What do you prioritise in your career? Money, enjoyment, work/life balance...?

[ladybirdleaf]

I have been thinking a lot about this recently. I've ended up in an office job which pays relatively well for what it is (but hardly megabucks). The work life balance is ok but part time would suit be better. It's not that interesting or enjoyable but it is ok.

It all feels like a bit of a compromise. So with 30+ years left until I retire I feel like I should make a change. But how do I work out what is actually important to me? Should I be going for more money? More job satisfaction in a career that actually interests me? Better hours now my DD is starting school? It all feels like a trade off. What do you/would you prioritise? How do I work out what I should do?

I wonder if people give different responses based on whether they are the breadwinner or not

I'm a single parent so it's had to be about the money for me. Clearly if I could have found a job I loved for great money I would have taken it but I have stayed in a job I don't particularly like with difficult colleagues just because it pays so well and gives me the financial reassurance I need.

Now my dcs are adults and I have put money aside for them, I find myself having the luxury to look around for something that suits my lifestyle better but pays slightly less. This has only happened now when I'm potentially 10/15 years off retirement.

I think there will be 2 schools of thought - 1 that says maximise what you earn pre having dcs because who knows what will happen afterwards (how you feel about going back to work etc) and the other school of thought that says find something that suits a more relaxed lifestyle now so it's easier to slot into having dcs.

(And sorry to hear about the recurrent miscarriages)

Should also say I've always worked FT but when you're a single parent I do think there's less guilt around this because you have to do what you have to do!

A balance of work/life balance and earning enough for a comfortable life.
I'm a qualified professional, I work at a firm that pays reasonably - above the UK average, but not mega bucks. It's one of the lower paying firms, but it makes up for it in that no one bats an eyelid when I'm out the door at 4/5.
I work full time but am able to have flexible working.
I could work less as my DH has a similar paying job which could cover the majority of the outgoings if it was needed, but:

1. My job gives us the ability to be comfortable - savings, holidays, the knowledge that when DC are older, they will be able to afford scouts/sports etc.
2. I spent years studying/qualifying, do I want to fall behind now?
3. All my time at home with DC before they go to bed is quality. We make sure the housework is done when they're at nursery - DH works shifts.
4. DC get 2 days with Grandma/daddy which does good for their relationships and 3 days at nursery around peers/educational opportunities etc and they enjoy it.

I appreciate that I am coming from a fortunate position in that I could work less, or not at all (but things would be extremely tight). Also the fact that I am in a qualified profession and have a wage commensurate with that. If my wage was any lower, we'd have to seriously consider whether we could afford for me to work with the cost of nursery. If I was in a minimum wage job, I certainly couldn't work especially while DC are too young for the free hours. I also thank my lucky stars that my boss has 'been there, done that' with having young children while working full time and understands and trusts me enough to get the work done if I need to work from home.

Oh and also, my job has done wonders for my PND.

Oh and a final point (grr why can't we edit a post??), I'm a believer in women maintaining their earning potential. I'm not saying anything is amiss in my relationship, but if it was, I want to know I could stand on my own too feet and support my DC.

I'm the breadwinner so money is a critical factor but actually money, balance and enjoyment are all intrinsically linked.

I have an interesting, challenging role which pays well enough to mean the time out of work is filled with fun stuff (holidays, hobbies, days out) and because I'm sufficiently senior gives me a decent degree of flexibility.

For example my DC needs to attend a specialist appointment once a week during work hours. I'm able to accompany her, which is a few hours out of my day without any adverse affect.

I'm the breadwinner so obviously money is important, but I'm also self employed so so long as I'm earning enough, work/life balance then comes into play.

I'm not willing to work longer hours for money that we don't really need. I have a great life, meeting up with friends for coffees/lunches, doing the school run/being home when the kids get home, walking the dogs etc, whilst also providing for my family in a business that, 20 years after setting it up, I still enjoy enough.

