It Isn’t Always About the Money

There comes a time in your career where you hit a point that the money you’re getting provides what makes you feel comfortable. 

That can mean different things to different people. It may be that your job allows you to afford rent in the fancy part of town that you always dreamed of living. 

It may be that your job allows you to go grocery shopping and not have to check the prices of everything you put in your trolley. 

The point is there comes a point in your career where there is more to your next move than monetary value. 

Is it nice to make more money? Sure. But once you hit a certain value let’s say 6 figures for arguments sake. There becomes a point where the next jump up needs to be much larger to make a tangible difference to your lifestyle. 

Instead your next career move becomes about things that others may consider a luxury depending on their career. 

Yet it is a luxury or is it in your best interests and for your health? Only you can decide that for yourself. 

You might consider the following instead;

• Company culture — this could be anything from how other team members communicate in slack, company values, how the company gels together as a single unit, and more. Although what it ultimately boils down to is do the company values match your personal values? 
• Internal Opportunities — When most people think of internal opportunities quite often they jump to the ideas of promotion, and while promotion should be in your thoughts if you want to grow in your career there are other angles too. One such angle would be learning opportunities. Is there a mentor in your company that can help you grow? Do you get the responsibility to run with tasks and evaluate their outcome? Are there learning opportunities in the form of training and conferences? 
• Work-life balance — You’re more than your job, there’s a life to lead outside work, and a whole world to explore. Finding an employer that matches your ideal work-life balance can bring far more happiness than any monetary value. 

It’s not always an easy decision though, especially if like many people you haven’t ever had tech salaries in your family before, your friends and family may think you’ve been dropped on your head for even considering changing roles when money doesn’t increase, or in some instances decreases. 

Ultimately though that decision lies with you, and of course to even be in such a position is a privilege. One most of the population doesn’t get, so be mindful of those around you who you care about, and who care about you, who may be forced to work in jobs they hate given their situation. 

You should never feel guilty for being successful but reactions may not always be what you expect.