There's a thread on reddit that discusses the difference between the starter jobs vs the shop jobs.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MobiusFF/co...er_than_their/
TL;DR they are actually not that different until panel 4 but after its a HUGE difference.
Here is a stat comparison between maxed Dark Knight obtained from Onion Knight vs max Dark Knight pulled from the store with the same weapon and without its job evolution or better weapons. The pulled jobs also get access to much better skills for progression and specialization.
Cactuar land is soooo good. Feels good to just set 2x battle speed, quick rental, and auto battle and clear the top half for massive rewards without much effort.