Dream Job Vs $$

[Dxh]

Hey guys, just looking for some input here. I've been working in IT here in calgary for over a year now, and really love my job. It's fun and challenging. I'm home every night and make a decent wage. My boss is awesome and my friend. I make enough to live paycheck to paycheck anyways.

 

I worked in the oilpatch previously making rediculous amounts of money, bought a whole lot of toys and im kind of in a bad financial situation now. It's going to take me nearly ten years to get out of this hole. Meanwhile giving the bank 20 grand interest.

 

Today I was offered a job with a six figure income. Back up north, camp job. Early mornings, working outside in the snow, rain and heat. Fighting off bugs the size of tennis balls.

 

Am i wrong to give up my dream job for money? Am i stupid not to take that kind of money? Anyways just looking for someone elses 2cents. Thanks.

 

 

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

id take it to get out of the trouble your in and then go back to what you love. just be responsible with the money you make up north and you could be dept free in less than a year

[ÜberFly]

What's going to make you happy?! That being said if you make enough to get yourself out of the hole, what changes are you going to make to keep yourself out of the hole in the future?!

[fishpro]

What's your life situation like outside of work? Do you have a family or long term significant other that you'd have to leave behind for periods of time? How much do you have to lose from taking the job up north?

 

On the other hand, if you're not giving up a lot from here outside of work, it may be worth it. You say you can live paycheque to paycheque now - are you happy with that forever or do you have travel dreams for your future?

 

My advice would be to consider everything in your life besides your work. If what you have now outside of work is your dream life, then I would stay here in Calgary. If you see room for improvement, then I'd go to the oil sands. Going up north would essentially be a form of investing in your future, just like how many people go to university for years to become engineers or doctors, it may not be ideal but they know the pay off will be a lifestyle that they enjoy.

[troutlover]

All good advise given x1 to all.

[hybridfive]

I Say Take the Money Now. Then get back to your dream job. Make the money while you can because the option might not always be as easy as it is with this industry today.

[SilverDoctor]

Do what makes sense financially?

[reevesr1]

I've been everywhere financially from broke to being pretty well off. I'm certainly not rich by the standards of the society I live in, but I'm in no way hurting either. I have found my satisfaction/happiness in life has very little to do with my financial situation. I'm currently really happy in my job. I have been offered higher paying jobs in other companies, and must admit I've been tempted. But while the grass may be greener on the other side, it's pretty damn green where I am right now and I figure why risk it because the extra money wouldn't make me any happier anyway.

 

So on the surface, I would say that you should think hard about how happy you are now and is the job you don't seem to want worth it. The big kicker in this for you is the debt. Only you will be able to answer if you are willing to accept giving the bank the extra money to make up for getting over your head a bit. There is no "right" decision in this, just a matter of weighing options and going with whatever you think is best. But when you decide, don't look back. You will never know how things would have turned out had you made the other decision and it does no good at all to look back and say "I wish.....

 

 

Finally, if you do decide to go up north, you are really going to watch your spending habits. The fact that the last time you had some disposable income and over disposed it (I should patent that line, I like it) means you may be prone to doing it again. Be very, very diligent in putting away as much as you can afford and do not make ANY big purchases until the debt is gone. I've also found that we tend to adjust our spending habits to the money we make pretty quickly on the way up. You would have to work hard to avoid that trap.

 

Good luck man. Tough decision.

 

And to the coming comment about how long winded I am (I'm talking to you Taco), sorry. That was as concise as I could make it.

 

[jasonvilly]

Living paycheck to paycheck while having other financial issues is just going to put more strain and stress on you. And eventhough you may not think stress can affect you, over time it will.

 

If short term pain (going up North) will help you in the long run and relieve the stress and financial problems then I would take it.

 

 

Another option which may reduce the stress is credit counselling. I have heard good things about the alberta credit couselling service.

 

 

my 2 cents

[gentlemang]

Can you sell the toys to get yourself out of the hole and keep your dream job?

YOu have a tough decision to make. I agree that you need to look at the whole picture of your life. Recently I was faced with a similar decision. I opted to stay, and I am happy that I did. Look for some ways to have your cake and eat it too. Do you really need a 50" tv or can you get by with out it? can you sell your car and get an older model? Do you have 6 fly rods and use 1 consistantly, sell 5.

