What If The ‘Better Job’ Isn’t The One With A Higher Salary?

The Angel Edit: What If The ‘Better Job’ Isn’t The One With A Higher Salary?

Read Time: 5 minutes

Topics Covered: Career Values, Thrive Zones, Company Fit, Confident Choices

 We’ve all been there.

You receive more than one career opportunity, and now you’re stuck.

Here’s the thing: the same person can look like an A-player in one environment, and a B-player in another.

Fit matters. When your strengths align with what the company values, you stand out.

When they don’t, it can feel like an uphill climb.

Fulfilment doesn’t come from job titles alone.

It starts with awareness of yourself. Here are three ways to build that awareness:

Step 1: Define your values

Your top three values act like a GPS because they guide your decisions.

For some, it’s financial growth. For others, it’s stability or flexibility.

When you define your values, don’t stop at vague statements.

Spell out what each value looks like in real life.

Too vague: “Flexibility to work from home.”

Clear and useful: “Flexibility to work from home two days a week, and the ability to leave at 5pm to pick up my kids, while staying available later if needed.”

The key is to be specific in order to create a simple decision matrix: Which of these roles aligns most with what matters to me?

Values evolve as you grow, but identifying your key priorities in this season of life helps you measure success and move in the right direction.

Step 2: Know how you thrive

We all do our best work in different environments. I call this our “thrive zone.”

For me, I thrive in organisations that are smaller, leaner and more global.

Others do better in structured environments with clear rules and steady processes.

Neither is right or wrong.

What matters is being honest about where you shine as as much possible, to seek out environments that let you thrive.

Step 3: Match with company stage

Different companies need different strengths depending on their stage of growth. A startup thrives on people who are flexible and comfortable with ambiguity. A mature corporation values execution, systems and scale.

You need to know what it takes to thrive at each type of company stage, and ask yourself if your strengths match the company’s needs.

Career decisions are rarely permanent.

Today’s choice doesn't lock in your future; it sets you on a path that can open doors to even better choices later.

So when you’re faced with a decision, don't ask “which job is better?” Instead, ask yourself a single, powerful question:

Where will I be the A-player I’m meant to be?

That’s how you choose with clarity and confidence.

I’d love to hear from you. What’s one value that guides your career decisions?

For more career tips, follow me on Instagram here!

Rooting for you, 

Angel Kilian

Founder  l Career inFocus