tonawanda, NY or moving into an Oracle analyst position. The first choice was insulting, as I was a star with top reviews and ran circles around the corporate infrastructure people. So, I was placed into the Oracle analyst position, which I knew I would hate. I began searching and had 2 job offers within a few weeks. One matched the pay I was at and the other was several thousand below what I was making but the benefits generally made up for it. I took the lower paying one (I work for an organization that I guarantee every single person knows) and just 3 years later, make more than my old job plus have the killer benefits still. Besides the benefits, you get tons of awesome perks here and I also really love the industry we're in.

 

[Regs]

Danny Noonan: I planned to go to law school after I graduated, but it looks like my folks won't have enough money to put me through college.
Judge Smails: Well, the world needs ditch diggers, too.
Lacey Underall: [to Danny] Nice try.

 

[Regs]

Does your company offer tuition reimbursement of any kind? If so, maybe you should take advantage of it and get a degree and then plan an exit strategy.

Mine does, but you have to stick around for 2 years after your graduate or else you owe them.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Mine does, but you have to stick around for 2 years after your graduate or else you owe them.

Most do have that requirement, but it is worth it for the most part especially if the reimbursement policy is generous. My last company reimbursed 75% ; of the cost and when you graduated, got the remaining 25% back; my current company has a yearly cap on tuition (I think it is $10K IIRC) but you do not have to stay for 2 years, either.

My wife's friend went to get her MBA and she refused to use the reimbursement plan because she had to stay for 2 years. We tried to tell her to use THEIR money and just stick it out for 2 years.

Want to guess what happened? If you guessed that she went into tens of thousands of dollars of debt and then ended up staying at her employer for 2+ years anyway (she is STILL there and can't find another job), you would be correct. Now she has had to get a second job (she actually has a third job one day per week) to make ends meet and that may not even be enough once the loans come off of deferment.

I've said it in many threads -- NEVER pay for an MBA out of pocket. ALWAYS have your employer pay for it and if you don't have an employer with tuition reimbursement, time to find one.

EDIT: What the heck is up with the % sign?

 

[SpatiallyAware]

FWIW I've also seen situations where the company took direct advantage of knowing an employee can't leave without paying them back the tuition.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

FWIW I've also seen situations where the company took direct advantage of knowing an employee can't leave without paying them back the tuition.

That's a risk you take, but if it is only 2 years, I think most could stick it out. The company I worked for that basically paid 100% of everything was the kind of company that would take advantage of the situation. It isn't like you're going to be asked to work for free either -- you will still get a pay check and benefits while you bide your time.

This is especially true if the reimbursement plan is very generous and covers 100%. It would take you much more than 2 years to pay back tens of thousands in student loans.

 

[dpodblood]

It's really a trade off. You may be doing something you don't enjoy for 40 hours a week, but does it afford you a nice lifestyle outside of work? You may decide to take a pay cut for the sake of doing something you like, but can you really afford to do so? Will you be more happy doing what you love for work, even if it's difficult to make ends meet on your new salary?

 

[soulcougher73]

It's really a trade off. You may be doing something you don't enjoy for 40 hours a week, but does it afford you a nice lifestyle outside of work? You may decide to take a pay cut for the sake of doing something you like, but can you really afford to do so? Will you be more happy doing what you love for work, even if it's difficult to make ends meet on your new salary?

This is what i came in to say. Its a trade off when it comes to a big difference in pay. Sometimes it can be so drastic that you may enjoy work, but not enjoy your time off due to lack of money. Or you may hate you 40hours/week but have the money to enjoy your time off.

Now if you can find a high paying career doing what you love then double bonus

 

[GhettoPeanut]

I found a job I don't hate that gets me the money to do the things I like.

I'm more or less in the same boat. Use the money from a job that isn't the worst thing out there to help fund the things i like to do. But even that has its limits. been doing it for 8 years and i'm beginning to see cracks at the seams.

 

[dquan97]

Red Foreman: "If it wasn't work, they'd call it 'Super wonderful crazy fun time"

 

[KeithTalent]

I'm really, really struggling with this right now. Have been for a while actually, but it's kind of scary to walk away from everything and I'm not even sure I am talented enough, or young enough to start, to do what I want to do.

I guess I'll just keep thinking about it for now. :hmm:

KT

 

[PricklyPete]

There is likely no perfect answer to this. I think the biggest factors should be:

1) Do you think you can support your family on the money you would likely make. You're single, so it is a little easier to decide...although it may be harder to start a family if you are making little.
2) Will downgrading your pay make your "off-time" significantly less enjoyable. If your passion is cars, enjoying them generally takes some money...and you may have none after paying for your bare necessities to do this. So you'll be changing oil all week to drive around in a Yugo. Will this really make you happy the way you think it will?

Possibly your best bet will be to try to find a job in your current field that makes decent money that you don't mind as much. Being a consultant, I work at a lot of different clients...some clients I love working for...some are the pits. Who you work for/with makes a HUGE difference in your enjoyment...so switching to a different company may be all you need to do. It at least should be your first step. If it still leaves you wanting...then maybe making the career change is the next step.

 

[Sloper]

Here's what ol' jobs said about this dilemma:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

 

[AMCRambler]

If I only I could get paid to drink beer, watch tv and play xbox.

 

[Gillbot]

I plan to, as soon as my debt load is reduced further.

 

[Saint Nick]

Once I pay off my debt I will likely do this. Or can at least always be paying off my small debt, I will be doing this.

 

[Tristicus]

ShayCarl did that (YouTuber)...listened to Ramsey and did his own thing and now is making a lot of money on YouTube (not what he originally intended), but it could work out good.