Imagine you could choose between a job that you’d really like where you’d make so-so money, and a job that you’d hate but where you’d earn more money.

Although it’s easy to say, there is more to a career than the amount of money you’ll earn.

When you help people find new jobs as recruiters do, you end up meeting people across the spectrum who each have different motivations and personalities. In that regard, it’s interesting how over time you will meet with people who strictly want jobs that will earn them more money while other people will take the same money (or even less) to take a job that they feel will benefit them long term.

Ideally of course you’d probably like an opportunity that not only pays you more but also offers you a better long-term opportunity than what you have now.

I feel that people should plan for the long term when making career decisions. It’s hard to plan for the long term when you are talking about taking a job that you feel you’re going to hate. After awhile, I’ve seen people who pretty much give up and decide that they hate the job too much and that no amount of money is worth staying there.

You might not last long enough in that job to even worry about the long term if you hate it as much as you think you will and end up quitting to look for a job you’ll enjoy. You might find that earning the amount of money you’re expecting just isn’t worth it.

Will earning more money in this job be worth the fact that you’ll hate it?

Is there any chance that the job you’d like (but pays less) might end up being more lucrative than you expect?

At the end of the day, you’ll need to make the choice yourself but when making career decisions it’s usually best to look beyond just the money that’s involved.

You never know when the job (or the money) will run out or when its importance will suddenly not be worth the hassle.

There is a prevailing thought that in the interview process it’s always best to delay the discussion of salary negotiation as long as possible.

I’ve already spoken about this issue of salary where I referred to this strategy but does it always make sense?

I also gave the example of how discussing salary up front saved me wasting even more time during an interview than I already had when I found out what they were paying.

So it isn’t really a 100% foolproof plan to discuss salary up front or to delay it as long as you can. The truth is that sometimes it can make sense to do one or the other.

If I was a hiring manager, based on what I’ve seen as a recruiter and being the type of person who likes to cut to the case when applicable, I’d rather know up front that you want $70,000 when I’m only paying $50,000 or whatever the case may be.

Sometimes, the salary that a person wants and the salary that the company is paying just doesn’t match up. Wouldn’t you rather know this sooner rather than later?

The fear of course is that asking a hiring manager “what does the job pay” usually sets alarm bells off in a hiring manager or recruiter’s mind even though if it is a fair question.

In my experience, some people tactfully ask the question and make it look like they’re just trying to get the answer right away and avoid wasting their time or my time if the job isn’t suitable money wise.

Then there are the people who ask in a way that lets you know they’re just looking for a few dollars more and are likely to get a job offer from my client and then accept a counter offer from their current employer. I try to avoid working with those people.

The bottom line is that in reality, it really depends on the situation and your personality. More often than not I agree that it does make sense to delay salary negotiation as long as possible but of course this also means it could take you longer to find out that the job simply doesn’t pay for what you’re looking for just like in the example I referred to above.

The issue of whether of not to disclose your salary to a recruiter is one of those topics that is often up for debate. You’ve probably been told to defer talking about salary in an interview with a hiring company as long as possible and this certainly makes sense.

A few months back I spoke about my experience when I attended an interview that was arranged by a recruiter without knowing the salary of the job going into the interview and what a waste of time that was.

In other words, a lack of information cost me and contributed to me wasting time and effort applying for a job I never should have.

The point of letting your recruiter know what sort of money you’re currently making and what you’re looking for is to avoid applying for jobs that don’t meet your requirements or conversely are way outside your abilities.

I can only think of perhaps a handful of times I’ve asked someone what sort of money they are making and not received an answer back. Most times people understand why I’m asking the question and give me the answer. In the few occasions where the answer isn’t given, a red light immediately goes on in my head and I wonder why the person won’t tell me what they’re earning?

Typically, the person says I should run jobs past them and they’ll let me know if it suits them or not based on what the job pays. There’s no way I’m playing that game. I’m not guessing what jobs to put past someone based on what I think they’re earning. I’m not wasting my time doing that.

Again though, this happens very rarely. Remember, when you’re dealing with a recruiter you’re not working against them. You’re supposed to be working together and telling them what you earn isn’t going to prejudice you in the eyes of the recruiter since the recruiter isn’t the one going to hire you.

In fact that opposite is true. It should help you avoid applying for jobs that don’t suit you (ie. it doesn’t pay enough, is beyond your level of experience).

One of the things people are often led to believe during a job search – whether it’s a recruiter, hiring manager or a friend saying it – is the idea that you sometimes have to take less money in the short term to get ahead in the long term.

