Secure the bag. Secure the bag. Shout out to whomever came up with that motivational attitude. Making sure your coins are in order is cool but there will come a time in corporate America where you start to question, “is this check worth my peace?”

Let me very much so say, no. The older I get the more I know myself and my vision and realize the most important question I have in a job interview is, “what’s the work/life balance?”

I don’t do this to be obnoxious but I ask this because I like to have a life outside of work. A lot of companies don’t realize that workers have lives outside of their organization and keep throwing money at you as if you are a product. Turns out I’m not the only one because studies show that millennials list work/life balance high on their list of expectations.

Some of the jobs that have paid me the least were my favorite and some of the ones at the higher end of the spectrum were the absolute worst. Cliche as it is money isn’t everything. If it costs you your peace it’s too expensive.

It wasn’t until attending the 2018 Hustle Her Way Summit that I realized I have to align myself with companies that share my mission and it all falls down to appreciating your time and fostering your passion.

You have to treat your job search like your dating search for your soulmate. If you’re currently unhappy in your career sit down and question your motivations for staying. Like a relationship, never stay anywhere long-term just for the check because eventually you’ll grow resentful and check out. Write a job description for yourself with the must haves and compare your list to potential jobs. What are you willing to compromise with? If the only thing you’re getting out of a company is a check and you love that, cool. Just remember in the long run coins don’t always mean growth.