Just posing some questions to help in your decision. good luck.

My 2 cents

Greg

 

[LynnF]

I did the same thing you did the first 2 years I moved out of my parents' house. It took me 5 years to pay that debt down. And it taught me a valuable lesson...which is why the only money I owe is to the bank for my mortgage. I'm gonna bet you learn the same lesson one way or the other. The temptation to spend, spend, spend instead of putting away money or paying down debt is overwhelming. Gotta keep that in check. I'd like to know what your first/initial/strongest gut feeling is on this. Because that's what I trust first and foremost when it comes to big decisions in life. Sure...analyze/pro/con/discuss/debate/ponder/stew all you want. But in the end, you have go with what FEELS mostly right to you. Otherwise there are regrets. Regrets either way I'm sure, but BIG regrets if you don't listen to that little voice inside. This may be just a woman's perspective, but it's yet to fail me when I need it most.

[SanJuanWorm]

It's all about cash flow. You have to eliminate your debts. Then once your debts are gone do what RickR does, fish for 4 days a week and work 1 day.

[trailhead]

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood.... Seems like a life lesson here, and as is the case with them you have to make the decision and then live with it. But as Rick said don't regret the decision. I had a great job when I was young, wouldn't call it a dream job. I think that is one where you get to do whatever you want and still get paid for it, aka independently wealthy. But I took the big money job up north, made good coin planned on going back to the town job, but it didn't work out that way due to various cicumstances. Most out of my control. Sometimes I think I would have been better to stay in town but most of the time I'm glad I made the decision that took me here. Anyway I like Lynns take too, gut reactions are often the right ones for you.

[slingshotz]

Been in pretty much the exact situation before. Spent way too much in University on credit and had to work my ass off in the UK to pay it off. I was lucky (if you look at the bright side) that the Cdn dollar sucked really bad at that time vs the pound so I hammered down my debt to nothing in a few years. I don't know what I would have done if I had stayed in Canada but that debt might probably still be with me.

 

The feeling of relief getting that black cloud of debt over your head is incredible and definitely a lesson that will stick with you.

 

Your two options for sucking it up, moving north and hammer down that debt or staying here happier and pick away at the debt - BOTH OPTIONS involve a huge change of your spending habits to succeed. Either choice, force yourself to make a budget and maybe do some financial reading, (http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/resources.html) is a good place to start. You may discover way to hammer down that debt and stay in your happy job, Good Debt Tips.

 

I'm also in IT but I have a finance background so if you want chat about it on the river let me know

[Dxh]

Thanks for all the advice guys. And girls. Yes when i made that money i was 18 years old, had 3 girlfriends and liked to party in Victoria BC. Bought a brand new halfton and a bunch of other crap i didnt need. I have deffinatly learned my lesson. I thought, "sh*t..there is nothing to this making money thing" Young and naive. That was my first real job basically. After a few more years in the real world and finding out what paying a debt off is actually like, I will never make those mistakes again. Its held me back from school, travel and a number of things I have really wanted to do in life. I'm young, have no wife or kids, just a girlfriend. Allthough I hate, hate it up there. I'm pretty sure im going to put my head down and go to work. Make some good money while the going is good and go from there. I really like my life the way it is now, but I'm going nowhere and have no guaranteed future. At least this way I can pay my debt off and have a sort of fresh start. Thanks again for all the advice, it definitely helped me make my decision.

[LynnF]

Good on ya....level headed and mature and willing to accept and deal with the consequences of your actions. Many other folks your age and in your position would just take the easy way out and declare bankruptcy. So many kids the age of my oldest (23) do it not once, but more if they can get away with it. No accountability, no repercussions except a 7 year smear that means nothing to them right now anyways.

 

Hope it all works out for you.

[LynnF]

Good on ya....level headed and mature and willing to accept and deal with the consequences of your actions. Many other folks your age and in your position would just take the easy way out and declare bankruptcy. So many kids the age of my oldest (23) do it not once, but more if they can get away with it. No accountability, no repercussions except a 7 year smear that means nothing to them right now anyways.

 

Hope it all works out for you.

