[Finance] What is the best or worst career decision you've ever made?

Mustafa II · Jan 18, 2023

I'm thinking about taking a lower paid job in the same field, but with greater potential for development and career progression...

But I've got a good thing with my current role... I'm comfortable and enjoy my job... But I'm the first to admit it's going nowhere.

Looking for inspiration or ideas.

Have any of you got examples of great or terrible decisions you have made in your careers?

Coldeanseagull · Jan 18, 2023

Worst one....working
Best one.... giving up working

Doesn't help you, though

KZNSeagull · Jan 18, 2023

If you enjoy what you do where you are, I would stick with it until you stop enjoying it.

Seasider78 · Jan 18, 2023

Less money to spend more time at/near home. You can’t buy back lost time with the family especially if you have young kids growing up. Best decision I ever made even if enjoy the work less

Papak · Jan 18, 2023

Mustafa II said:
I'm thinking about taking a lower paid job in the same field, but with greater potential for development and career progression...

But I've got a good thing with my current role... I'm comfortable and enjoy my job... But I'm the first to admit it's going nowhere.

Looking for inspiration or ideas.

Have any of you got examples of great or terrible decisions you have made in your careers?

Ae you Graham Potter?

Eric the meek · Jan 18, 2023

40 years ago, I was coming to the end of a temporary job as cover for someone on maternity leave in the admin function of Portsmouth Polytechnic.
Before the end, I was invited to go and talk to the head of department. He asked me if I would like to work in the IT department. I said I didn't know anything about IT.

That mistake has stayed with me ever since. It took me another 3-4 years to get into IT, having decided it was the new thing.
The moral? Understand when a chance reveals itself, and seize it.

Diallo · Jan 18, 2023

Signing for Chelsea. Getting sick of the stupid questions!

JamesAndTheGiantHead · Jan 18, 2023

I stopped studying illustration at Uni because I thought there was little prospect of making it work financially, and decided I wanted to get a ‘proper job’ and a salary.

15 years later I daydream about resigning and having a crack at selling some art, but it’s quite risky and with much less financial security.

I feel like I’ll probably regret either decision I make.

Swansman · Jan 18, 2023

I used to be in the investment business and spent a fortune buying stocks in this successful online venture, Northstandchat.com, where this bloke "Mostafa" was making a lot of threads that made millions of pounds... but when he flounced off and decided to take the threads with him due to the massive profits they were making for Northstandchat.com, the stock value collapsed and never really recovered... until now.

Happy Exile · Jan 18, 2023

Best - taking a punt to go self employed for a year when my everything lined up to make it possible

Worst - when I was young and naive I resigned over a point of principle that seems vanishingly small now. They offered me a silly large pay rise to stay, and it took me about 6 years to get a job that paid as much as they'd offered. It all worked out OK in the end and I'm glad for the path that set me on but it was definitely ill-advised.

Weststander · Jan 18, 2023

Worst - staying at a firm where the owner spent every other day scheming against staff and ‘partners’ behind their backs, in a randomness based on who he’d loathed whilst not sleeping at night (genuinely).

Best - going it alone work wise. Do it people, it’s bloody amazing!

Wrong-Direction · Jan 18, 2023

Best - Owning my own company.
Worst - My dad getting cancer and leaving me the company.

portlock seagull · Jan 18, 2023

Moving to a quango / NGO in London (and I hate cities!). Great if you just after big pension, perks and talk not walk. Plenty they’re doing that, and admitted as such. But went against all my values, and I became angry and frustrated at the sheer b.s of it all. Felt wrong by end week 1 and never left my gut in that respect. Learnt to better trust my instincts consequently. And always stay true to your values. It’s who you are, unhappiness lies ahead otherwise.

banjo · Jan 18, 2023

Wrong-Direction said:
Best - Owning my own company.
Worst - My dad getting cancer and leaving me the company.

banjo · Jan 18, 2023

I’ll let you know in 12 months time. Gulp.

dazzer6666 · Jan 18, 2023

Leaving a company after 16 years that I’d been with since school. Easy option would have been to stay and bumble along……..only realised after moving I was pretty much institutionalised, and didn’t realise what I knew/could do was equally (and ultimately more) valued elsewhere. I was talking to an old school mate recently - we joined the same place at the same time and on exactly the same management trainee scheme. He’s just retired, having stayed there his entire career. Nothing wrong with that but in terms of opportunities we’d had we are worlds apart.

Bodian · Jan 18, 2023

Happy Exile said:
Best - taking a punt to go self employed for a year when my everything lined up to make it possible

Worst - when I was young and naive I resigned over a point of principle that seems vanishingly small now. They offered me a silly large pay rise to stay, and it took me about 6 years to get a job that paid as much as they'd offered. It all worked out OK in the end and I'm glad for the path that set me on but it was definitely ill-advised.

Never regret standing up for your principles. It defines who you are, and the person you are.

jakarta · Jan 18, 2023

Best & worst were at the same time:

Leaving a horrible wanky American Corporation in 2008 and setting up my own Company (doing the same work without the corporate bullshit) shortly after.

Retiring shortly so that may be the best decision yet!

Green Cross Code Man · Jan 18, 2023

KZNSeagull said:
If you enjoy what you do where you are, I would stick with it until you stop enjoying it.

Yes. I've worked a variety of jobs and I've had much more satisfaction working for comparative peanuts when I've enjoyed the job or felt it was contributing something to society. As long as a person can afford to, find something you enjoy and do it.

thedonkeycentrehalf · Jan 18, 2023

Three times I have moved a little down to move forward.

First time I went from a supervisor position to a team member as I wanted a change after 11 years, had no further promotion opportunity and wanted to widen my skills. That was great and I ended up in a management position.

Was then made redundant (20 years ago). Took a significantly lower paid public sector job locally to pay the bills which was a different skillset to the one I had previously. Turned out to be a great move as again I managed to move back up quite quickly and it led to my longer term career.

Nearly twelve years ago, I was about to be made redundant having got to quite a senior management level and saw a role in the private sector which looked interesting. Was able to use my skills but without the joy/headache of management responsibilities. This job has given me an ever changing set of project, working with people across the globe and I've got to work in places I would otherwise not have visited.

Sometimes it is worth taking a step sideways or backwards to make the move forward. What I would say though is that if you are doing any job you have to enjoy it most of the time. Anything you do for 35+ hours a week can't be bad most of the time. If it stops being fun for the majority of time, it is time to find something else.

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[Finance] What is the best or worst career decision you've ever made?

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