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  3. How much of a pay cut would you be willing to take?

How much of a pay cut would you be willing to take?

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  • W Offline
    W Offline
    Wjousts
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

    S A OriginalGriffO L R 13 Replies Last reply
    0
    • W Wjousts

      I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

      S Offline
      S Offline
      Simon_Whale
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      But can you afford to take the cut? If I could afford to take the cut and the job prospect was too good to turn down then yes I would.

      Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce, served in a Provençale manner with shallots and aubergines, garnished with truffle pate, brandy and a fried egg on top and Spam - Monty Python Spam Sketch

      W 1 Reply Last reply
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      • W Wjousts

        I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

        A Offline
        A Offline
        Albert Holguin
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Sometimes you have to take a step back to give you the opportunity to take a leap forward. I've taken two pay cuts while changing jobs in my career, so far I haven't regretted that at all. The first time I did it, I was leaving a really secure job but it was boring as heck... so I took a pay cut off the back and moved to a more expensive area, I loved the job though.... I was with that company for about four years and in that time frame they doubled my initial salary. They saw my dedication to the job and how well I fit and made sure I was well rewarded. Probably one of my best career moves was taking that pay cut.

        W 1 Reply Last reply
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        • W Wjousts

          I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriff
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          I've done it before: taking a cut of 50% was my largest (but that was mitigated by a massive reduction in commuting distance and thus cost) It depends on a huge number of factors, and money is only one of them. Life style factors come into it as well. Enjoying your job **is**important: you spend 1/3 of your life asleep, 1/3 at work and (it seemed to at one stage) 1/3 commuting to work. If you can afford it, and it improves your work / life balance, and it will be a lot more enjoyable, then look at it seriously.

          If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

          W 1 Reply Last reply
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          • W Wjousts

            I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

            L Offline
            L Offline
            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            If I were you, I would ask myself these questions: 1. Can I afford the pay cut? 2. If answer to point 1 is yes, Can I go to bed with a happy head and a clear heart and will I be better off with the new job in the long run?

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • W Wjousts

              I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

              R Offline
              R Offline
              Rage
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Wjousts wrote:

              a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary

              The percentage matters, not the amount. If this is 4% of what you are earning now, no pb. If it is 30%, then I would reconsider... The question is whether the loss impacts your comfort only (=smaller car or less money when you retire), or standard life (=less money for kids to study), and depending on that I would go for it, or not.

              ~RaGE();

              I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

              W 1 Reply Last reply
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              • R Rage

                Wjousts wrote:

                a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary

                The percentage matters, not the amount. If this is 4% of what you are earning now, no pb. If it is 30%, then I would reconsider... The question is whether the loss impacts your comfort only (=smaller car or less money when you retire), or standard life (=less money for kids to study), and depending on that I would go for it, or not.

                ~RaGE();

                I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

                W Offline
                W Offline
                Wjousts
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                It works out at about 16%...so smack in the middle of your range!

                R 1 Reply Last reply
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                • S Simon_Whale

                  But can you afford to take the cut? If I could afford to take the cut and the job prospect was too good to turn down then yes I would.

                  Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce, served in a Provençale manner with shallots and aubergines, garnished with truffle pate, brandy and a fried egg on top and Spam - Monty Python Spam Sketch

                  W Offline
                  W Offline
                  Wjousts
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  It's difficult to say. We could probably save less and be able to swing it. But my wife is not working since we have an 8 month old to take care of. If I was single, no kids, I probably wouldn't think twice (well...maybe twice, but probably not three times).

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • W Wjousts

                    I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                    F Offline
                    F Offline
                    Forogar
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    I took a 7% cut to take my current job and I have never regretted it. The job is more secure, more interesting and I am appreciated by my boss and colleagues far more than any previous job.

                    - Life in the fast lane is only fun if you live in a country with no speed limits. - Of all the things I have lost, it is my mind that I miss the most. - I vaguely remember having a good memory...

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                    • W Wjousts

                      It works out at about 16%...so smack in the middle of your range!

                      R Offline
                      R Offline
                      Rage
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      That should be feasible, then. (Plus you are earning about twice as much as I do now, and I can assure you it is still a decent life :-D ).

                      ~RaGE();

                      I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Do not feed the troll ! - Common proverb

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • A Albert Holguin

                        Sometimes you have to take a step back to give you the opportunity to take a leap forward. I've taken two pay cuts while changing jobs in my career, so far I haven't regretted that at all. The first time I did it, I was leaving a really secure job but it was boring as heck... so I took a pay cut off the back and moved to a more expensive area, I loved the job though.... I was with that company for about four years and in that time frame they doubled my initial salary. They saw my dedication to the job and how well I fit and made sure I was well rewarded. Probably one of my best career moves was taking that pay cut.

                        W Offline
                        W Offline
                        Wjousts
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Yeah, my potential future boss kind of pep-talked me over lunch with how he thinks I should be able to make it back up in a "few years". I was thinking about my salary over the last 8 years at my current position and (I think) it works out as making 28% more now that when I started. But we usually get good bonuses (target of 15%), but we just got an e-mail saying bonuses will be down this year because sales weren't as good as they hoped.

