Taken a more stressful position for more money?

Cherokeekid88

Cherokeekid88

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Location
High Point, NC
You guys ever taken a more stressful position for a little more money? I keep getting pulled in a million different directions and I know that its my life and I ultimately choose whats best for me...but a little insight never hurt anyone.

Basically...I have a chance to take a step up....Its not the path that I WANT to take...its actually in the complete opposite direction I see myself going with the company I am with.

It would also mean alot more stress and less freedom than I have now.

I don't know how much more money I would be getting, but I would guess a couple thousand more a year...but not sure....

My biggest ordeal would be adding more stress in my life.....I have been working hard to get rid of some of it and while this job would just add to my resume...I think it might make me more of a puppet with my company now and I would have less say so and I think I'd come home, hitting the beer harder than ever.

I see how my current supervisor is and she is always trying to breathe and relax but never seems to happen...and how she is being pulled to a job she has no interest in doing now...I fear the same would happen to me if I took it.

I have no idea if I am even a canidate, but I am next in line since I am her backup now..... Just trying to prepare myself if the subject came up.
 
Blaze said:
I wouldn't do it, unless it is a LOT more money to justify the added stress.

Honestly, I might not even do it then.
Click to expand...


x2
 
Fifteen years ago i was working 60-80 most weeks and making a buttload of money.

Then I realized I was killing myself, and not enjoying the journey along the way. Now it is 30 or so a week, I'm having a ball and enjoying life.

Three sayings that brought me around:

"Hearses don't have trailer hitches"

"Have you ever read an epitaph on a gravestone that said 'I wish I spent more time at work'?"

"There is no prize for being the richest man in the cemetery"

Don't count on having your health, your wife, your kids when you are 80 and delay enjoying and living life. There is more to life than being at work. That extra stress WILL kill you.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
Its not the path that I WANT to take...its actually in the complete opposite direction I see myself going with the company I am with.
Click to expand...
There's your answer right there.
 
I have an extremely stressful career IF I let the stress get to me. I am a military recruiter. It is my job to find the 3% of Americans that are qualified for service. It is usually only 1% that is qualified and desires to serve. My success is driven solely by how hard I work. Last year was a great year. This year I am sucking. I asked a couple senior recruiters how to avoid the funk. They told me to maintain an "A" average with home life and maintain a "C" average with work. This philosophy dosent change the stress and demands of work, but it changes the whole outlook.

Money dosent buy happiness - it buys things to distract you from unhappiness.

Your family will provide the happiness if you let it - FOR FREE.
 
I completely agree with you guys....but then my hamster wheel starts turning and I think about all the conversations my wife and I have about getting more money at work...So the more money part is what is keeping me even thinking about it.

The job itself....I can do it. I do it everytime my supervisor is on vacation or leaves early....but everytime, I cannot wait for her to come back so I can breathe and be done with it....I just don't know if I can get up everyday and at least be content with the job
 
I've asked myself this many times. The answer I've come up with is this: go out and live! Stress rarely pays off. Enjoy what you do and the money will find you. My theory on life is that learning should always be top priority. There's nothing else you take with you. Work a job that will help you continue an education and stay with it. Do the same on your free time. Nothing is stopping you when you think about it.
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
...I do it everytime my supervisor is on vacation or leaves early....but everytime, I cannot wait for her to come back so I can breathe and be done with it....I just don't know if I can get up everyday and at least be content with the job
Click to expand...

Don't do it. It's not worth it. I turned down 20grand for a less stressful job and it was worth every penny.

edited to add: It also made my life in general much happier. My family relationships are much better because I'm not taking home all of that stress from work.
 
I feel like I haven't given a fair perception of the pros of the job...
While there aren't that many... It would be more money - I could buy a gas saving car instead of driving my jeep every day - I could pay off debt, I could buy more guns :) I could really save and plan a trip to Europe.
It would make me a more valuable asset to my company. I would basically be in charge of my department - would really beef up my resume - I could possibly change some things that I know other people want but have never had the guts to bring to anyones attention.
 
Okay I'll be the opposing voice.

To a very large degree any job is only as stressful as you allow it to be. Regardless of what your role is.

I cant give a sound argument because I have no clue what sphere the two roles are even in. But man its work. At worst they fire you. They ant make you unhappy, they cnat break up your marriage, they cant physically harm you...ony you can do those things by how you respond to their desires.

Does your company have that one guy who seems to just do his job and go home while everyone else in his department "pulls extra" "stays late" "goes the extra mile" etc.?
Does that guy kep his job?
If yes, then how.

Because he chooses to. Any company can ask or inisinuate that you do more, but frequently they wll only dole out what you accept. And all too frequently doing more wont advance you up the ladder.

Its why I made the choice a decade ago to move into a comissioned role and I strongly advise everyone I know to do the same. I literally make choices at times. "I could go do this right now and probably make $500, but I dont think missing my kid's X,Y,Z is worth $500. i'll let that young buck competitor "steal that order" from me."
 
jeepinmatt said:
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it buys jet skis, and I sure do like jet skis. :bounce:
Click to expand...


