Possible to step down and then up the career ladder?

[romanrainsalot]

I work FT, home based with some no-local travel. I'm half way through 12 mth probation period. Rest of the team are based in the city. Money is decent.

I feel the role will finish at the end of the probation period, as its busy now, but the work that the team does will dry up towards the end of the year. I don't fit into the team and I thought I would enjoy the role (quite a big company) but it bores me and is quite regimented - working on single task.

DD (4) has to go to nursery FT now as DM is caring for very ill Grandmother (in hospice). DMIL is doing nursery drop-off and pick up for me. DD was crying saying she misses me when she goes to nursery and doesn't want to go.

I think I want to change career. I'd love to go PT. I'm not fussed about fancy job titles or becoming director etc, just enough to pay the bills.

A former boss advised me that its difficult to take a step down and then recover back to the same level. Has anyone done this? Would be keen to know how it worked out for you.

[NeatandTidyTidyandNeat]

I think it depends what you mean by "down" - the rest of your post sounds like you want to explore different professions or roles, as well as different working patterns. Wanting to "change career" is not the same as taking a step down. There are usually ways of reflecting that on a CV that highlight the positives (such as additional skills gained), and it's also perfectly fine to have a line in your CV that indicates you took a partial career-break due to caring responsibilities for example. I've quite happily recruited a number of people in that situation, where they have either stopped work to be a family carer, or done very different short-term temping jobs while caring, and are later looking to resume their "main" career trajectory.

I also took a year off my main career in my early thirties and worked at a much less intense role while completing a masters, because I felt I couldn't do my old role well and study without going nuts. Employers since then have been fine about that, and have tended to like the fact that I cared about doing my job properly. It probably helped that is was for a clear discrete time period and was easy to explain why.

[NeatandTidyTidyandNeat]

*it was (not "is was")

[romanrainsalot]

Thanks NeatandTidy Its good to hear that employers don't look on it as a negative if you demonstrate its because you want to do your job properly.

I know if I had worked in my previous company, I would have been able to stay doing the same work, just PT and not thought any less of and could have gone back up to FT at a later date. In this company, the same ethos is not there, hence my possible career change thoughts.

[Woopsiedaisy]

I did and it totally wrecked the career I had, but in return enhanced my life immeasurably.

I was the HOF of a Public Sector organisation having previously been the FD of a PLC and walked away to be the FD of the local Hospice that had cared for my Husband in the final weeks of his life. My Salary more than halved overnight and I lost all the benefits associated with higher level roles, but it just felt right to be able to give something back in that way.

All my business contacts and even close friends told me I was committing Career suicide, but I ignored all of them, preferring instead to follow my gut feelings.

Of course they were right. I never worked at my previous level again. However, I learned masses along the way. At the risk of sounding cliched 'life is a journey' and may not always pan out as you expect. I may not have the financial security I once had, but I have had much more fun over the 10 years since I took that step. I also have a warm glow about the fact that I was given an apportunity to do the right thing and had the personal strength to do it.

My advice for what it is worth is not to waste time doing something that bores you and pay attention to the concerns you have about your Daughter and Nursery. She will grow up so fast and you will regret not spending time with her when you can. Start looking for something that both interests you and enables you to be with her when you want too.

The rest will take care of itself !!