Balancing Work, Life, and Growth: How I Weigh My Career Decisions
Introduction
Career decisions are rarely straightforward. Whether it’s choosing between remote and on-site roles, weighing a big salary bump against a great workplace culture, or prioritizing training over immediate financial gains—these choices shape not just my professional growth, but my personal life and long-term goals. Here’s how I approach these major decisions and the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
1. Remote vs. On-Site: Setting Boundaries
A while back, a recruiter from Amazon reached out about a position that required 50% travel and 50% in-office work. I didn’t even consider interviewing. Remote work is a non-negotiable for me—unless a company is literally one of the top AI pioneers in the world and offers a once-in-a-lifetime role (plus a salary that makes it absolutely worth it). Otherwise, the flexibility and time saved from commuting are too valuable to give up.
Lesson: Know your non-negotiables. If remote work is essential for your lifestyle or personal reasons, don’t settle unless the opportunity is truly life-changing and aligns perfectly with your goals.
2. Balancing Financial Compensation and Lifestyle
I recently considered leaving my current role for a salary increase of around $50k. That’s a big number. But ultimately, I stayed because I really like my workplace - the people you work with matter more than a large pay jump. The only way a salary bump would be worth the trade-off is if it allows me to invest an extra $80k–$100k per year into retirement or if it accelerates my expertise to the point where I become a leader in my field. Money comes with being the best; I primarily focus on skill building.
Lesson: Money is important, but it isn’t everything. I always ask myself: “Would this salary increase let me invest significantly more in my future? Will it truly help me become the best in my field?” If the answer is no, the trade-off may not be worth it.
3. Growth and Training Opportunities
These days, I use ChatGPT to decide which training to pursue, do a little bit of research to confirm, and presto chango—that’s the plan. In my last role, they promised me training three different times and failed to follow through. Over and over. So I left. This new place? I’m fairly underpaid, but I have a lot of support to move into areas I want to, get the training I need to do those things, and a great set of coworkers. My boss and our CISO are both fantastic people.
Lesson: If a company isn’t willing to invest in my growth, that’s a major red flag. I’d rather take a lower salary in exchange for serious learning and growth opportunities than be stuck in a role where I’m stagnating.
4. Insurance and Benefits
Flexibility and a solid training budget are the main reasons I’m in my current role, even though I’m making $40k–$60k less than I could elsewhere. I’m the sole income provider for my family, so benefits and flexibility aren’t just perks—they’re essential. The moonlighting clause gives me the chance to build things and do work outside of my day job to further grow and swing for the fences.
Lesson: Benefits go beyond salary. Health insurance, flexibility, a moonlighting clause, and a healthy work culture can sometimes justify taking lower pay—if it aligns with my personal and family needs.
5. Flexibility for Side Work and Personal Projects
I help my dad’s business on the side for about ten hours a week wearing the architect hat. It’s easy to fit in short calls during lunch breaks, deep work after hours, or strategy sessions on weekends. But I’ve also learned the hard way that I should never commit myself to more than 70 hours per week of work and study. I once tried working 90-hour weeks—it lasted six months, and I was burnt out for two years. If I do that much in a week, I limit it to <1 data-preserve-html-node="true" month of 90 hour weeks. Even the 70 hours isn’t sustainable for years with no breaks. Solid breaks like a long weekend trip to San Francisco or a month out of country to practice Spanish are my ideal recharge choices. Work hard play hard, as cliche as that is.
Lesson: Understand your capacity. If I need the freedom to explore side projects, I make sure my main job supports that kind of schedule. And I remind myself—burnout is real. Set boundaries to protect long-term well-being.
6. Aligning with Company Culture and Leadership
There have been plenty of times I’ve felt unsupported for being ambitious. My last company lied to me repeatedly about training. I left. They were liars. Being willing to trade raises, promotions, and things that people typically expect along **with training**, you’re more likely to get what you’re asking for - not always though.
Lesson: If leadership consistently overlooks my professional development or gives false promises, it’s a sign I may thrive better elsewhere. Ambition isn’t the problem—the wrong environment is.
7. Navigating Internal Moves vs. External Offers
One of the primary reasons I’d consider moving internally instead of leaving is that I’ve already built relationships across the company. Switching departments might be bumpy, but I already have contacts, I understand the culture, and I don’t have to start from scratch. The only real barriers are moonlighting clauses and whether I’m willing to go through the hassle of 20+ interviews if needed. Hopefully I don’t need to do that. I just recently proposed an aggressive training plan. If I don’t get at least decent traction from leadership, then I’ll be hopping departments. I love my boss, I love my coworkers, but nothing is going to slow down my development.
Lesson: Internal moves can be the best of both worlds: I stay in an environment I know, keep my benefits and relationships intact, and get a fresh start with a new team. But I always consider the friction of the transition first.
8. Balancing Short-Term Realities with Long-Term Vision
Live in the moment, but have a plan for the future. I always spend some time moving toward my long-term goals, even if it’s just small steps—whether that’s taking a new training course, networking, or slowly shifting my expertise toward where I want to be. That doesn’t mean I can’t pause or adjust when life happens. It just means I’m always keeping an eye on the bigger picture.
Lesson: A big career jump isn’t always immediate. Sometimes staying put is a smarter move if it aligns with my long-term vision. The key is ensuring I’m not stagnating and that I’m always working toward something bigger.
Conclusion
Choosing between remote or on-site, big salary bumps or a fulfilling work culture, immediate gain versus long-term growth—it’s all part of the complex puzzle that defines my career. By clarifying my non-negotiables (like remote work or essential benefits), mapping out my training path, and consistently weighing the pros and cons of each opportunity, I can make decisions that align with both my present needs and my future aspirations.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that there’s rarely a perfect, one-size-fits-all option. Each opportunity comes with its own mix of upsides and trade-offs. The key is knowing what truly matters—whether that’s flexibility, family needs, or career growth—and steering my path accordingly. And if something stops serving me? It’s okay to change course. In fact, I’d say it’s important to be open to changing course on a dime given new information. My career is a marathon, not a sprint.
