Wood to do a job below your capabilities/qualifications if it suited your family life and stress levels

[Moominmummy12]

Just debating wether to go for promotion because it feels like that’s what I should be doing rather than any particular desire to.

If you have a network of people so that it’s not always you looking after the kids when they’re sick, always the one going to assembly’s, sports days, sorting the weeks and weeks of school hols, I would hold out for a job that suits you not your family,

as mentioned above is not all an easy ride doing a job like you mentioned, as you’re not really a fit for the job you may not fit in with the rest of your team, they may drive you up the wall and yes sharp realising that you could do the job of your superiors probably better can be no fun, sometimes you can handle all that as you know it’s for the greater good but sometimes it can really get to you

I do. I work as a HLTA but I am a qualified teacher.

I did it originally, over 12 years ago now, as secondary teaching was affecting my health. I mic€d into prison education and then took a TA job nearer home when dd started school. Have been there ever since with an increased role and love what I do in an infant school. My role is actually way more than a ta job these days tbh, and I do much longer hours than I'm paid for, but I love it so don't really mind the fact that I'm earn far less than I would as a teacher. Luckily dh was incredibly supportive back then and is now, and earns a substantial amount more than I do which allows me to have the reduced income.

I have, recently. I have to say it would be easier not to go for promotion, as you’re considering, than to do what I did and take a new, junior, role. You’re constantly having to babysit fragile egos and it’s hard to talk about your own professional experience and how it bears on a situation without triggering someone. It’s hard work in a whole other way, and for less seniority / pay...

I did. Home life is much more important to me than work life.

I spent the first ten years of my working life climbing the ladder to chase the money and prestige because that’s what you’re ‘meant’ to do before realising it actually wasn’t me at all.

How old are you op? I am increasingly of an age that where if I don't make a few big leaps in the next 4-5 years I could get stuck working my working life out at below what I'm capable of. Older women are simply not hired for 'go getting' roles. I retrained whilst pregnant and then worked very part time when kids were little, I may have missed my chance, DH is in charge of his organisation I am not (although senior and have a job I love)...and it is frustrating as hell to not be quite senior enough to work on large culture change/systemic issues.
Where do you want to be in 5 or 20 years time? Funny forget to think about the long term

Yes

But it would have seemed the most awful prospect when I was younger, and the status and the money.

Then life threw a couple of curve balls. I ended up not working for a while, and decided I was never going back to my original field. Now it is less pay and much, much less status. And I'm much happier.

I don't know if I'd ever have had the maturity to look beyond the career path (and don't get me wrong, that was also something I loved doing) if I hadn't been interrupted I admire people who have made their choices (whichever way they decide) from their own volition, and not just reacting to events

I do a professional-level job, but it's probably a grade or two below my capabilities. I haven't found it a problem as I can generally outperform expectations and I offer my employers great 'value' for my paygrade. On the other hand, my sector is quite flexible so it is easy to develop a role beyond the original scope of the job-description. It might not be so easy somewhere very hierarchical. I also get the stimulation I need outside work, via freelancing and postgraduate study.

I do. I earn enough, there not much pressure. That's fine by me

The other thing is that I have already been up the ladder once and know what it's like, so I know what I am not missing!

The boredom though....and the frustration of watching people who earn twice what you do making the most god damn awful decisions.
It's mental torture.

Yes and I love it.

Yes I do. I have a 2:1 in English and Cultural History and could, in theory, work at a much higher level than I do. But I'm a single parent and I'm autistic and the stress of a 'career' plus family would wipe me out. I'm a professional gardener, self-employed so I choose my own hours to work around family life. The balance is perfect and I love the job. If I were to do my youth all over again I wouldn't have bothered with uni at all as family and job fulfilment are more important to me than having a high powered career. Everyone is different and fulfilled by different things, so what works for me may not work for others.

Yes I do this. I'm qualified to be a consultant in my specialty but do a lower grade job half time. DH is a consultant and works so hard and so many hours. No way could I have enjoyed the DC with both of us working at that rate.
Anyway, I just do the nice bits like seeing patients not all the management, sitting in meetings etc which bores me witless.
I'm approaching retirement now and no regrets

I do. Because I wanted better hours and less workload with two small children at home. I don't feel bad about it. I only find myself explaining my reasons if I bump into someone who knew me from years ago.

It suits me

Yes, it means I only work four short days a week so after school childcare is minimal, I also live close to work so I don’t have a commute. Our offices are very pricey and my employer is currently consulting to see if we prefer being able to work from home more, before lockdown you could only do a proportion of hours at home.

I still work in the same field, I did take a temporary promotion last year, but only so when I move back down I can maintain a slightly higher wage. I can’t see myself going full time again unless the excess hours could be done at home.

Yep, I have. I took early release from the civil service and then got a job in a supermarket. The hours suit me, I'm available for the school run for the grandchildren and can have them in the school holidays, and my husband is very supportive of it. Fair enough, I do most of the housework and all the admin but he does all the cooking. It works for us.
However, supermarket work is very stressful at the moment, as you can imagine! It won't be like that forever though.

Forgot to add, when my children were younger I had jobs that fitted round them, previously I worked in a bank but the hours I would have had to do wouldn't have been possible with young children.

Cheers for your replies.
I’m 52 so not got years left to climb ladder.
I think I like the idea of the promotion more than what it would entail.