In other words, you might find yourself moving to a job that is being advertised as being a better long term opportunity for you but where you’re actually going to get paid less than your current or most recent job paid.

If you’re out of work and are thinking about taking a job that pays less than your last job did, that’s understandable especially in this economy. Plus if you’ve been out of work for awhile and really need to start getting paid again, sometimes it’s a necessity.

Honestly, I have a hard time with this concept if you’re currently working and are thinking about going to a new job on your own accord that would pay less. I find it hard even as a recruiter to get my head around the idea of going to a new job and getting paid less.

At the end of the day, it’s certainly up to you and if you see the benefit, then go for it and good luck to you. But personally, I think I’d have a hard time doing it. There are no guarantees in life and especially in the work world today where “long term” might be the next 6 months. I certainly wouldn’t accept a verbal promise from anyone suggesting that taking less money in a new job will be of benefit down the line because chances are the person making that promise won’t be in the job by the time you’re looking to get a raise and might not even be with the company anymore.

There are occasions I’ve seen where you might find yourself looking at a pay cut when switching jobs though and here are few that I’ve witnessed in my recruitment life:

1. You’re moving to a new career or new industry: Whether it’s because you have a lack of experience in the career or industry you’re moving to or it’s because the new career or industry simply pays less than the one you’re currently in (ie. you’re moving from the financial industry to non-profit for example), this is one reason you might find yourself looking at a pay cut with the new job you’re considering.

2. You’re moving to a small(er) company: Often the size of your company can have an impact on your pay. If you’re working for an established multinational and are thinking of moving to a start up or small company with a fraction of the staff your current employer does, this can often impact what your new employer can pay you if their resources are limited.

3. You’re moving to a new city/state/province/country: Often the location of the job can impact what you get paid. More expensive and larger cities often pay more than small rural cities because it’s the way they attract people while recognizing the higher cost of living involved.

You might take a pay cut when you’re not even switching jobs, too. If your company is struggling a mandated pay cut might be the difference between having a lower paying job and having no job.

When it comes to voluntarily taking a pay cut though, consider the effect it could have if you end up deciding again to change jobs again in the future and have to explain to a potential employer why you took a new job with less compensation.

If you are considering a job offer, is it really a better paying job that you’re going to or is it a lateral move or even a downgrade or sorts in terms of compensation?

When changing jobs, people often forget to consider certain things that go into the compensation plan that might make a new job inferior to their current one including the following.

1. Bonus: The bonus component at one company can be vastly different from another. This includes not only the amount you’ll get paid but the timing of the payment(s) and how it’s calculated. I’ve seen some people need to stick around at their current employer for long enough to qualify for their yearly bonus before handing in their resignation to move to another company so this is something you should think about before searching for a job. Sometimes you aren’t given a lot of details on the bonus at the new company and if your current company tends to pay a good, reliable bonus then you probably want to ensure your new company’s bonus is going to get paid otherwise you might be taking a bath financially at your new employer.

2. Perks: Some companies offer to pay for training, schooling (ie. post graduate degrees) and even offer cool stuff like gym memberships, travel allowances, babysitting services, subsidized cafeterias and things of that nature. Some companies don’t. Chances are if you’re currently with one of the companies that offers a lot of these things and the new company you’re going to doesn’t, you probably want to calculate the extra costs ahead of time to see their value to you. Hey, if your current manager buys you a $50 gift card every once in awhile when you do something special and your new company doesn’t, you might just miss that too.

3. Vacation and overtime: Vacation and overtime can really add up. What about sick days? Does your current employer allow you to bank them and the new company doesn’t? I recall one guy I was helping with his job search leave his current employer after 15 years that gave him 6 weeks vacation time and went to a new employer for a bit more money and only 3 weeks vacation which was the standard. And it didn’t bother him. For some people, they couldn’t allow themselves to lose the 3 weeks vacation – I think I’d have trouble losing it! – but it didn’t really bother him as he felt he was going to a better job. When it comes to working longer hours when required, your current employer might offer paid overtime or at least extra time off for working overtime – I have a friend who gets this treatment and it really adds up. Perhaps your new employer just expects you to work longer hours when required – in my experience, this is what normally happens – with no OT or extra paid vacation. How much is this worth to you?

4. Other benefits: Retirement savings plans, pensions, life insurance, paid medical benefits, stock options. These are just some of the monetary benefits that can really add up. Some companies offer much better benefits than others so you’re going to want to put your current employer up against your potential new one to ensure you’re at least getting what your current employer provides and if not, at least be aware that you might be losing out.