Which One You Prefer - Secure, Low Paid Job Or Highly Paid, Non That Secure Job

manjarimadhu · May 4, 2018

Hi Friends,

I am a huge fan of this forum, I already asked some help and your feedback really helped me a lot. So thinking of asking your opinion about this matter which is occuping my mind for more than a week.

My husband and I both are in IT sector in foreign land. My husband's company is kind of Semi government ( like Education University) He is working there for more than 15 years (first job) and now Manage one big team. His Job is very secure but pay is low compared to other MNCs. I used to push him to look for another job in initial years, but later i wont. Now there is some politics started as he is the only Indian in top RO level. He is thinking of changing job. I am in dilemma whether encourage him or not. He usually took my words seriously.
Positive in this job
- Very secure
- Can reach home early around 6 pm itself, He is very much involved in my child studies.

Negative
- low pay compared to others
- dont have much exposure so cannot able to learn new technology.
- started office politics

Thank for reading. Your Opinion will give me clear picture to decide. My husband also cannot able to decide firmly.

Naari · May 4, 2018

Dear OP,

Tricky one. On one hand, if the upward mobility and work life balance is great & your child is young, then it might make sense for him to stick to current job. The peace of mind and non monetary benefits (happy family life) cannot be assigned a value to & more than make up for the difference in pay.

On the other hand, no job is secure these days & assuming he moved to a higher paying job & then say gets fired, possibly he can afford to be unemployed for some time to find another job as he already made higher income in shorter period of time, so it may be well worth it too. I would say weigh your pros and cons against the priorities and decide. Good luck!

Laks09 · May 4, 2018

Politics is there everywhere. As you grow in the organization, you will face more of it. He’s probably passed other candidates on his way up the ladder and that’s probably why he seems to be facing some power play. Moving jobs shouldn’t be the first step. He should try to resolve it tactically. Handling people’s expectations and managing office politics is a big part of leadership roles. It may or may not involve you. I’ve had such a hard time with this. It’s best to learn to be savvy about managing people.
I’m not sure about the country you live in but a secure job isn’t something that you can take lightly in any country. As you grow and age it’s harder to find jobs at certain levels. He can start applying and see how his skills are regarded. It takes a while to land certain jobs.

Reg learning, he gets home at six daily. He can start doing some offline projects, learn new skills and develop a good balanced resume to showcase his skills. Since he’s in IT, there are umpteen opportunities to learn outside of the job. He can even freelance and work and learn new technologies. I’m learning new stuff every now and again and I’m a stay at home mom. I just help friends and non profits here and there and enhance my skills. I also use some free time to pick up tech books and learn at home. It’s always good to keep up with technology.

manjarimadhu · May 4, 2018

Thanks Nari. It is indeed Tricky one to decide.i always prefer peace of mind than monetary benefit. But some experiences taught me money also more important now a days.

lavii · May 4, 2018

Dear OP,

I have joined an MNC as fresher and spent 10 years ( moved to diff departments) and learned different process/skills in every role I have taken up and finally after 10 years when I got another opportunity in a better organization moved on .

Few things I could say here -

- If he is really thinking of job change only because of office politics , its a wrong move.Office politics are most common thing as its people dependent and not process/protocol defined by an organization
- If he wants to move because of low pay here , considering this is a secure job he can check if appraisal/moving to another department/promotion may improve the pay scale in same organization
-If he wants to move on because there is no new learning , as you said he is a manager he can look into PMP/Six sigma kind courses and apply them in existing projects too and this can be done by working in same organization
-If comfort zone as in with timings he doesn't want to move I am sure every other opportunity comes with pros and cons , there could be a similar job with high package and flexible timings too however will get to know only after job hunt starts

I myself have no regrets for staying in an org for 10 yrs as I learnt everyday in every role i have taken up .But I would not have got hike I got now in same organization if I would not have jumped to this new company .So no regrets as I made sure market value improved now .I would suggest may be hunting for a better opportunity in same org or job hunt for a better role/hike outside while working here and if he gets something that suits your needs it would be wise to make a move.

manjarimadhu · May 4, 2018

Lax09. I am also not worried about politics as I think it is not much serious. I suffered a lot than this.i am more worried about exposure. Here he cannot able to learn new technologies. He is very strong in older technology only. Learning after office hours sounds great. Just worried whether he keep doing it in longer run. Thanks For your valuable feedback. You did a great job as learning new things.keep up that.
I am also asking him to start applying. Let's see how it goes.

manjarimadhu · May 4, 2018

Hi lavii,I am also agree with you about office politics but this is the main reason for him to thinking of job change. Low pay is organization wide, it is tough to get very good pay within the same organisation. He really needs to do something to update technologies.i asked him to apply for job.i am somewhere confident that he will get good offer as he has many friends in good position. But the same time afraid to leave this current job. Thank you!

lavii · May 4, 2018

Its difficult to leave comfort zone for sure and that too a company which has been 2nd home for 15 yrs( as good as our schooling) . So that discomfort will be there but ya exploring and finding whats best is important based on current financial and job security statuses .I am sure he will get through somewhere with better hike and designation.

Amica · May 4, 2018

He will have to deal with politics in any job. This can't be a deciding factor so take it out of the equation.

Which job is preferable? It depends on what you value as a family. Every family's needs are different.
If you are a family that likes security and family-time, stay where you are.
If you like a pricier lifestyle, he should switch to a higher-paying job.

In either case, I would apply and interview elsewhere to see what opportunities are available. With an offer in hand, the decision will be easier to make.

Good luck, @manjarimadhu!