Some lucrative jobs follow you home, with a constant stream of weekend emails.
Others stay behind when you walk out the door, but you ll earn less. How do you
decide?
By Elizabeth Garone
14 September 2015
In our increasingly connected, always-on world, the line between work and home
life has become more and more blurred.
Some people like it that way; for others, it can be exhausting and
overwhelming. No matter which side you come down on, though, it s still a tough
choice: Should you pursue a career or position that has loads of opportunity
but requires you to work or at least be available after-hours? Or should you
choose one that allows you to check out after the workday ends, but likely pays
less and offers fewer chances for advancement?
For Seattle resident Jenn Farber Dohy, the decision was easy. Before she took a
position as a barista at Starbucks, Farber had worked in jobs ranging from
selling restaurant supplies and medical devices, to social work. All those jobs
had one thing in common: no quitting time. They all came home with her at the
end of the day in some way, whether it catching up on emails or following up on
an ailing patient.
You literally could walk out the door and not think about it until the next day
But that changed when she decided to forego those more lucrative positions and
signed on at Starbucks. It was just what Dohy, a busy mom of a young son and
two teenage stepdaughters, needed at the time. You literally could walk out
the door and not think about it until the next day, she said.
For the rest of us, however, the decision and loss of salary often isn t so
black and white. Here s how to break it down.
The big picture
Rather than simply examine two job paths, think about your end goal, said
Rebecca Kiki Weingarten, a New York-based career and executive coach and
consultant, in an email. This could be reaching an executive position, retiring
early, or having more vacation time.
Also, define your priorities in life and work, as well as your priorities
around professional identity. With the end goal in mind, the questions are
easier to answer, and all point to the right decision for each person
individually, Weingarten said.
Ask yourself the following question, she suggested: Where does your ambition
and professional success stand on your list of life goals? For some people, at
certain points in their lives, these are the most important things. If that s
true, their personal relationships take a back seat. A single, 20- or
30-something might decide to devote more time to their career and put off
thinking about their family situations and wishes, said Weingarten.
Personal decision
For parents returning to work after the arrival of a baby, Weingarten likes to
ask them: How important is their role within the family? Is this a time that
their families can do without them? This is a question that comes very often,
at many points in people's lives, she said. Each person must decide this for
themselves, very honestly.
Some liked it. Some were miserable; some actually became physically or
psychologically ill
It's important to take into consideration how much people need their
professional identity, as well as the energy and sense of accomplishment they
get from work, Weingarten said. I've worked with mothers who were at the
C-level (executive level) who stayed home after they had children because it
was what they believed they should do. Some liked it. Some were miserable; some
actually became physically or psychologically ill.
Easy choice for some
For some lucky people, the choice between a work-all-day-and-into-the-evening
job, and one that shuts off at quitting time is easy, especially if finances
aren t a big concern. It all comes down to needs personal, career and
circumstances, said Berlin-based Konstantin Korotov, director of European
School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Centre for Leadership Development
Research, in an email.
For many, work is the main source of their energy, drive, sense of belonging
and meaning, Korotov said.
Work can also be an escape when challenging life changes occur, such as
children leaving home, divorce or death of a spouse, Korotov said.
For those individuals, work-life balance at that particular time in their
lives actually means to have all their time devoted to work, he said. This, of
course, can change if they meet someone and fall in love.
But it s a more complicated decision for people with strong personal interests
outside of work and lives filled with people they love Sometimes taking work
home may be considered as an investment into the family s future, Korotov
said. Of course, that bleed of work into home has potential risks, from less
socialising (who has time when there s always work to do at home?), less time
for fun activities with a partner, spouse or children and, even a drop in
productivity at work because there s too little down time to recharge.
Goals for now and later
When deciding between two courses, be clear which will allow you to best meet
your short and long-term career goals, said Jesse Siegal, New York-based
senior managing director at The Execu|Search Group, in an email. If the job
that demands more of your personal time is truly aligned with your passions and
long-term career goals, then the extra work shouldn t feel like a burden.
But if your personal obligations won't allow you to fully commit to the more
demanding position, ask yourself if you are willing and able to give up a
higher salary in return for fewer responsibilities , said Siegal.
Put it down on paper
Jayne Mattson, a senior vice president at Keystone Associates, a Boston-based
career management consulting firm, suggests creating a spreadsheet in which one
column has the components of the offer and the other column lists your career
goals, values, career satisfiers and dissatisfiers .
Don t compare one offer against each other, but against what you are looking
for, she said in an email. It will help you make a sound career decision for
you and your family. Maybe you are at a juncture of your career where leaving
the job behind at the end of the day versus making more money is right for you.
To comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please
head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
Career Coach is a twice-monthly column on BBC Capital in which we consider the
career turning points and questions many professionals face. We welcome
questions from readers at careercoach@bbc.com.