The Soul-Sucking Mistake People Make in Their Careers, According to GaryVee

A fat salary can lead to a comfortable life, and it can make switching jobs oh so appealing. Who doesn’t want to make more money, honestly? But the one thing you should consider before saying yes is—at what cost?

“People think money makes you happy…and yet, we give up happiness every day in the pursuit of money, thinking that will buy it for us,” entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk says in a video that, at first glance, seems ironically titled The Fastest Way to Make Your First $100,000. (Also, full disclosure: The company I work for is owned by Vaynerchuk’s company, VaynerX, but my opinions here are my own.)

It’s a crossroads I’ve faced three times in my career, and the one time I jumped at the money, ignoring a nagging voice that told me the role wasn’t right for me, I spent the next year regretting the move. Even if it did mean more money, a more prestigious title and, sure, a better flex on social. In news that surprises no one, a little extra income and an enviable title didn’t make up for the late nights and weekends spent doing something I hated.

Vaynerchuk argues that you should strive to find a level of pay where you can be content with the life you have, doing something you truly enjoy.

For me, what really resonated about that quote was the idea of trading your time for money—but if you’re truly miserable during those hours you’re working (and/or so dead tired after work that you can’t enjoy your—or even have—downtime), is the salary worth it? In my case, that extra money I made largely went toward paying for extended hours for childcare, because I was working so ’round-the-clock that I basically had enough time to get her ready in the morning and tuck her in at night. That wasn’t the life I wanted for us, and things needed to change.

Of course, how do you know what kind of job you’ll be walking into? That’s where conversations about the company culture become critical. Here are a few ways to get an honest sense of the work environment:

1. Try to chat with 1-2 employees

Talking to current employees is huge. If you don’t know anyone who works there, look up reviews of the business*, and during the interview process, if you become a finalist, ask if you can speak to anyone who might be a peer at the company. Ask about what they love, what they don’t love and—if they’re tight-lipped on the latter—where they think the company could improve.

*It’s worth remembering that most company reviews are written when somebody’s on a high or very disgruntled with where they work, so you’ll probably experience the extremes.

2. Establish your career values

Knowing what matters most to you at this stage in your life—flexibility, work hours, finding meaning in your work, remote opportunities, opportunities advancement, you name it—can also help you determine whether a job feels like the right fit for you. Maybe pay is the most important thing for you right now, so you’re willing to have a less-than-thrilling job to pay the bills or get your foot in the door (aka paying your dues). Maybe you’re a parent and working from home is a major appeal because it means you can spend the time you would’ve been commuting with your family.

Craft your top three values before you walk into an interview so they’re top of mind.

3. Watch out for interview red flags

Ask anyone you’d be reporting to or working with about the company culture, what their days/weeks are like, and what kind of boundaries they have in their own roles. I’ve found that asking, “what’s the biggest challenge you have in your role, and how do you perceive the person in this position to help with that?” can be immensely insightful. (Are they on call 24/7 and are expecting this new person to do the same? Are they overwhelmed and looking for a savior?)

While companies are hiring because they have more tasks to get through than people to take them on, there’s a big difference between “we’re hiring a social media manager because the owner is doing it all herself and needs dedicated help” and “we’re hiring a social media manager, but we’re also looking for someone who can [insert the workload of three full-time jobs here].”

Lead photo: Candace Braun Davison