The stuff that really matters – how you feel on a Sunday night

Total comp is obviously important – it’s how you pay your bills, it determines how much ‘walking around money’ you have on a Friday night and, for some of us, it comes with a certain ‘status’ tag.

However, total comp isn’t the full picture. It’s just one side of the coin. It’s what a good HR director would call extrinsic reward – something that’s tangible or physically given to you for achieving something.

Intrinsic reward – rewards that are intangible (such as a sense of achievement or a sense of making a difference) – are a lot more complicated and something you will likely struggle to put a monetary value on.

Which is more important to you? How much you get paid or how much you enjoy (or are fulfilled by) your work?

For some, it’ll be about striking a balance between the two. For others, one type of reward might be far more important than the other. There are no right or wrong answers here, but it’s most certainly something you should keep in mind when comparing offers.