06 July 2008

Is title or salary more important?

Been thinking a lot about work recently.

It all started when I heard one of my ex colleague, who left my company because she was "poached" to join a newly set-up competitor firm, that within one year, she has been promoted to the post of VP.

Ok, lets set the record straight. I have nothing against her, but when she left my company, she was one level below me. In terms of qualifications, skills, leadership qualities, etc, I definitely edge over her in all aspects. And after one year, she actually had like a double/triple promotion to VP?

Lets face it. We may all say money is more important, as long as I am better paid than her, why bother about her newly minted title? But I guess jealousy or envy has gotten a hold on me, and I am just feeling extremely uncomfortable because I definitely deserve more than her. When I say more, I mean far more!

Corporate titles vary from company to company, and a Senior Manager in Firm A may be designated as Assistant Vice President in Firm B. Likewise, the AVP in Firm B could be drawing a lower salary than the Senior Manager in Firm A. Its all just corporate titles.

Which is more important?

Title or Salary?

This is often a dilemma for most people because some people would even give up their managerial posts and leave a supervising job for, lets say, a sales job? Why? Because some sales people can earn more than managers.

On the other hand, some people in frontline entry level jobs, often crave for a leap in their job titles because they only see the glamour, and the "beautiful" side of that "Manager" title.

Its hard to comprehend, and if I am asked this question again, I would probably give a different answer at different phases of my life.

Back to myself. I have been in this industry for 4 years (full-time) now, and have been in the same job scope for more than 2 years, and I am starting to feel jaded. I guess its partly due to the nature of my job, because my performance is measured month after month, and every month is a fresh new month, so its kind of like going through a performance appraisal every new month.

You may end the month well for January, but you then have to gear yourself up again for February, its never-ending.

I do hope to see the fruits of my labour SOON, now that I have been given more responsibilites, and I am putting in my best effort to do my best for all that is given to me.

I need to move on to better things soon and hopefully I see a brighter light at the end of this murky tunnel.

When? I don't know, let God decide.

20 Macro Voice(s):

3POINT8 said...

Hmmm....
you need a good title to secure a high paying salary for your next job yes???

Marc said...

Yes Kif, you are right, and plus a good "cert", its a meritocratic society!

in motion said...

wow..i never thought of that before..
hmm..i don't know, i guess, salary maybe? but then..hmm..gosh, this is hard..lol i don't know, i seriously don't know ]:

Anonymous said...

Both is important i guess. Depends on which you value more. Your 'face' or your 3 meals.
If you don't want to lose face of cos you would say title is more important.
But if you are the sort of person who doesn't care about pride than you would say salary is more important.
So in the end it is still up to individual's thinking.

Anonymous said...

as i see it, it depends on you. if you're comfortable with the salary and such then why bother? and yeah. if you not feeling anything for the job its time to move on.

Anonymous said...

title or salary..wow, u really made me thinking hard dude! lol

Anonymous said...

i think salary is more important. i mean, heck care those titles when u get a better salary!!

Marc said...

Thanks everyone, I think it is really a very subjective topic. Seems like there are many different opinions!

Michelle Chong said...

Oh gosh, that's hard for me to choose.

hmm..

Money is more important in reality. For me, I would rather have passion in my work, it doesn't really matter what title because it is just a name.

Is hard to secure a job nowadays.

But it all depends on one's decision.

r.p said...

i prefer money than title.

At the end of the day, title didn't matter. With money that i have, i can fulfil most the the thing i want in life :D

If someone ask me, what r u working as. I can say it loud & proud, I am just a warehouse man who drives Audi! :D

JSlogy said...

I'll go for money! I admit I am materialistic. Call me money face or whatever, I don't care. As long as I have the money, you can go F*** yourself. HAHAHAHA. OMG, I think I am damn crude

Anonymous said...

Wow. This is tough.

But in the end I would give in to the money even though I know the title is important!!!

Simon Seow said...

Marc, think it this way, she goes to join a start up and be a VP, with maybe 1 sub-ordinate under her and her sub-ordinate has no one under him/her. So, title is not that important. I'll go for salary. The important thing is the real job that you're doing, if you're job is already what a VP in that firm is doing then it really doesn't matter. They will look for experience and also last drawn salary to see how much they will offer you if you decided to go to another company.

weijie said...

im still studying but i prefer $ over title , since living in singapore and inflation rates are going higher and higher . title wouldnt matter if $ is good already .

Anonymous said...

Career-wise, and in the longer term, it's sometimes worth taking a little less money for the experience and kudos a title will bring. One big advantage a title can bring is that when you are job-hunting, you can go for the similar or higher titles more easily.

But also, it depends on which company you're with. As you say - SVP in company X may just mean you share the office with the President, and the dispatch boy :)

Some companies just offer you the title in order to be able to pay peanuts and get maximum work out of you.

babyfiona said...

money over title and I 100% agreed with what Julian mentioned on the


"Some companies just offer you the title in order to be able to pay peanuts and get maximum work out of you."

Some companies event promoted their staff to a higher level but giving them the same old salary just for that purposes.

Anonymous said...

salary is more important!

if you are a VP, and you are only getting paid an executive's salary or salary lower than what a VP should get, and you are carrying the responsibility of a VP, that means you are severely underpaid!! what's the point? and worse is, if you are not up to that standard, it will stunt your career development!

imagine dropping from a VP to an exec or lower managerial level. it's not easy.

the title must commensurate with your job scope and ability. and of cos, they salary must match too.

if you know your that ex colleague well enough, you will know that her job scope and salary did not match her ability and title. in the end, the winner might be the boss lor...he got someone cheaper to do a VP job. or he could be getting troubles becos she is inexperience.

Josh said...

Hey Marc. The truth is, I think salary is more important these days. Sure getting a better title give u bragging rights but then it does not guarantee you a stable life.

Mockingbird said...

i think salary more imporant than title. Of coz i also think it's unfair that your colleague who was under you has been promoted to become VP even though she's less qualified than you. Is it becos her good looks? Could her promotion have something to do with the big boss pulling the strings after her granting some sexual favors? Sounds very dark indeed. But such is the crappy world we live in. Beautiful women use sex to get to the top.

Marc said...

Well, something to clarify. That lady is neither young, nor beautiful.


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