In the past, people would occasionally ask me, “Did your salary increase after you resigned?” This question is actually hard to answer in a single sentence, because every job has a different salary structure, overtime situation, and even the stage of life I was in at the time.
Compared to the steel factory where I stayed for four years, my later salary was indeed higher. Back then, we would always start work half an hour early, and whether we stayed late depended on the workload—most of the time we stayed an extra half hour to an hour to wrap things up. When there was more work, staying until seven or eight at night was common. So every month’s salary was built from the base pay plus accumulated overtime pay. Overall, I could accept that.
But later, when I started planning for marriage and pregnancy, I gradually realized something: I couldn’t expect myself to maintain the current overtime pattern after getting pregnant and having a child. Especially since maternity leave pay is calculated based on insured salary, it’s impossible to rely on overtime pay to sustain income indefinitely. That’s why I began to wonder if I should change direction.
Later, when I joined the electronics company, what attracted me most was that its base salary was directly equal to what I earned at the steel factory after overtime. For me at the time, that was really appealing. Before resigning, I even talked to my supervisor about whether there was room for a raise, hoping to stay. But the company’s policy was based on seniority, and it wasn’t possible to break the rules for one person. So I had no choice but to leave the place I had been at for four years.
It was only after joining the electronics company that I realized there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
The salary was indeed higher, but the workload increased several times over. Working overtime until seven or eight at night was almost the norm. Overtime pay kept accumulating, and every time I looked at my payslip, I would think, “Just hold on a little longer.”
But deep down, I knew clearly that the extra salary wasn’t because the work became easier or because my abilities suddenly improved—it was earned bit by bit with my own time, body, mental energy, and stress. In the short term it seemed worthwhile, but over the long run it wasn’t the life I wanted.
So when I came to my current company, I didn’t make the highest salary my only goal. My current salary is between the previous two jobs. Although it’s not as high as the electronics company’s salary with overtime, the general manager mentioned during the interview that after three months of stability, they would gradually adjust it to the salary I expected—meaning at least close to the base salary of my previous job. That’s why I decided to join.
Looking back at these job changes, I realized that what I’m pursuing has been changing all along.
When I first entered the workforce, I hoped for a higher salary. After working for a few years, I hoped to become more capable. And now, what I care about more is whether this salary is built on a lifestyle I can sustain in the long run.
After all, at this stage of my life, simply living well is truly more important than anything else.