Lee, in case you didn't know, is one of the best pitchers in the game and was a free agent. He was thought to be in a bidding war between the Yankees and the Rangers, then, out of the blue, signed with the Phils and left about 30 million on the table.
Apparently it was the comfort factor that outweighed the bucks. He'd played in Philly before, liked the team, liked the city. And really, how many millions does one need?
When job hunting, we always envision the perfect scenario; good salary, quality newsroom, great photogs, equipment that works, supportive management, a nice place to live. While you can generally find one or more of those at any station, it's pretty hard to find them all.
Sometimes you get a great job offer for big bucks, but it's in a war zone. Sometimes it's a great place to live, but not a lot of money. Great ND, but a one man band shop. Terrific shooters, but lousy salary.
These days you have to set your priorities, and they're different for every person. For some, money is and always will be number one. For others, it is quality of life.
And if you're young and relatively new in the business, your top priority should be this: which job will help my career most in the long term. You may take the job with photogs that pays a little less, but your work will look a lot better the next time you're job hunting. You might take the job in the smaller market, but get to do better stories.
When you're young and broke and frustrated, it's easy to grab what seems to be a lifeline that will improve things immediately. But if it doesn't advance your career and help you realize your potential, it might not be the right move.
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