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Doing something you love for avg pay or something you won't like for a decent salary?

heehee

heehee

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 31, 2006
2,469
235
Same country as Santa Claus
I'm currently a graphic designer for an investment company. The pay is above average because my boss is pretty wealthy (100 richest guy in Canada), 10-15% raise every year plus 10-15% bonus. I love this job, flexible hours, have nice co-workers and my boss is extremely nice.

I recently have this opportunity from one of my best friends. I've known him for 15 years or so and his family owns a few fairly large restaurants. I've worked there in my college days as a waiter. His family is opening up another restaurant and he asked me if I wanted to be a manager there. I came up with some pros and cons, I can think of alot more cons than pros, but it's hard to pass up earning 3 times what I currently make.

Upside:

1. Earning over 3 times what I currently make.

Downside:

1. My friend is my boss (he's the greatest friend you can have, but there is always a downside to mixing business and friends).
2. Long and tough hours, 12+ hours and working weekends. (restaurant business) I worked there 8 years ago as a waiter and it's tough.
3. If I don't like it, it's not like I can just pack up and find another job.
4. I would be working for money instead of doing something I like.
5. I would have to put a huge amount down, about 10%.
6. IF business is not as great as the other restaurants or if he decides to sell it, I don't know if I can find the same job I'm currently working in.

What would you guys do? Did anyone pass up a job they love and work else where for more money? :confused:
 
If that's the only pro you can think of, then it's a no-brainer.

Myself included, I'd bet that most people would choose a job they love for less pay than a hateful well-paying job. What good is the extra money if you don't have a balanced and happy life?
 
Don't do it.

I've seen many people led away from jobs by big money offered by start-ups only for the whole venture to go bust because the firm was poorly budgeted. Also, the idea of having a friend as a boss is also a bad idea - for him as well as you.
 
a456 said:
Don't do it.

I've seen many people led away from jobs by big money offered by start-ups only for the whole venture to go bust because the firm was poorly budgeted. Also, the idea of having a friend as a boss is also a bad idea - for him as well as you.
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I'm pretty sure it's going to be successful like the other restaurants his family owns. But the friend as a boss I agree.

I'm currently single now, but if I get married and have kids, I won't be able to see them. :(
 
A couple years ago, I quit a company that was fun to work for, but took too much of my time. I now work at a less fun company, but I make more money and have more free time.

It was a tough decision, but I know I made the right one. Especially since I was able to get a place of my own.

Even if you love your job, if it takes you away from family or friends all the time, it won't be fun for long.
 
Don't do it! :eek:

It would be different if you were going into a small business as a partner, i.e. starting a new one, but working for a friend is tough, and sounds like more cons than pros.
 
Graphic Designer here too. Currently I love my job, but it took a long time to get to the point where I am and making very good pay.

I'd suggest always trying to stick with something you love - the initial rewards may not always be financially amazing - but, when you're doing a job that you really enjoy, it's easier to find and create opportunities for yourself because the job seems really "suited" to you - it frees your mind to be creative and try different things. Over the long-haul, patience and persistence will do wonders... I can't kid myself it was easy to get where I am now, certainly not quick - but I've had a ball, certainly better days than bad - and now I'm both financially rewarded as well as having a job I love to do.
I really do wake up happy to go to work!

Granted, sometimes we have to take a job for the money - nothing wrong with that - but I'd bank as much as possible, then get back on track to pursuing a field of labor that you'll be happy doing, when you can.
When you're doing a job you hate, every little thing seems stressful.

Good Luck! :)
 
i find this thread particularly amusing because i often have a lot of conversations with my design students that go like this:

student: "so, how it is being a working designer anyway?"

me: "have you ever worked in a restaurant?"

student (often) "Yes, during summer breaks, etc.."

me: "Well, the worst day working as a designer is still about 1000 times better than the best day working in foodservice."
 
Nobody can figure this out for you, but consider: Do something you love and you will never feel underpaid. Do something you hate and you will never feel like you are paid enough.
 
A middle ground, is do something you are really good at, it will make the work more bearable. If your able to get what you like, and are good at it, fantastic.
 
Something you like


Then it isn't work, its play.


Read Tom Sawyers.....the part with the white washing. That should clear this up for you.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D062; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

I'm currently working a job which I hate, but the pay is very decent for the actual amount of work that I do. I don't recommend it.
 
If it were me, I wouldn't do it. Sounds like you've got a good thing going on right now and a lot of potential problems if you go the other way. He'll still be your friend even if you don't work for him.
 
Marlon_JBT said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D062; Blazer/4.5) 16;320x320)

I'm currently working a job which I hate, but the pay is very decent for the actual amount of work that I do. I don't recommend it.
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+1
 
heehee said:
I'm currently a graphic designer for an investment company. The pay is above average because my boss is pretty wealthy (100 richest guy in Canada), 10-15% raise every year plus 10-15% bonus. I love this job, flexible hours, have nice co-workers and my boss is extremely nice.
Click to expand...
This sounds like a very nice work environment. If you enjoy your job, then I would suggest staying.

