Would you rather work for a job you hate with excellent pay or work for a job you love for less than average pay?
With upwards of 40% of the current workforce thinking about quitting their current job, this is a great time for us to discuss the topic “Would you rather work for a job you hate with excellent pay or work for a job you love for less than average pay.”
Right now, many workers are experiencing a lack of work/life balance at their current job because of the ongoing demand to work long hours. This ongoing demand to work long hours is largely credited to the decrease in workforce due to COVID.
Because of the lack of work/life balance, many workers feel more stressed than usual, causing almost half of employees to look elsewhere for work. However, employees are hesitant because they are worried about leaving a job they hate because of the excellent pay and benefits they are currently receiving. The question is, should you stick it out at a job you hate because of the excellent pay or should you work for less at a job you love?
Why You Should Work at a Job You Hate
It may seem like working at a job you hate has no benefits other than pay, but in reality, there are three main benefits to working at a job you hate.
When you were younger, I can almost guarantee that you did not enjoy working. Whether you worked at a busy restaurant cleaning tables or doing yard work for the neighbor down the street, I am sure you at least complained once about your job. Whoever you complained to about your job probably responded with, “a job is something you have to do, not something you have to enjoy doing.”
In fact, over 60% of Americans are currently unhappy at their current job. If you are a part of the 60% of people unhappy, here are three things you should know before applying elsewhere.
Learning About Yourself
Running from a job you hate is usually your first instinct, but in fact, if 60% of people work for a job they are unhappy at, then don’t you think there is a high chance you switch to a job equally as bad?
You don’t want to become one of those job hoppers who spend 6-12 months at a job then leave for another opportunity. This is not a great look on your resume as employers seek employees who are loyal to their company. If you are a job hopper, many companies will not want to spend time training you for 3 months to see you quit within the year.
If you are at a job you hate, use it as a way to see what you love to do. Not all aspects of a job are terrible. If you are a marketer, you may love to edit social media posts but aren’t too fond of writing blog posts like this one. Weigh out the pros and cons of the job you are at. No job is perfect, and every job has some job duties that aren’t favorable. Take the time to learn about yourself and see if you hate every part of the job you are at or just one aspect of it.
Work Experience
Everything we do is a learning experience. If you are at a job you hate, this may be a great time to absorb as much information as possible. Job positions are forever changing. The position description you received on the first day of your job is probably completely different than it is now.
With new technology, new employees, and new ideas, job descriptions will change over time. Use this to your advantage.
Supervisors love ambitious employees. Let’s bring back the example of a marketer who loves social media posting but hates writing blogs. If you take some time to learn more about other aspects of marketing, you may be able to show your supervisor that spending more time on social media postings may benefit the company’s brand awareness more than writing blog posts. If you continue to learn new skills, there may be a time where your job description will change completely into something you love.
Also, if you feel like something within the company could be improved or fixed, start coming up with solutions for the problem. Once you have a great idea, go over it with your boss.
Making a simple change to the work environment may change the way you see your job. The best way to do this is by working hard and learning more. Rather than quitting right away, take the time to learn more about the job and responsibilities and see how you can improve your position. This will not only benefit you but the company as well.
Having a Job You Hate is Better than Not Having a Job at All
Most of time, people look at the negatives of a situation instead of the positives. Instead of saying, “I hate my job,” you can say, “I am happy I have a job!” Remember that some people would beg to have the job you have right now, so don’t take it for granted.
Before thinking about switching your job, take a moment to be grateful for what you have. Most of the time, you will see that the job you have isn’t so bad after all! The job you have may not be perfect, and you may not see yourself there 5 years in the future, but as of now, it may be the best opportunity for you, so make the most out of it.
Why You Should Work at a Job You Love
If you read the previous section on the benefits of having a job you hate and still considering quitting to work at a job you love, we will discuss some of the best benefits of switching from a job you hate to the one you love. We understand that right now, you may not think you can make the most of the job you have right now, but trust me, you can! If you happened to skip the last section, I highly suggest you read it before starting this section.
Now, if you did every tip we gave in the previous section and are still not convinced that you should stay at your current job, here are some of the best reasons for you to change your job from the one you hate with excellent pay to one you love with below-average pay.
Mental Health is Important
You have seen Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, Dak Prescott, Michael Phelps, and many other major sports athletes talk about mental health. Both Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles have been in the news recently for sitting out certain events because their mental health was more important than a paycheck. It is essential to understand that no paycheck is more important than your mental health.
If you hate your job to the point where you cry before every day of showing up, then it is time to quit.
Productivity Increase
Oxford University’s Saïd Business School conducted an extensive study that found that workers are 13% more productive when happy. If you are unhappy at your current position, your productivity will decrease, causing you to be behind on work or not putting forth your best effort.
If you switch to a job opening that you love, you will have a productivity increase, resulting in you proving you are worth more than your current pay. If you switch to a job you love that pays a below-average salary, it may not be long until you prove you are worth more.
Don’t Waste Your Time Being Unhappy
I know this may be a sad statistic for some, but over 1/3 of our life is spent at work. That is 90,000 hours over the course of a lifetime. If you hate your current job, why spend 1/3 of your life unhappy? You want to make the best out of the life you have, so if you truly hate your job, then it is time to switch!