I always knew I wanted kids ad to have a family so I always based my job around that. I trained as a teacher for that reason exactly so I I guess in order
1.work/life balance
2.money and enjoyment
I’m in Ireland so the school day is different.I can drop of and collect (they go to Afterschool)my own kids and still have plenty of time to do something after school (I collect them at half 3) and teachers pay here is great.

I don't have children yet but for me:

• work/life balance
• enjoyment
• money

As long as I have enough to live on and can afford treats and a holiday or two a year I'm happy.

I'm in management at the moment but I'm incredibly lucky to have set hours and if I do overtime it's a) voluntary and b) paid at time and a half!

When I was younger I kind of had to priortize money but I was always working towards enjoyment. Until I had my children I never really thought about work/life balance because I was kind of lucky enough to turn a couple of hobbies/interests into jobs and happily worked all the time.

After eldest was born I prioritized balance, and took a paycut so I could work pt/freelance, although luckily still in a field I enjoy. Atm, I have 1 in school and 1 still under 5 so am prioritizing flexible working and money via a job I don't particularly enjoy (it just so happens I have skills in an area that is well paid but isn't really my ambition iyswim). When youngest starts school, I shall probably aim to prioritize enjoyment again (hopefully well paid) as I still have a good 20+ years left to work and I cannot trudge through that just for a paycheck - not sure whether I would prioritize enjoyment over flexibility though, I'm finding I still resent working 3 days week - maybe I actually want to retire lol!

Do people ever fully recover from work burnout?

I have worked in a fast paced stressful position now for a number of years. I have always enjoyed my career. The last few years have seen me become demoralised and tired with work. I am getting older so wondering if this is the problem (late 40,s). I am worried that I will still feel like this if I get a new job? Anyone had experience of feeling like this? Did you get another job and feel better. I should also say confidence is low despite having lots of experience, qualifications. Would really appreciate your responses as I wider where the energised motivated person has gone!

I agree you have to balance it all. Money is vital. If youre going to have dc you want to be able to afford uni, activities when theyre young, nice holidays, be able to spring for school trips, teen clothing, parties. I like not worrying about money.

But youre at work all your life its got to be interesting, you've got to like what you do. For me the people I work with make it a good place to be. Enjoyment is key. Id say no point changing jobs for the money if you end up hating it.

Work/life balance is also important. I have flexibility, work 4 days, pick up drop off once a week is enough for me (some people want more), i finish early 2 days a week then ferry kids to activities. I can work from home so go to assemblies and plays or stay home when they're ill, sharing this with dh.

I am currently not prioritising my career. I want promotion but equally cant compromise on my flexibility. If I want to strong arm a promotion Id need to look round new jobs but i enjoy it where I am. Im kind of stuck. Its frustrating because ageism is rife and i think that i will miss the boat and be stuck at middle management . So I still work much harder than I need to, I dont coast, I'm not a jobsworth. My career stil matters to me. I worked on my day off this week and until 9pm a few days in a bid to impress the big boss. Opportunities like that don't come up too often and I feel more fulfilled from the praise I got for a job well done. But not everyone would be willing to do this. Youve got to find your own balance.

I think to be in a position to be considering work / life balance and family life as potential priorities over money, then by default money must already be "sorted" to a certain extent.
So, it very much depends your starting point. If you & a partner are earning OK / decent, even "good", money between you, then of course you've both got options for reducing hours / going part-time, becoming a SAHP, retiring early, whatever lets you achieve that work / life balance.
So having some choice there is a luxury in itself, even if it doesn't always feel like it.

It used to be money. I pushed constantly for it, moving jobs every couple of years for better paid positions. But I was largely uncomfortable and unfulfilled. I think it's important to have enough money but it doesn't make you happier the more you have.

My career has plateaued since having DD but I compromised by staying in a corporate job I didn't always enjoy but with good benefits and pay and offset that with 3 day week and then 4 days when DD went to school.

I might have the chance to go for promotion this month. I'm not giving up my non-work day for it though. 5 days in 4 I could try but my sanity is more important.

Work life balance. Am in the process of looking a big career switch to different sector in my 30s.

But if we didn’t have a mortgage yet maybe i’d Be more focused on that.