An enjoyable life is worth a lot. Doing a job that you do not want nor like only for monetary gain is usually not worth it in the long run.
 
Take the restaurant job. There are thousands of designers who would kill for your job, so by quitting you would free it up for someone who really wants it.
 
Thanks for the input guys. As I would have guessed, most (except for the workaholics like my gf) people I know including you guys/girls suggests I stay at my current job. There is alot of potential at my current job to make the same kind of money as the restaurant, but it's not here yet. My boss built a small company that was going bankrupt into the 2nd largest, by market capital, gold mining company in the world. He wants/is currently doing the same thing again.

I'm still 50/50 on this. The money is too good pass up. If I decide to take the restaurant job, I can do it for 3-5 years, have the money and do something I love. I do like my current job, but I don't love it. I would rather drive a F1 car for a living or sit the beach somewhere near the equator with my gf.:p
 
heehee said:
Thanks for the input guys. As I would have guessed, most (except for the workaholics like my gf) people I know including you guys/girls suggests I stay at my current job. There is alot of potential at my current job to make the same kind of money as the restaurant, but it's not here yet. My boss built a small company that was going bankrupt into the 2nd largest, by market capital, gold mining company in the world. He wants/is currently doing the same thing again.

I'm still 50/50 on this. The money is too good pass up. If I decide to take the restaurant job, I can do it for 3-5 years, have the money and do something I love. I do like my current job, but I don't love it. I would rather drive a F1 car for a living or sit the beach somewhere near the equator with my gf.:p
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Doing something for the money eventually ends up not being worth it.

Do something that gives you pleasure, that you enjoy, is challenging and helps you grow as an individual.

Many times our desire to do something else is misdirected. Take for example of this fellow that I know. He is a multimillionaire. He retired from the military many years ago. Then got bored with his retirement and worked for the government. He rose to a senior position and then retired a second time about 20 years later. Got bored with retirement. Came back to work for the government in a junior position to keep himself busy. Retired again after a few years. Got bored and is back looking for employment.

The point of the story is that you need something to fill up your time that you enjoy and it keeps you looking forward to the next day. It can be anything. The challenge is in finding what that anything is for you.

If you are lucky and can accomplish this, then you will be successful and enjoy life. :)
 
Go with the job you love, not the money!!!

And never work for a friend. I was the first employee hired by my best friend back in 2000 for his start-up. The company never took off and I eventually left. The friendship has never been the same.
 
heehee said:
I'm currently single now, but if I get married and have kids, I won't be able to see them. :(
Click to expand...

If you take this new job, you may not have time to worry about getting married or having kids. ;)


Don't do it.

If I was married and had kids, I would only consider it if my family was desperate for money, and in a really bad financial bind.

However, as you are single, I say just stick with your current job. You love it, and you aren't desperate enough to sell yourself out like that.
 
Yes, I can easily think of 10 reason not to take the restaurant and ONLY one to take it but IMO, having money is nice. I didn't think so up until 2 years ago.

Let me keep this simple and give you an example, why are you guys in a Mac community? You can have a windows laptop for $700 these days. Why do you guys want a MB or MBP or even a MP? It looks better, it runs nicer but you pay the price. Wouldn't you all want a 30" ACD instead of a 30" Dell if you had the money? It's pretty much the same thing.

Having the money to do things are nice. Wouldn't we all want to have a job we love and having a decent wage? Most of us won't be able to make that happen. I'm still 50/50 on this, but I'm just giving you my perspective on why I'm having so much trouble deciding since all of you say to keep my current job. 3 times what I make right now is alot of money.

Before any of you think I'm a money freaky, if I had to choose between my gf and $5 million I would choose my gf without a doubt. And no, she don't post here. :p
 
You may think I was joking with my earlier response but I was not. You should take the restaurant job. If you were really destined to be a graphic designer you'd have no difficulty at all making this decision. Work in a restaurant for a while, make some money, figure out what you really want to do with your life, then do it.
 
Abstract said:
If you take this new job, you may not have time to worry about getting married or having kids. ;)

Don't do it.

If I was married and had kids, I would only consider it if my family was desperate for money, and in a really bad financial bind.

However, as you are single, I say just stick with your current job. You love it, and you aren't desperate enough to sell yourself out like that.
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The reason I'm seriously considering is because getting married, buying a house and raising kids cost alot of money. My current pay is NOT that good in paying for all those things, I can, but I would have nothing left at the end of the month.

wordmunger said:
You may think I was joking with my earlier response but I was not. You should take the restaurant job. If you were really destined to be a graphic designer you'd have no difficulty at all making this decision. Work in a restaurant for a while, make some money, figure out what you really want to do with your life, then do it.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm thinking about. Work 3-5 years in the restaurant, have the money and settled down, I can then decide what I want to do.

I'm not ignoring the other posters, I read everyone of them, just too much to quote. :)
 
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