                        A 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                          I've done it before: taking a cut of 50% was my largest (but that was mitigated by a massive reduction in commuting distance and thus cost) It depends on a huge number of factors, and money is only one of them. Life style factors come into it as well. Enjoying your job **is**important: you spend 1/3 of your life asleep, 1/3 at work and (it seemed to at one stage) 1/3 commuting to work. If you can afford it, and it improves your work / life balance, and it will be a lot more enjoyable, then look at it seriously.

                          If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                          W Offline
                          W Offline
                          Wjousts
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          OriginalGriff wrote:

                          Enjoying your job **is**important: you spend 1/3 of your life asleep, 1/3 at work and (it seemed to at one stage) 1/3 commuting to work.

                          It's funny you should mention that. My boss's boss was trying to give us a pep-talk about how he sees the importance of developing staff (despite the fact that we don't have a dedicated budget for training) and said something about how we give them an hour of work, they give us money for it, and at the end of your life you won't be able to give that money back and get back those hours. Which made me think "holy crap, I need to find a new job", which I think was the exact opposite of what he was trying to achieve.

                          OriginalGriffO N 2 Replies Last reply
                          0
                          • W Wjousts

                            I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                            P Offline
                            P Offline
                            PIEBALDconsult
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            I very rarely leave a job (been laid off plenty of times though) and when I have I have usually regretted it. And it's about percentage.

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                            • W Wjousts

                              OriginalGriff wrote:

                              Enjoying your job **is**important: you spend 1/3 of your life asleep, 1/3 at work and (it seemed to at one stage) 1/3 commuting to work.

                              It's funny you should mention that. My boss's boss was trying to give us a pep-talk about how he sees the importance of developing staff (despite the fact that we don't have a dedicated budget for training) and said something about how we give them an hour of work, they give us money for it, and at the end of your life you won't be able to give that money back and get back those hours. Which made me think "holy crap, I need to find a new job", which I think was the exact opposite of what he was trying to achieve.

                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriffO Offline
                              OriginalGriff
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Wow. :omg: Is your name Dilbert? If not I think the pair of you have the same boss..

                              If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

                              "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                              "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • W Wjousts

                                I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                                S Offline
                                S Offline
                                Septimus Hedgehog
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                That all depends on your expenses each month. Wilkins Micawber's famous quote from Charles Dickens' David Copperfield comes to mind.

                                If there is one thing more dangerous than getting between a bear and her cubs it's getting between my wife and her chocolate.

                                1 Reply Last reply
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                                • W Wjousts

                                  I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                                  G Offline
                                  G Offline
                                  GuyThiebaut
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  I once took a 15% cut to leave a job I really did not like to join one that was great - the best decision I ever made! It really all depends on what you value - I tend to follow the bliss rather than the money in the belief that if I am doing what I want to do the money will follow, which so far has proven to be true. Good luck in making the choice :)

                                  “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

                                  ― Christopher Hitchens

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                                  • W Wjousts

                                    Yeah, my potential future boss kind of pep-talked me over lunch with how he thinks I should be able to make it back up in a "few years". I was thinking about my salary over the last 8 years at my current position and (I think) it works out as making 28% more now that when I started. But we usually get good bonuses (target of 15%), but we just got an e-mail saying bonuses will be down this year because sales weren't as good as they hoped.

                                    A Offline
                                    A Offline
                                    Albert Holguin
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Wjousts wrote:

                                    my potential future boss kind of pep-talked me over lunch

                                    By the way, don't do it because someone talks you into it, do it because you think it's the right opportunity.

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                                    • W Wjousts

                                      I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                                      S Offline
                                      S Offline
                                      S Houghtelin
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      The last job I has was stressful but paid well, after the place closed its doors in 2001 I took a $14.5K year hit to get the job I have now. I am so much happier where I am now, the ulcers went away, the stress is completely manageable, I actually look forward to going to work and think of it as being paid to play. Sure there are frustrations[^] but they only last a short time for the most part. Good luck in whichever decision you make.

                                      It was broke, so I fixed it.

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                                      • W Wjousts

                                        I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                                        L Offline
                                        L Offline
                                        loctrice
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #19

                                        Don't take that one. Look for another one. I made a move to a place that was much better atmosphere than I was in, and I thought I would do anything to get out of the old job. Now I am making exactly what I was, but I should have been more firm about pay. In the end, you won't be happy if you don't get the correct pay.

                                        If it moves, compile it

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                                        • W Wjousts

                                          I'm fed up with my current job and see very little in the way of prospects going forward. I have an offer on the table for another job that I think will be really cool in ways my current job can never hope to be. But, and here's the rub, it would involve taking a hit in the region of $16k/yr in salary (and the health benefits are about twice as much too). My head says "NO!", but my heart says "erm...maybe?"

                                          J Offline
                                          J Offline
                                          Jim SS
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          The only job I have really liked was when I was working for myself (contracting and selling software I wrote). I've liked a lot of the projects, but management too often gets in the way of enjoying being in the office. Different management can make work a lot more (or less) tolerable. If they don't make up the hit in pay soon enough, you can always go find another job. Really the only work that satisfies me is when I'm working on my own or with friends on a startup idea in my spare time.

                                          SS => Qualified in Submarines

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