This is my first week back at work after a year's maternity leave and my boss has asked me what I'd like to pick up on now I'm back - projects or operational day-to-day stuff. I'm currently doing 3 days a week until May and at that point they will want me to revert to full time.
Here's the pros and cons to each.
1) Projects
Pros - Interesting and varied, better exposure for promotion opportunities, easily done on a part-time basis as more distant deadlines, no battling with time zones. Potentially more challenging.
Cons - moving away from my core role (ie the operational work) which I've been out of for a year already.
2) Operational work
Pros - easy, familiar work, lovely team working for me, fast-ish pace. Already well-respected and established in role.
Cons - not easy to do on a part-time basis (so might be "on call" on non-working days or have decisions made for me whilst I'm out). Less visibility to senior management. Less of a challenge but potentially heavier workload. Time zones to contend with (my clients are in Asia-Pac).
Come May, if I have to go full time working on Projects I would need to be 9-5, meaning I would see very little of DD in the week :( Doing Operational stuff I could use the time-zones to my advantage and work early mornings and finish at lunchtime meaning afternoons would be free for DD. There may be a small possibility of doing a 4 day week instead of full-time, but not counting on it.
The old (pre-mummy) me wants to grab the projects and run with the more challenging work and get stuck in. The new me hates the thought of DD being in childcare (grandparents and nursery) full time. We'd like another baby mid-2014 so this is potentially only for 18 months or so....
Do I "take it easy" and opt for Operational stuff and keep my head down and prioritise family until post-2nd mat leave and risk my career plateauing and missing promotion opportunities OR opt for Projects to try and get ahead now for the short window of opportunity I may have but miss DD in the meantime but know it'll lead to pay out in the longer term?
ARGH. WWYD?
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WWYD - what to take on at work
3 replies
hellohellohihi · 13/12/2012 13:42
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