Why I Choose A Job That Pays Less Than Half of My Previous Salary

Life advise from an ex-manager at a famous oilfield service company

We all know that people working in the oil and gas company are paid a lot, like a lot. And so often, many people aim to work in that sort of company, with or without passion.

So here is an insight from an ex-manager at an oilfield services company. Due to privacy reasons, I can not reveal the identity of the speakers nor the name of the company.

Here is his story written in a first-person narrative.

When I was in high school, I did not know what I want to major in, whereas most people had planned and had goals in mind. The only thing I knew was that I loved science. I talked to my parents about majoring in science, and they thought that majoring in science would not earn you a lot of money. Which is true in a lot of cases, because of the state of the art of my country. So they advised me to go into engineering and I did. The point was I liked science and wanted to earn a lot of money, so I finally chose chemical engineering.

I had the opportunity and fortune to study abroad at a university in Australia. And because that was not really what I like, I ended up struggling throughout the university. Unlike a lot of people though, I chose to continue struggling, doing everything until the end, even though it was not my calling as a person. Fast forward, when I graduated I was again, lucky enough to be employed by this oilfield services company. This company has really good pay and allows me to travel to many places that I otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to. I worked and worked and arrived at the managerial position of the company, then finally after 11 years, I decided to resign.

Then I go back to my own country to look for jobs as a teacher. I applied for a job that paid me less than half of my previous salary. A lot of people are dumbfounded by my decision. Even when interviewing for the teacher position, the interviewer would oftentimes ask me “Why?”.

Here are my reasons.

It was not my calling as a person. It was not my mission. Throughout the years, I figured out that what I want in life is to educate people, which is why I am willing to resign and apply for a job that pays me less than half. Then people would continue to ask me, then why do you work for 11 years in that field?

Honestly speaking, I do not regret the 11 years that I spent in the oilfield industry. I did enjoy my time there but it was not what I want. I would say it was a strategy. Working in that field has helped me save up money, like a lot. Let us not be a hypocrite. You need money even if it is not everything. After 11 years, I saved up enough money to pay for my postgraduate and doctoral degrees in the United Kingdom. I saved up enough money to open a pre-school. I saved up enough money to finally do what I love.

I think in life you have to have a strategy, to achieve your life mission. But in doing that you have to know when you have to stop, and start to live your life. You can decide when to stop. In my case, I do my strategy for 11 years, and after I had earned what I want, I stop and do my life mission.