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A choice between doing what you want to do, and money

post #1 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:07pm
Thread Starter 
This is a rare serious thread for me:
I'm a teacher, it's something I really like doing and it's never dull, I also get the chance to make a lot of connections since I'm teaching mostly business people. Unfortunately, teaching doesn't bring much money in, and I'd like to save up money by myself and support my family a little as they have helped me when I needed it. I'd also like to travel more on vacation, my schedule allows that, though my salary doesn't. I don't really have much of a chance to do any of this on my salary. I'm not in poverty or anything, but I'm not making much extra.

So, through a connection, I have standing job offers at a number of really good companies in Korea: Chase, JP Morgan, LG electronics, and another company her uncle owns. The pay would be about 3-4x what I'm making now, but I sure as hell wouldn't be teaching, and I'd be working about 2x the hours I'm working now. So, which is it? I'm not much of a corporate type, and I'm leaning towards teaching at this point. Not having money vs. having it is pretty persuasive, though.
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post #2 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:15pm
To me it's a question of degrees of separation between what I'm doing and what I'd like to be doing. If I like to do job A that doesn't pay well, and job B comes along with a fat paycheck and more hours, the only way I'm considering job B is if it still offers something I like to do. For example, say I, like you, love to teach, but the job isn't providing the type of benefits I desire. Along comes a friend and offers to hook me up with a new job that pays really well, but requires a lot of work and isn't what I love to do. If the new job were something that was somehow interesting to me, I would probably take it for the extra cash. However, if the job were something I didn't like at all, or something I found objectionable, I wouldn't stop teaching.

In my opinion, there is only so much compromising that can be done to make more money before the misery of the job overshadows any enjoyment of the increased income.
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post #3 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:17pm
It's a trap.
Quote:
In my opinion, there is only so much compromising that can be done to make more money before the misery of the job overshadows any enjoyment of the increased income.
++
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post #4 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:27pm
no challenge here for me. i would rather be a personal trainer/gym owner or art history teacher or illustrator, but i have a family to support.
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post #5 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eason View Post
This is a rare serious thread for me:
I'm a teacher, it's something I really like doing and it's never dull, I also get the chance to make a lot of connections since I'm teaching mostly business people. Unfortunately, teaching doesn't bring much money in, and I'd like to save up money by myself and support my family a little as they have helped me when I needed it. I'd also like to travel more on vacation, my schedule allows that, though my salary doesn't. I don't really have much of a chance to do any of this on my salary. I'm not in poverty or anything, but I'm not making much extra.

So, through a connection, I have standing job offers at a number of really good companies in Korea: Chase, JP Morgan, LG electronics, and another company her uncle owns. The pay would be about 3-4x what I'm making now, but I sure as hell wouldn't be teaching, and I'd be working about 2x the hours I'm working now. So, which is it? I'm not much of a corporate type, and I'm leaning towards teaching at this point. Not having money vs. having it is pretty persuasive, though.

Make money now, teach later.
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post #6 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:28pm
This is something that's hard to reconcile without experiencing both lives. You know it's much more complex than 'doing something loved' versus 'doing what pays' and the usual implied dichotomy between the two simply doesn't exist.
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post #7 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:30pm
Be a trainer at one of those companies. you can still teach people and in a business setting, but receive a better pay.

The company I work for has trainers to teach our sales staff and they are always traveling the states. Otherwise....go for the money now.
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post #8 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:46pm
Window of making money= limited.

Window of doing what you "love"= all your life

Ideal world= making lots of money doing what you absolutely love.

Ideal world = mostly in people's DREAMS

Consider the economy now, I'd say go with the money AS LONG AS you don't absolutely HATE the better paying job.
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post #9 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eason View Post
This is a rare serious thread for me:
I'm a teacher, it's something I really like doing and it's never dull, I also get the chance to make a lot of connections since I'm teaching mostly business people. Unfortunately, teaching doesn't bring much money in, and I'd like to save up money by myself and support my family a little as they have helped me when I needed it. I'd also like to travel more on vacation, my schedule allows that, though my salary doesn't. I don't really have much of a chance to do any of this on my salary. I'm not in poverty or anything, but I'm not making much extra.

So, through a connection, I have standing job offers at a number of really good companies in Korea: Chase, JP Morgan, LG electronics, and another company her uncle owns. The pay would be about 3-4x what I'm making now, but I sure as hell wouldn't be teaching, and I'd be working about 2x the hours I'm working now. So, which is it? I'm not much of a corporate type, and I'm leaning towardns teaching at this point. Not having money vs. having it is pretty persuasive, though.

Go for the money, unless you hate what you're going to be doing (which, given your tone, it doesn't seem like it). You can always go back to teaching can't you?
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post #10 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:51pm
Not meant to be snarky: Welcome to Adulthood.

Pretty much sums it all up. You have to decide what trade offs of job bullshit vs. salary level you are willing to accept. Also, you have to consider you might settle down and have kids, which will give you fiscal responsibility much greater than just caring for yourself.
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post #11 of 42
7/13/09 at 9:56pm
yup. when i got out of school, the good, creative agencies were paying 22k a year and the meh ones paid 40k. had to go for the money cause we had our oldest boy right after college graduation. fucked me a little bit later on maybe, but there was no choice.

i'd also like to drink and bang hookers all day, but that ain;t responsible family life.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
Not meant to be snarky: Welcome to Adulthood.

Pretty much sums it all up. You have to decide what trade offs of job bullshit vs. salary level you are willing to accept. Also, you have to consider you might settle down and have kids, which will give you fiscal responsibility much greater than just caring for yourself.
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post #12 of 42
7/13/09 at 10:12pm
Also there is the issue of timing and opportunity. By which I mean you could probably go back to teaching English any time you wanted. But how many chances like this will you get - to be offered a "real" job without any relevant experience? Consider also in Asia where age is very important, do you not expect it to get harder to change careers later on when you're older and English teacher is the only thing on your resume? I don't know your situation well enough to answer these questions exactly, but it's something you should definitely be asking yourself.
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post #13 of 42
7/13/09 at 10:18pm
Teaching english in Asia is like the most stereotypical thing for a white young male to be doing... until maybe their late 20s... then it starts getting sad.

It won't hurt you to take a corporate job for a little while, and it won't hurt your teaching if that is what you really like doing. The more perspective and experiences you bring to the table, the better off your students end up being.
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post #14 of 42
7/13/09 at 10:22pm
I was an adjunt at a university for a few years. Working part time may be all you need to stay connected to your passion while you make some money. You can always go back to it when you have made enough (ha, that will never happen) or if you decide you really hate your new profession.

Also, you should at least try it when you are young because the older you get the more difficult it will be to enter into the workforce with little experience.
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post #15 of 42
7/13/09 at 11:11pm
Sounds like a no-brainer... It might be a difficult decision if the pay was only 20% more, but 3-4 times more? Like others have said, you won't lose anything by trying something new and you can always go back to teaching.
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