Depends on where you are. When I was in vegas money could absolutely buy happiness in 30 minute increments :D
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
The job itself....I can do it. I do it everytime my supervisor is on vacation or leaves early....but everytime, I cannot wait for her to come back so I can breathe and be done with it....I just don't know if I can get up everyday and at least be content with the job
Click to expand...

In my opinion, you should want to do the job. There should be something about taking the job that interests you more than just the money. It doesn't sound like that is the case. On the other hand, if taking the promotion will then allow you to possibly move laterally into the position/direction you really want to go at a later date, then it may be worth it.
 
Ron said:
Okay I'll be the opposing voice.

To a very large degree any job is only as stressful as you allow it to be. Regardless of what your role is.

I cant give a sound argument because I have no clue what sphere the two roles are even in. But man its work. At worst they fire you. They ant make you unhappy, they cnat break up your marriage, they cant physically harm you...ony you can do those things by how you respond to their desires.

Does your company have that one guy who seems to just do his job and go home while everyone else in his department "pulls extra" "stays late" "goes the extra mile" etc.?
Does that guy kep his job?
If yes, then how.

Because he chooses to. Any company can ask or inisinuate that you do more, but frequently they wll only dole out what you accept. And all too frequently doing more wont advance you up the ladder.

Its why I made the choice a decade ago to move into a comissioned role and I strongly advise everyone I know to do the same. I literally make choices at times. "I could go do this right now and probably make $500, but I dont think missing my kid's X,Y,Z is worth $500. i'll let that young buck competitor "steal that order" from me."
Click to expand...

While I agree to this, I agree only on a certain level. Some people are just wired differently. Some people can take stress and hide it very well or turn it around. I'm not one of those.
I don't fold under pressure, I don't give up...but I can tell when it effects/affects (can never remember proper usage in this case) my home life.

I have always tried to be the guy that does whatever I am asked to do. I never give lip...I try to go that extra mile and make a difference somehow, no matter how small it may be. In the last couple of months, I have already taken on extra responsibilities as well as being in charge of training new employees, which I get no extra pay for...but I do it because I want to be that go-to guy.

Part of me says "Im young, I can handle it...work hard now while I can and enjoy life later"
then another part of me says "Im young, I should be out enjoying life and not stressed or worried over work"
 
drkelly said:
In my opinion, you should want to do the job. There should be something about taking the job that interests you more than just the money. It doesn't sound like that is the case. On the other hand, if taking the promotion will then allow you to possibly move laterally into the position/direction you really want to go at a later date, then it may be worth it.
Click to expand...

Basically with this position, I could advance even further, but would be in a department of the company I have no interest in being.
Then my only other option is waiting it out, hoping a position that I would enjoy comes along and I get it.....
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
I don't fold under pressure, I don't give up...but I can tell when it effects/affects (can never remember proper usage in this case) my home life.
Click to expand...


Then work on this part, you are how you are but you dont have to stay that way.
 
In general (because there's always exceptions to the rules), Companies don't pay more for less stressful jobs. So if you want more money, plan on more stress.

If stress is the only downside to the position for you, then put your big girl panties on and take the job.

If the job doesn't interest you and you don't think you'll enjoy it (stress and all) then pass.

Sounds to me like you've already talked yourself out of the job.
 
But if the job is already taken can you untake it?

Anyway...every jo has stress. some phyical some mental.
Do what you like, just don't ever bad mouth the next manager if you didnt want the job because you fofeit your right to say "If I was" imho
 
Ron said:
Then work on this part, you are how you are but you dont have to stay that way.
Click to expand...
I have tried. not easy to come by.

Sometimes I can overcome my stress but focusing that energy elsewhere....but if I feel "forced" into doing something...I get discouraged....and that is what stresses me.

It could very well be, that I am forefully asked to take the position...I don't know. Just trying to prepare myself for such a case, I'd rather have an idea of how I really feel vs. not worrying about it and making a fast decision at the drop of a hat if I'm confronted about it.

I haven't completely talked myself out of the job...I am just going by my gut instict and weighing the options.

Do I have any interest in the job? Not really. If it was posted within the company...I wouldn't apply for it...
but its kind of different when someone puts faith in you and believes that you would be good at it....makes me feel if I say no, im letting them down....
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
Do I have any interest in the job? Not really. If it was posted within the company...I wouldn't apply for it...
but its kind of different when someone puts faith in you and believes that you would be good at it....makes me feel if I say no, im letting them down....
Click to expand...
That pretty much describes the job I'm in now. Its a really good job, it's just not a really good job for me. With that said, it was over a 10% raise (that's huge in a land of 2-3% raises), staying with the same company, nice office with a window (means a lot after being inside a building inside another building for 3 years), better work hours, much lower stress environment, and just a generally happier and more optimistic sector of the business. It's not a move I would have made 2 years ago, and 2 years from now it probably wouldn't be the right move, but the timing was right. I was approached by the hiring manager because of my experience, and I was interested because it give me a lot more flexibility and marketability inside and outside the company. While it's not the "perfect" job for me, its a good place to be, and the fact that the manager put faith in me and gave me a little push helps make it a better fit and inspires me a little more when the days get frustrating.
 
Back
Top