Hi Thor!
I need advice. How do you navigate loving your job and loving what you do but not getting paid enough to continue doing it?? I have an amazing job and love everyone I work with but cannot sustain myself… what’s worth more? Community or wage?
Thanks!
Hey T-Bird!
This is a very interesting conundrum for me to contemplate. I don’t technically get paid to be Thor, it’s just who I am! However, being the Thor also means that I don’t have the same expenses that my fellow T-Birds have, like rent or tuition.
I think that there is something to be said about the value of community when it comes to the place where you work. I, of course, am a big fan of the community I have here at SUU, and I don’t know where I would be without it. But it’s also important to sustain yourself financially, especially during a time like college when nothing feels completely consistent.
I think that I can give you three options that are potentially beneficial to you.
- Have faith that the bonds you have made with your work community are strong enough to withstand distance and do what you must to be financially stable. A good community will last beyond the situational ties that initially brought you together.
- Stay at the job you currently work and look closer at your budget; maybe there are things that you can cut out to keep the job you love and support yourself.
- Pick up another job, even if it’s very part-time. While it can be hard to find time in your schedule to work at multiple jobs, many of our fellow T-Birds work multiple jobs throughout their time at college, including some members of the staff at SUU News!
None of these options are a perfect solution for your problem, but unfortunately that perfect solution would probably be your job paying you enough to sustain yourself in the first place. I hope that I’ve given you some options to think about and that you continue to love what you do, whether that be at your current job, or somewhere else.
Best of luck to you, my friend!
Love,
Thor
Are you in need of advice? Submit your letter to Thor here.
Author: Thor
Editor: Heather Turner
Copy Editor: Kayd Johanson
Photo courtesy of SUU
eic@suunews.net
This article was originally published in the October 2024 issue of University Journal
