A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Quick question..When it comes to work, would you rather choose a job you adore and could see yourself doing forever, but has little chance of promotion and low payORa job you tolerate, but the chances of promotion are high, and the pay is fantastic?Just looking for opinions :) Reply to this Question
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (6 September 2014): If you take the high-paying upwardly-mobile job now while still in your twenties, then with careful planning in a relatively few years you could be in the enviable position of being able to do what you want AND enjoy financial security while you are still in the prime of life.
A
male
reader, olderthandirt  +, writes (6 September 2014):
 'They' say if you find something you enjoy doing, you'll never work a day in your life. Right! try buying a house or a car on that silly saying. Practically speaking, money will take you places your poverty won't. You can be happy with or without money but it's a whole lot more fun with money.
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A
female
reader, Euphoric29  +, writes (6 September 2014):
Dear OP,
For myself, I set a minimum salary that I feel I need/deserve to earn in order to pay my bills and have a bit of "everyday luxury" (eating at a restaurant every now and then, cheap holidays once a year or so). Let's say it's XY dollars. I know that if I earn less than XY dollars, I will start to feel frustrated after a while and have occasional troubles paying the bills.
I will accept a job which is above XY dollars and fulfills me, but I base my decision a lot on prospective of happiness on the job. If I feel I won't like my coworkers or my tasks, I simply can't accept the job (okay, let's see about that in 6 months, because right now I am looking for a new one). I am a sensitive person and I need a good workspace in order to stay healthy and happy, and also some challenge in my work. I feel that if I don't like what I do, I will suck at my job and become cynical, and I don't want to be like that.
This is not so much an advice, just my reasoning.
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A
female
reader, jls022 +, writes (5 September 2014):
Having recently taken a promotion from a lower paying job I loved to a higher paying one I really don't like, I'd seriously advise choosing the one you love. I thought the extra money would make the less than desirable aspects more tolerable, but now I have to do them it's really hard and I often dread going to work now. I'm really glad I'm on a year long secondment and will eventually go back to my old role, so I'd always advise taking that option if it's there :)
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A
male
reader, C. Grant  +, writes (5 September 2014):
 Really the answer to this has to be put into a broader context: what do you want from life?
At the beginning of our work lives we typically have to take low-paying, unfulfilling jobs to gain experience and credibility. And lots of times we're doing that to simply put food on the table. If you can't pay the rent, if your car breaking down is a disaster, it's hard to focus on where you want to be when you're 50.
In an ideal world we would choose our starter jobs with an eye toward a future that would both nourish our souls and provide us with a comfortable retirement. I don't know too many people who live in that ideal world. The real world seems to force a lot of compromises.
So, what do you want from life? Is having a lot of money, prestige, and influence important? That's fair, it's a perfectly valid choice. What if the cost is that you drag yourself out of bed every morning dreading the day ahead? Is it still worth it?
On the other hand a dead-end, low paying job you love, that makes you leap out of bed, joyful at the prospect of going to work, makes your immediate future happier and healthier. A potential cost, though, is regrets 10 or 20 years down the road. Regrets for opportunities missed, worry about your financial future, and a sense that you're not fulfilled because you didn't accept challenges that stretch you and make you grow.
Personally I never figured out what would have nourished my soul. I made choices in my late 20s that took me off the path to great fortune, if not fame. Probably the right choice in retrospect, but I didn't really replace it with that happy alternative that would have brought me joy. You are at an age where your career decisions will have lasting consequences. So think about the long term, consider your values, and guide yourself accordingly.
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A
female
reader, janniepeg +, writes (5 September 2014):
 I know I only pick one but I would do the high paying job until I absolutely can't tolerate anymore, then have the low paying job to fall back on.
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