Had an interview recently for a position that would be higher paying and offer more career growth opportunities within the company and by developing new skills, however it will be more stressful(plenty of deadlines) and have a higher workload (45-60 hour weeks 30% of the time). So just wanted to hear others experiences with anything similar.
If it helps at all, I am pretty young in my career.
It can be really daunting, but if the stress is coming from a stimulating role that's offering you a ton of learning opportunity... this is a good thing and it's what you want at this point in your career to get you ready to take on the world.
I started my career at a PR agency and it was extremely stressful. It was competitive in the sense that you're being measured quite openly against your peers by the coverage results you create for your clients. Clients can be demanding and I remember how stressful it was emailing them in those early days... I was constantly having to do things like pitch practice in front of my superiors. And then pitching reporters and having your ideas and writing consist judged. The hours were long sometimes but the days flew by because every moment was packed. All of this prepared me to be skilled, cool and calm in my future roles. I'm thankful for those early stressors (because it was all a learning experience).
What's the job?
Thank you for the advice! I'm an account manager right now for a media agency, and the job is a sales role where I'll have a commission part of my salary but if I hit those goals it's a big bump in salary.
I have to agree that an AM for an agency and a sales position have similarities, but as you noted, very different compensation structures and day-to-day experiences. Take the plunge and see what you think, there really isn't any other way to compare without experiencing it first-hand. Truly the worst that can happen with ANY job is that you learn more about what you like and dislike, and meet new people. You then use that knowledge to make decisions regarding the next step in your career. We are all free to change our mind, restart and reinvent who we want to be.
Account management at an agency and sales are different, but have a lot of similarities as well (probably why you're in the position of having the offer in the first place).
My thoughts are that if the stress is the type that you are going to welcome and enjoy, then it is worth the opportunity for extra money! Sales is super competitive, KPI driven, and very rewarding, but you have to be able to ride the wave of rejection. If that is something that is going to really hinder your feeling successful and will cause issues than sales might not be the best. It's almost a sociopathic level of "on to the next one" that the best sales people I know have. They also are the one's who make the most $$$.
If you love the hard working, "eat what you kill", competitive nature of sales, then you should 100% go for it.
Great question. I've addressed this many times in my career. The answer to this really starts with your own values. Ask yourself:
1. What are the benefits to this role? Are these benefits that I actually value?
2. What are the costs to this role? What will I sacrifice to take it, and how important are those moments to my happiness?
3. Will I enjoy the work?
You may not know the answers to all the questions above before you start, and that's okay. You'll learn more about yourself and your values as time goes on, but it's worth continually asking yourself -- "Is this worth it? Is this giving me what I want?"
For example, years ago I quit a 70-hour/week job that was making me depressed even as I was told it was "good for your career." More recently, I left a 40-hour job for a 55-hour one because I knew it would be more interesting and fulfilling.
Best of luck!
Wow! This is really helpful, and I honestly did not think a director at Facebook would respond. Thank you so much!
Best of luck!