[scel]

Thanks for all the advice guys. And girls. Yes when i made that money i was 18 years old, had 3 girlfriends and liked to party in Victoria BC. Bought a brand new halfton and a bunch of other crap i didnt need. I have deffinatly learned my lesson. I thought, "sh*t..there is nothing to this making money thing" Young and naive. That was my first real job basically. After a few more years in the real world and finding out what paying a debt off is actually like, I will never make those mistakes again. Its held me back from school, travel and a number of things I have really wanted to do in life. I'm young, have no wife or kids, just a girlfriend. Allthough I hate, hate it up there. I'm pretty sure im going to put my head down and go to work. Make some good money while the going is good and go from there. I really like my life the way it is now, but I'm going nowhere and have no guaranteed future. At least this way I can pay my debt off and have a sort of fresh start. Thanks again for all the advice, it definitely helped me make my decision.

 

 

Here is the missing piece of the puzzle to me...

I have had wide gamut of jobs. The jobs that I have hated the most have made me the most money. When I look back, they were awful jobs. But it made me realise the same thing: making money is pretty easy. Being happy about the money that you are making is hard. I worked my way up to a six-digit salary. It has taken 10 years, but I am almost back to the economic position, doing what I love. I have no regrets sticking to my guns.

 

It made me realize that the most precious commodity in our lives is time. Once time is spent, it is irrevocably gone. Wasting time being unhappy really bothers me.

 

There seems to be 2 paths of advice:

- Take the money, but keep it in perspective. Be mindful of your costs and get out when you can.

- Do what makes you feel happy.

 

Since you are young...here is my advice. You are facing the choice: a job that makes you money, or a CAREER that makes you happy.

- Go to school and become educated about what you love. I visit probably 60 different tech and IT companies every year. I have never encountered a GOOD company that did not

a) encourage staff to learn more about their work field.

pay people more money who are educated

c) accommodate the future plans of their employees.

 

Money is the most tangible and simplest way to see the value of your work and life.

If were to invest time into something, I would want to invest into something that makes my time more valuable in the future.

[Blackant]

Only 1 year in IT? you had best double check what it takes to get a simlar job after you leave IT for "Money". Recruiters won't help cause you do not have the experience they are comfortable with in selling your resume, you will have to rely on yourself and your networking.

I been in IT for 12 years wanting to get out, but that is a different story. My first 4 years in IT was good. Made 1/2 decent money. Then economic down turn in 2001 with Tech sector. I had 4 years of experience, I could not get a job, all companies were wanting 10+ years experience with a wish list a mile long on job posting, and paying crap, cause employers could get away with it.

1 year is not established enough to leave IT for 1 maybe 2 years and go back and easily pickup where you left off. IT changes so fast, your skills will be obsolete by the time you get back. It is not easy finding work in IT, but they are out there.

 

Another point you had forgot. Oil Patch is cyclical <Sp> Right now they are screaming for employees, and paying top dollar, this situtation will change with the price of oil. You could be working for 3-4 years up there making good money, but you could be up there for 6 months and the Company pulls the plug on your project. Happens all the time as Oil and Gas company's watch their profit margins like a hawk and that is all they care about.

 

You have a big adjustment to make, if you do happen to get lucky and find IT. You are at the low end of the pay scale. Going from 6 digits to$50K a year is a big change. Like another poster said, this will be your greatest challange.

 

Best advice I saw on here was sell off some of your toys you do not use. That should a least pay off a considerable portion of your debt. Keep your IT job, get some more experience and change Jobs after you get higher skill sets, your pay will increase a lot as you gain more experience.

Top IT people get paid 6 digits.

 

Good luck on your choices, it is a hard decision and become financial educated, and not by the Bank!

 

Black Ant.

[Hawgstoppah]

Yessir, the school of hard knocks teaches the best lessons for sure. If I could go back, and be where you are right now, go make money while you can, and save enough to pay for a top quality degree type of education when the oil & gas sector slows down again. That way you'll most likely be exiting or nearly done school and well educated and employable on the next upswing.. and the money you make now can pay for both. I have a brother in law making insane money right now up there, and he's home every friday/sat/sun to calgary. Can't beat that.