Would you take new job with much lower salary?

Mockingjays

I'd really welcome thoughts on taking a new job with a much lower salary.

I've been looking for a new job as I'm very unhappy where I am. I've been offered a new job which is great but I'm going to losing £330 a month. I'm worried that in changing jobs I might be happier workwise but that I could end up regretting it due to the money. Things would be tight financially so I'm wondering if I'm stupid to even think about it.

I'm looking to change jobs because my I work in an a cancer centre and my brother's been going through cancer treatment and it's all a bit too close to home talking to people about cancer all the time.

Thanks for reading.

London50

Personally I would {in the past as I am retired} have no problem changing jobs at a much lower wage {I did it 3 times in my working life}, too many people {and I do understand why} stick at jobs with all the stress ect just for the money but it was always my feeling that if I dreaded Mondays coming then as much as I needed to tighten my belt I was in the wrong job or company.
To be able to look forward to going to work was the main thing for me not the money.I know these days jobs are not easy to come by but for health grounds alone I was glad I did it and given the same situation I would do it again without a second thought.
I am sorry to hear the "conflict" you are having with your job and what your brother is going through {I wish him well} and for you it must seem more like a bus mans holiday but if you can bite the bullet and go with your feelings :0)
Good luck whatever you choose.

somethingcorporate

Not at all, you cannot put a price on happiness.

You really need to look at your budget and outgoings to see how deeply you would be affected by a £330 dip in income. If you can cut your costs by a hundred or two a month from all the tips on MSE you may only be in effect taking a much smaller cut.

Good luck

shortcrust

I changed careers a few years back and am still earning a lot less than I was 15 years ago (and that's not adjusting for inflation!). I've never regretted it. I was so unhappy in my previous career.

marlot

I earn less now than 15 years ago. more to life than money!

Callie22

I left a job I absolutely hated about five years ago and took quite a significant pay cut when I did. Five years on I've doubled my salary and I've no doubt that I'm now better off financially (and mentally!) than I would have been had I stayed in my old job. However, I didn't know that would happen when I left my job and tbh, increasing my salary wasn't foremost in my mind when I handed in my notice - I just didn't want to dread getting up in the mornings. Leaving an environment where I was dreadfully unhappy more than made up for the financial loss.

tgon

I would as my circumstances allow

missbiggles1

It sounds as if you're unhappy in your job because of a temporary situation with your brother's cancer treatment. Obviously this will change in the future but the loss of income, which you've said will make your finances tight, may go on for the rest of your working life and into retirement.

Apart from the financial loss, this is likely to have an enormous effect on your career progression which can add to frustration and unhappiness of living on a tight income.

Unless there's other things you haven't mentioned, I wouldn't do it because the gain looks to be totally short term.

ETA

Having looked through your earlier posts I can see that you've only recently finished a DMP. In the light of the fact that you've had major financial problems on your current salary I think it would be madness to take a salary cut of this magnitude!

[Deleted User]

Yes how would you feel months down the line when a similar position is advertised for more pay? I once thought it ok to accept a job at £6.48 (completely brought the whole sob story of the poor struggling company, commission never materlised which was the only factor to taking what then turned out to be an underpaid job) then within 6 months, what do you know, it was seen advertising paying a basic of £10......! it certainly was hard having that advertised and having to go for interviews elsewhere at the same time, none of it easy to explain, let me assure you


Accept low salary and can't make ends meet - it's a downward spiral, another entry on the CV that needs explaining, you would be best really checking out other facts like is overtime available, stats on progression if you can

Jacare

If things would be tight financially, would you be happier because you're no longer having to face a difficult situation or would you be in the same place because you've swapped one difficulty for another?

Because I'm a little bit obsessive (even in difficult personal periods) I'd work out the minimum wage/salary I could live on without finances being tight, and limit my search to roles which at least offered that (ideally more). There is more to life than money, but I have to be realistic about the impact of taking a reduced wage. It would do me no good at all to jump on the first opportunity to come along if it meant I'd meet my fixed outgoings but little else.

killerpeaty

I have just taken a paycut (£3.5k), but it was calculated. My new role is in the career I want to pursue, it involves training (that I would never have gotten otherwise) and the potential to earn more than the paycap in my previous role.

If you find it distressing to do your job everyday then find a new job but if you think that you wouldn't be able to cope on the money, you may want to hold out until the next offer. That's what I would do at least.