Doing things for money

August 22nd

Well, we all do it. Working for better or worse compensation. Doing what we love or what we hate or what we are ambivalent about. So if there is no escape from it, why not at least get a proper wage out of it? And here is where it becomes complicated, and that is my deep conundrum right now.

A job opening has appeared at the place where I work. A guy just turned his resignation, and it seems very tempting to me to try to get it. The job is almost parallel to my current position, but a level higher in the corporate world. The only difference is that my current job is purely operational, while the new potential job is more analytical. I already know a lot about what this job entices, and it would seem to be a logical step up in my career. Just today, two people from that department approached me to talk and suggest I go for it since I would be the best and most obvious choice. And yes, that would be a great way to further my career and get more analytical experience, it would look great on my CV for any future endeavors I might have. And yes, it would pay A LOT more money.

So what is the holdup here? The new job would be more boring, that is for sure. It would require more legalese and negotiation skills, which I find tedious. It would require closer cooperation with the management — and that includes some people I dislike and have no respect for. But mostly — I know that the guy who quit is leaving the COMPLETE mess behind him. And I know that because there are some issues and projects where I am already involved, where his inaction put everything on a months-long backlog. And it would a tremendous effort to clean this mess and start with the clean sheet. An effort that I know I am capable of, but am still unsure if I actually want any part of it. The older I get, I actively look for ways and opportunities to work less, not more. On the other hand, I know that once the mess is cleared, then the job will be mostly effortless.

So now I have until the end of the month to make a decision to actually go for it. Not much time to make such an important decision, especially when I generally don’t make quick decisions. My first thought was NOT to go for it. But now, I start to see that the benefits might outweigh the negatives. And also, if I at least don’t try — I wouldn’t know what I am potentially missing.