How important is it to enjoy your job?

Andrew_Ryan_89

If you are thinking about walking out of a job with nothing lined up, first thing to do is assume you won't find one straight away. I have left jobs because I was not happy but that has always been for a significant step up in pay and personal development and even if I was happy at those roles, I probably would have left anyway. Just 6 month or a year later than I did.

sink_or_swim

Noctu wrote: »

Ok, those are some pretty big cons... having to move house, and moving from a house you love? Your husband having to work away two nights a week? The cost of commuting eating up the extra wage? Not sure I'd go for it personally.

How about just trying to find another job elsewhere, near where you live now?

P.S. I escaped a hellish job in February... I do know what it's like... but I wouldn't give up our lovely home and move for another job, to me that would be more stressful than sticking in the job I had. But that was my situation...

Yep - they definitely are pretty big cons. The only pros are me enjoying my job and being less stressed, and us being able to move back closer to most of our friends. But then again they are pretty big pros.
I have been looking for other jobs for a while but I am very restricted in what I can do. Almost everything I see that I think I may be suitable for involves a significant pay cut that we can’t afford. I have considered changing field entirely but as I have no experience in that area I’d be starting at the lower end of the payscale. I have applied for several roles in other fields that utilise the same basic skills I have, and I just don’t hear anything back.

I currently have extremely good holiday allowance, maternity benefits and pension. If I move jobs locally I lose all that (though the new role has exactly the same benefits as they used to be part of the same company). Also we bought our house because it’s in an area that is easy to get to work from. If I was to get a job in a different part of this city it would add extra time on to my commute, which is already of the limit of what I wanted to be doing each day.

Andrew_Ryan_89 wrote: »

If you are thinking about walking out of a job with nothing lined up, first thing to do is assume you won't find one straight away. I have left jobs because I was not happy but that has always been for a significant step up in pay and personal development and even if I was happy at those roles, I probably would have left anyway. Just 6 month or a year later than I did.

I wouldn't consider leaving without something to go to. The main reason I am considering leaving is simply this role at my old company because I know I'd be happy there, I get on with the people, and am appreciated and respected.

clint_S

I have left higher paid work to find the right working environment before. A bad environment works like a tumour and destroys the company from within. I've turned down much higher salaries because the company had a bad feeling about it, and I've usually been right.

sink_or_swim

I left a much higher paying job at my old company because this one ‘felt right’. I was wrong and now I’m earning less than what I was on before as well as being unhappy. Unfortunately because we have bought a house which really stretched our budget, taking another pay cut (of more than say 2k) is completely out of the question – we simply can’t afford the drop in income.

FredG

It's massively important, but I've known dozens people who sit in jobs they hate for the money. I could never do that.

Luckily, my most hated job and working environment was also my lowest paid job I'd had since I was 18. Shocking thing is, it was a technical position. Made the decision very easy to leave.

MoaningMyrtle

I have had a job where I became extremely unhappy with the toxic environment and working conditions. I could not face another 25 years until retirement working there but was was fortunate to be offered a new role within a different company which I jumped at. I took a risk with a 30% pay cut. However I am much much happier. I received a pay rise soon after. I have vowed that I will never let myself get that unhappy at work again.

sweetilemon

It's a balance. I wouldn't be happy scrimping and not having money for little luxuries so would consider that and also whether another job IS a better option or if it's 'grass is greener' syndrome. I always like having 2 jobs, I feel less tied to one employer and when I'm getting bogged down in the politics the other gives me a break. I enjoy one work better than the other but the less enjoyable one has good hours, pay and benefits. The actual work and staff are good it's just the cuts, management pressures/attitudes that can be draining. I was offered full time employment with my 2nd job but I knew being full time with them would end up being more of a commute, more unsociable hours, less pay and I would end up getting into the politics I manage to avoid on zero hours. Basically life is not worth spending being unhappy but life is rarely perfect so it's about weighing up the advantages and disadvantages.

sweetilemon

FredG wrote: »

It's massively important, but I've known dozens people who sit in jobs they hate for the money. I could never do that.

Luckily, my most hated job and working environment was also my lowest paid job I'd had since I was 18. Shocking thing is, it was a technical position. Made the decision very easy to leave.

I do think the more money your earning cushions the blow a bit with a bad job though. I would put up with more for £15ph than I would for £7...or whatever min wage is now. Not saying it's right, I'm just more likely to think...ha well at least I've just earned X for that.

When spending I equate it to how many hours I'd have to work to earn it and if it would be worth it.

sink_or_swim

sweetilemon: I definitely had the grass is greener thing with my current job and look where that got me. The difference is I know pretty much what to expect at the other place of work. I know I was very good at what I did and I was told by the people I managed that I was great at that part of it and they really want to go back (they don't know I'm seriously considering it).

I agree about the money thing, but not because I’ll put up with more if I’m paid more, but because I feel more valued. Here I get great feedback but empty promise after promise. There I get told the department is not doing as well without me and they are offering me a significant pay rise. People having that confidence in me makes me feel good about myself and that doesn't happen where I am now.

I like equating things to how many hours I’d have to work. At the moment I’m not sure I’d end up buying anything though – it would be an amazing money saving trick.

I'd always completed discounted the idea of moving because of hubby's job. When he suggested we actually could move and he'd commute I was so excited and we were both quite happy about the thought of moving back. We were expecting to be able to sell our house and buy somewhere almost outright back in our old city, or maybe only need a mortgage of 100k or so. If we could do that then the advantages of not having a huge mortgage (and everything we could spend that £1400 a month on instead) would make it a no-brainer.

But we have been looking for places and there is nothing equivalent/suitable for less than what we’d get for ours, once you take off selling and buying fees. It’s a huge shock and given how much more house prices are rising here than further north, I feel it’s silly to sell up and buy somewhere worse than we live now that doesn’t even have the advantage of being likely to go up in value.

[Deleted User]

Depends to on why you left this old company? (honestly not just the current cons list)

I went back to a company in an industry I really thought and had struggled for some time I wanted to be back in, thinking I was to be so happy.. (turns out it was something else talking alright. I was simply the easiest solution to the company making an offer...) The reality it actually ended up having to serve as "closure" (first interview afterwards, as painful as it was I was successful in and no doubt for the better off in somewhere totally new, so I'm no nay slayer in saying things can never get back on track after a boo boo as this gone back on myself indeed transpired into - but I do think you stand better chance of 'move onward rather then backwards')

People can most definitely change in between jobs and it really, really is something to be aware of. Especially when you leave somewhere on nice, perhaps wonderfully amicable terms, it is like the risk of the memory builds into something it is not.

I personally think some stress at work is good. Unhappiness less so.