Who has taken pay cut for dream job?

[snafu]

What credentials do you need to be a Web Designer/Developer? Are these available at your local Uni or Community College in their evening Continuing Ed program? If that isn't practical, which Universities offer those courses on-line? You have too many work years ahead to dislike boring work.

Hope you find something within your organization but hope you'll push yourself to take action should your 1st option not work out.

[YLTL_Dan]

I've struggled with this for 8 years since I graduated college. My jobs have provided great opportunities, but at times I was very close to quitting because I wasn't passionate about the work. However, I've stuck with it and taken advantage of all of the opportunities (money, learning, networking, etc) that came with them. I might be making the jump soon... and I'll now be prepared because I have a lot of money saved up.

Not to self-promote my blog too much, but I've debated this quite a bit. If you do stay for a little longer, check out how I talk about using your current job as a tool to get you where you want to go. Below are my five main tips:

1. Find something you like and you're good at

2. Start exploring your passion on the side through a mentor, volunteering, or even job shadowing

3. Create your life plan. Your plan might be to always have your day job but will spend your evenings or weekends fulfilling your passion

4. Continue to work smart and succeed in your 'day job' and the money will come

5. Get control of your money so you have a life style that will allow you to continue using your job as a tool to help you get to your life plan; don't put on the golden handcuffs

[jteezie]

I find it strange that OP buys into the argument that money and enjoyment in work are polar opposites.

Personally, I believe higher pay and more enjoyable work are positively correlated, and not because I like money, but because higher paying jobs require more challenge, which makes them more enjoyable.

On another cautious note, we are quite amazing rationalizing creatures. If you give up a higher paying job that objectively supports a higher quality of life and instead "suffer" with a lower paying job that might/might not be more enjoyable, your brain will rationalize that you made the best choice, irregardless if it objectively is. In fact, the worst your life is, the more strongly your brain tries to make sense of why you make the sacrifice - so it concludes that you must LOVE the job... (really no joke, there's a lot of science behind this).

One other thought, you should see how you can transform your job into one that you enjoy. I work in finance but spend quite a bit of my time programming and doing other people's jobs because it's fun for me.

Now, if you don't like your job because you have a bad manager, that's a different deal... and might warrant a change.

[Bades]

Well the work is boring - nothing that I'm passionate about and nothing I want to be a subject matter expert on down the road. I'm worknig in technology right now, but managing mainframe batches is not quite the sexy field that the web offers.

So for a career plan that invovles me being in the web field and possibly starting my own web related business - I want to to work in the web field professionally first to help me with my goals of owning and doing my own thing on the web sometime down the road.

And my manager is a nice person, she just sucks at managing people - i've only been in my job for about a year but I feel I should be much further along knowledge wise. She barely makes time to meet up once a week, and seems always too busy to really sit me down and explain our projects and infrastructure. Which is really irritating me, because I thought I'b be further along now.

[Bades]

I find it strange that OP buys into the argument that money and enjoyment in work are polar opposites.

Not sure why you think that I think this, but yes it is sometimes the case and it is sometimes not. I wish I could play video games all day and get paid, but chances are if you have that position you're not making any sorts of real good money.

I see everyday high level managers at my work who make 150+ a year and they work 12 hour days and I feel bad for their family and kids - I can't buy into the fact that because they are making good money that means they're happy or their families are too.

[Bades]

What credentials do you need to be a Web Designer/Developer? Are these available at your local Uni or Community College in their evening Continuing Ed program? If that isn't practical, which Universities offer those courses on-line? You have too many work years ahead to dislike boring work.

Hope you find something within your organization but hope you'll push yourself to take action should your 1st option not work out.

Not so much credentials as you do need experience - which I am freelancing so that is def building up my portfolio - but you can only do so much through freelancing until companies want to see you have some sort of professional experience involving larger projects etc.

[josetann]

On another cautious note, we are quite amazing rationalizing creatures. If you give up a higher paying job that objectively supports a higher quality of life and instead "suffer" with a lower paying job that might/might not be more enjoyable, your brain will rationalize that you made the best choice, irregardless if it objectively is. In fact, the worst your life is, the more strongly your brain tries to make sense of why you make the sacrifice - so it concludes that you must LOVE the job... (really no joke, there's a lot of science behind this).

But, does it really matter WHY you love your job, or just that you DO love your job?

On a more serious note...yes, and this can be applied to many parts of our lives. Someone chooses to not live frugally...to keep their expensive satellite tv, drive the newest car they can't afford, have their huge house...and firmly believe they made all the right choices. And part of it is because of what you say...they made their choice, so now they have to rationalize it. To succeed, I think you need to constantly question what you do, and why you're doing it. Hrm, well I pay $150/mo to have satellite/cable tv. The reason why is because I'm so stressed after work...but I have to work extra to pay for the cable bill...wait a minute....