Mark's opinion

My childhood friend, Mark, was saying how he wasn't sure if working really hard right now would pay off later. And by that he meant "working your ass off til you have no free time." Is it really worth it in the long run? I think he's just feeling guilty, being an Asian in a white community in New York, about not working as hard as the Asian stereotype, at a pace that may not get him his first million by the age of 30 (or 35). There is a sort of pressure to make the big bucks by the age of 30, once you're an alumni of some really good schools. I can understand that. He was telling me that Sam Garonzik (a guy I went to high school with, who had the fortune of saying, "Shut up you stupid woman!" and slapping me in the school play--it was part of the script) was working for Goldman Sachs, and this other guy we went to school with was working in JP Morgan. And here we are, the so-called smart Asian kids, working at a considerably slower pace (for a considerably lower salary). But is it really worth it working your ass off til you've burned out, just so you can make $100,000 a year later?

I'll be perfectly honest with myself, as I was with Mark, yeah, so what, I work for a multinational company, but I don't think the job I have now is going to teach me any skills to become a manager any time soon. The job is so simple, I love it. The on-the-job stress is so minimal, I can enjoy myself at work. I have time for myself and for my family when I get back home. And I think that's important in a job, to have space for yourself when you get off work. Yeah, so what, it's not going to earn me 100k or more by the time I'm 30, but I'm perfectly happy doing what I do. Just as long as you earn enough to pay the bills and have some leftover to enjoy yourself with.

I got my dream job one month after graduating. I got a job working for a stockbroking company as a Junior Equity Analyst. It was everything I imagined it would be, and not. Yes, it was exciting and fast paced. But at the same time, the stress level was so high, I couldn't take it. And the unethical bussiness practices that were the "industry norm" left me jaded. I was disillusioned by it all and quit just after 6 months. I told myself I'd further my studies and return to the industry fortified with better skills so that I wouldn't break down the next time. But that hasn't happened yet. The Economist that I had the pleasure of assisting at my first job, (who, incidentally, also left the company) earns a 5-digit salary per month now and he's only 31. But then again, he's a workaholic and leaves the office at 10 pm.

So, in my opinion, it's not worth it working til you've burned out. It's so much better to enjoy life. Mark's opinion is that we should look forward and not look back til we're about 50 to reassess our lives. He doesn't have much to complain either, 'cos he's got a good job in an insurance company, and has no plans to get married soon. Which means, you know, no extra responsibilities equals no extra expenditure. We're 25 this year, and when we were 10, 25 was considered old. But we're enjoying ourselves, right, so that's what counts. Am I right or am I right?