Money and happiness

[catnapper]

I have to start out by saying I've been happy at my job for the past year. This is the first place where I've ever felt "right". I am so blissfully happy there, its disgusting. I just sorely wish I could make the money they promised me when I signed on (it was one of those things where you get a base salary and then with bonuses and such you could make twice the base salary..... well, despite my performance, we as a store aren't generating enough sales to get me even close to the benchmarks needed to hit bonuses)

Anyway, there was an ad in this weekend's paper looking for a designer at a competitor's store. The money including bonuses is more... much more. and I actually think I could make money there, perhaps not as much as they claim you could make, but more than where I am now.

Problem is this: I am so stinking happy where I am that I doubt the additional money would mean much to me.

Plus the situation I'd be stepping into is a volatile one: they sold a family owned business thats been here forever to a chain store and I'd be walking on under the new regime. I spent the last year in this same situation and the growing pains were not easy. I honestly think that the next year here will be better than the past year because we're starting to pull out of the transition period of the past year.

What would you do? I updated my resume but something inside me is saying "don't send it!" and over the years I've learned to follow my instincts.

[Medusa]

If you're really happy, stay. You say your instincts are telling you to stay, yet you're looking elsewhere which tells me that you're not as happy as you say or you wouldn't be looking. If you're complacent, go. It depends on how much money you require to meet your needs and get ahead. If this job fills the bill, you've got your answer. If not......

[moosmom]

You just answered your own question. As my Dad used to say, "If it ain't broke, DON'T FIX IT!!!!"

It's only your first year there. Give it some time. This has been the first time in a LOOOONG time I've actually seen you content. Good things come to those who wait.

Kapeeesh??? ;)

[kitten645]

Speaking from 30 years retail experience...sit your butt down and stay! :D You are never going to make money in retail period. It's been my experience that everything promised by way of bonus is tied into things beyond your control. If someone will give you ALOT more money via salary that's one thing. Or a bonus related directly to something you can control that's something else again. But you can't control the amount of advertising they do, the product mix, the training of associates etc and those ALL effect sales.
Jumping into a pool when you don't know how many sharks there may be is unwise. Stay put and count your blessings. You may think about letting your supervisor know that the job is a financial hardship and see if there's any room for a little more money to make it worth staying.
Claudia

[caffeitina]

Better to stay at a job you love, even if you aren't making the $$ you'd like, and wait it out. Someday you will get the salary boost. Taking a new job, one you might end up hating, isn't worth it. Not even for $100 million a year. Your health and sanity come at a much higher price. All the pay raises in the world can't buy that (trust me, I've been there).

My advice is to stay where you are because you're happy there :)

[catnapper]

If you're really happy, stay. You say your instincts are telling you to stay, yet you're looking elsewhere which tells me that you're not as happy as you say or you wouldn't be looking.
Actually, I didn't go looking for the job. It would never even occur to me to look. The Assistant Manager (who quit this afternoon) gave it to me yesterday.

I decided today that I just can't walk away from the best job I ever had just for the promise of more money that might not appear.

[Catsnclay]

Sorry, but I think differently....


Send your resume in, why not??!! See what they say,or even if they respond.

Take the plunge, if you are like me, the curiosoity will kill you if you don't know the answer.

You can always tell them "No thank you, I am happy where I am at."



so............GO FOR IT!!! SEND IN THAT RESUME AND SEE WHAT THEIR RESPONSE IS!!!!! :D


Life is all about taking chances - if you don't know what is out there, then you will never get ahead. You have the power to say yes or no, so what are you waiting for???????????? ;)

[kimlovescats]

Kim, you have had tough times in jobs previously and been in miserable work environments. You are finally happy in a job doing what you love and have a year under your belt there! Extra $$$ is not worth the contentment you have now!

Just my input! ;)
Kim

[krazyaboutkatz]

Kim, you have had tough times in jobs previously and been in miserable work environments. You are finally happy in a job doing what you love and have a year under your belt there! Extra $$$ is not worth the contentment you have now!

Just my input! ;)
Kim

Very well said and I totally agree.:)

[catnapper]

Bunny, the only reason I was entertaining it was because I felt I should at least see what they have to offer. But after seriously thinking about the benefits and drawbacks, I decided to stay where I am. I also have a bad feeling about switching. I have been really trying to pay attention to my intuition. Its never led me wrong before and I've always gotten into trouble when I ignored it.

I honestly think we as a store could take off.... some attitudes have to change first. The owner of the company is in our store all week to shadow us and give feedback as to what we're doing wrong. He already knows about the morale thing... even sat down with me and the woman who has it out for me. You should have heard how she spun the story of our last falling-out. I was floored! I was thinking "ok, when is she going to tell him the truth about what she did?" The answer: she's not because she knows she's totally wrong and she wants to keep her job. She knows this week is all about weeding out the people who are killing the store's productivity.

I can't tell you how much I love my job. I want to succeed here, and so does the owner. Because frankly, if I succeed, HE succeeds.