Flexibility here.

I have a lovely job, 32 hours, pays well for an admin role, very flexible, lovely lovely colleagues.

Boring as hell work/thing that the company does, but worth it for the good stuff!

Flexibility is definitely important.

I teach....which in itself is inflexible in term time. I am at work by 7:15am and miss assembly, sports days etc.

BUT I get fantastic holidays and I can be home before other parents.

My husband can work quite flexibly so he drops off kids at breakfast club in the morning and works 1/2 days a week from home. I can pick up at 4:30om so kids get some after school activities and time with me. I then work after they're in bed.

So it's a balance with my husband too. He is in a job below his capabilities really buy it's one he loves, pays well enough and allow lots of flexibility.

I am recovering my career after a long time at part time and actually really enjoying having the opportunity to do so. Will be looking for HOD role soon. I'll never make headteacher after 10 years part time but I'm happy with that!

My kids are now both established in school so I feel like I can work more, and it's meant we can do things in the house and go on a foreign holiday etc.

So work life balance first. It has to work for me.
Then money - my salary is decent enough.

Unfortunately money has to come first as bills need to be paid, however I believe you should enjoy going to work as you spend so much time there and life balance is important.

Doing something I enjoy is most important to me. I have ADHD and just literally couldn’t do a job I found boring. I love working with people and advocating for them. It’s my passion. I’d be bored shitless doing anything else.

After that it’s Work/life balance. I work term time only, 30 hours a week over 5 days.
I’d love to drop down to 4 days, but it’s not financially realistic, so my working pattern is the best I could negotiate and still be able to pay the bills.

My salary isn’t setting the world alight, to be honest, and once my DC are older I will have to start considering moving in to senior management and bulking up my pension. I don’t relish the prospect but it will have to be done!

Pre kids
1 - enjoyment, excitement, colleagues (loved my job!!)
2 - money as needed to live in London
No work-life balance - my work was my life.

After kids
1 - work-life balance - I had to be around for them as DH worked away
2 - money as needed to earn
3 enjoyment - did what I had to do to keep roof over our heads. I still mostly enjoyed myself though but not in anythign like the same way.

This is quite an interesting post.

Work/life balance is important for me but so is career progression. I have been fortunate enough to move into roles within an organisation that's keen on agile working (can work from home 2-3 days a week as well as flexible hours so I can attend school assemblies etc).

I was able to secure a promotion within 21 months of returning from first mat leave and am hoping to secure my second promotion by the end of the year (which would have been 21 months after returning from my second mat leave). Some people may see this as slow career progression but I have been happy with the pace, as I returned to work full time after both periods of mat leave and it been an experience juggling work and raising the kids.

Most of my colleagues and friends are surprised that I work full time and I know some question whether I spend enough time with my kids but dh and I equally split drop offs and pick ups plus I haven't missed a school or nursery event yet. I am considering compressing my hours (5 days into 4) or reducing hours slightly when youngest starts school for a bit for flexibility, as these options aren't open to dh in his current employment.

Flexibility and job satisfaction but I already have a comfortable salary

Forgot to mention that being able to earn a decent salary with good perks is also a consideration but I have discounted promotions with substantial pay rises due to them requiring extensive travel around the country and possibly abroad. I doubt would consider such roles until the kids are much older i.e both in secondary school at least.

DH is the SAHP for us, so I don't have to worry about flexibility, though it is nice.

I currently condense 5 into 4 and have Friday off, but I'm changing job soon (for money / career progression) so won't have that flexibility for at least 6 months, if at all, afterwards.

However, I'm a career-changer and came to this profession late and in your first 5 years post-qualification you HAVE to maximise your salary as it plateaus after that point.

My new role is more money and responsibility, and a good next step for me whereby I'll either be able to progress into more niche work, go into management in my sector or leave my sector into management in another in a few years' time. It's opening doors I wouldn't have where I am now (and pays a good chunk more as I'm at the top of the - not very high considering our profession - pay grade).

I'm lucky that I have a good support network behind me; I know not everyone has that.