To ask if you changed job as a direct result of having kids?

[u32ng]

What job did you do pre-kid(s) and then what did you do post-kid(s). Any regrets?

I'm on maternity leave (again) but am at the stage of planning my return to work. Initially it should be straightforward but then I will have to return to my 2.5hr each way commute. Crap with 1 kid but near impossible with 2 (DH has to pick up all the slack - very unfair). Moving is a very unlikely option for various reasons and job is specialised so would have to switch entirely. So I am just nosey interested to see what people changed to I suppose for inspiration...and what mistakes to avoid!

Yes, I couldn't do my job and have children so I quit. I'm trying to retrain in a different field now.

Yes. I was a manager in education in a relatively senior position, but working long hours and with unpredictable finish times. My request for reduced hours was rejected, so I took up a much more junior role at a different institution, 3 days a week. I now have a new position at the University which I enjoy, and work 3 days in the office and 1 from home. I will never earn what I did previously, but my new employer is so flexible and family friendly that I don't regret it at all.

I moved from a decently paid job in banking because it was completely impossible for us to find childcare early enough in the morning for me to get to work on time, due to an early starting time and a long commute. On the one hand, I don't regret it because I was miserable where I was anyway. On the other hand, for over ten years now I have been stuck with temporary and fixed term contracts because permanent jobs just don't seem to exist, particularly in the public sector which is where most of the work in my area is. I haven't had access to a workplace pension and I earn a lot less per hour than I did pre children, before you even factor in inflation.

But I don't regret it because there is no point as I had absolutely no other alternatives available.

I think I'm going to have to change. Currently pg with my first - I have a fairly long commute into London where I have a senior marketing role in the arts - poor pay, terrible maternity package, long hours! I do enjoy it, but don't know how I can possibly manage it with a kid. Not sure what else to do though...all a bit depressing TBH.

Same company but I've gone from full time (fee earning - decent performance related bonus) to part time accounts role (chasing debtors, sending invoices, admin for the accounts team).... thankfully there has been no drop in salary but it's been prorated of course. No more bonuses but I'm fine with that.

Chance for internal promotion if I want move back to full time in future.

Commute is fine I can walk it but I did commute an hour each way for a decade pre DC.

Isn't it shocking how many people have to go for lower-paying, less senior roles simply because they want to have children?

I was a police officer. Front line response etc
Tbh I knew when TTC that if we had children I'd want to leave, but have actually taken a career break for 5 years so there is a job for me when I go back.
However the hours are awful, high risk of daily assault/injury, late finishes almost every day, DH commutes into London and is out the house roughly 6-7 and I just don't know how we would do drop offs etc
No close family nearby.

I'm expecting to retrain or not work at all. I'd like to do something (for my pension and for my brain!) so am doing some voluntary work and hope that when it comes to it, it'll help me get a job again.

I worked in social housing but then gave up / gpt made redundant whilst on maternity leave. I'd like to go back to something similar when DS is at an age to go to nursery

I went back to work in marketing part time after DS1 was born. Had DS2 and born with lots of disabilities so have never gone back to work !!!
Now I'm paid £60 a week to be a full time carer to my DS

I am seriously considering a change before my son starts primary school, but anything with more family friendly hours and a shorter commute would mean a significant pay cut. I currently commute 1.5 hours into London (grew up in London but now can't afford to live there). Have worked my way up to middle management in a large organisation. Enjoy my job but would like to do something with a bit more meaning.

Yep, I was in banking. Did return for a while after DS1 but it didn't really work so I resigned but was offered a five year career break. I then had twin DD's and never went back. I had a few years as a SAHM, getting involved as a volunteer in a couple of areas and then I got a very part time job with a charity, followed a slightly less part time job with a different charity and then got promoted to my current job with that charity. I am far happier and although at first it was a pay cut I now earn a reasonable salary for a flexible, part time (24 hours pw + occasional extra), working from home role that I mostly enjoy. And my DC's are all adults now.

I was an HR Manager commuting into London daily. I didn't want to do that with kids so for that (and other) reason I gave it up and started my own business as an HR consultant for SMEs. Enables me to do the school run a few times a week and I can always do anything at the school- sports day, plays, open afternoons, everything, because I can arrange my diary round it.

I think having DD affects me job/career choices. For example, we are being relocated in my current role and it would really have an impact on my commute and the times I drop/pick DD up. Luckily, I got the first job I applied for - and the first thing I did was check was how close it was to DD's school.

I am seriously considering it :( . Am tied to my organisation for 18 months but a new work pattern is just about to be implemented which will make it extremely difficult for me to continue. Same old story really: longish commute, no family nearby, DH with fairly inflexible job so drop offs and pick ups a real struggle. Life is too short ao I am looking within the organisation for something more flexible. It will probably be a more junior role. If I could afford it I would reduce my hours dramatically.

Dropped to part time (4 days) on return to work after DS2 and made it clear to bosses that I can't take on the projects I used to....12-14 hr days and too much stress. Now work on much smaller projects, can pick up DCs from nursery around 5ish and get one day a week of just me and the DCs which I love!

Yes - Went from private practice (law) to in-house after DC2. Both full-time roles but I found the pressure of daily hours targets in private practice really difficult and also felt that I'd been side-lined after having my first child.

I still work long hours now but there is definitely more flexibility and quality of work is prioritised over number of hours. I actually took a pay rise by moving, which is pretty unusual.

Yup.

Licensed conveyancer up until having DD. SAHM for three years, worked in family business then started my own upon marital split.

Yes, I went from being office manager to childminder. Kids have ASD and I didn't want to put them in childcare. I like kids and messy play and stuff like that, it's worked out ok. Not as much money but it fits around my family.

I am a social worker. After maternity leave I moved to a team which is office based as I couldn't work in child protection anymore - not so much the emotional side but didn't want to be working until 9/10/midnight anymore

I worked in travel but after having DD, I started my own business, slowly and steadily, working my own hours. I now have a thriving company and can wrap that around DD's school hours. It took a lot of planning and time but I made it work. It did help that DD was a good sleeper and I like late nights!

This thread is making for quite depressing reading! I was a manager in local government. Asked for a job-share or reduced hours after having DD1 10 years ago and didn't get it so left for an 18 hour a week local government job which was brilliant but my whole department was axed as I got pregnant with DD2. I then didn't work for 2 years and had to take very part-time, very junior jobs for a couple of years which fitted in with children and got something onto my CV. I've now been 2 1/2 years part-time in a university admin job which is fantastic in terms of flexibility and not badly paid but I am missing out on opportunities because I can't work full-time hours.

Area sales manager pre DC, lots of travel within my ( large) area and head office/overseas office over nighters and client entertaining. Took 1 years maternity but didn't go back and took a year off ( DH high earner fortunately).
I now work freelance as a sales consultant and pick and choose when to work, taken August off due to school holidays for example.

Same job (lawyer) but went part time and reduced hours. Also completely off promotion track.

It's worked up till now but suspect I will be first for the axe in any downturn.

Yes I did - but I am a serial job changer anyway :o

I was a secondary school teacher before having my DC1 (but that was already my 2nd career having previously done office based work for 6 years) and then became a child minder so as to earn and be with DC1.

I did try going back to teaching on a 60% timetable straight after maternity leave, but my head teacher wasn't especially supportive about part time and made it clear he wanted me to return to full time asap, and my school worked on a 2 weekly time table so going 3 days a week wasn't an option - I ended up paying for full time child care because I was in school on every day of the week over the two week time table (I had a clear day off each week but it wasn't the same day on both the timetable weeks, and other free time for which I wasn't paid and theoretically not available for cover but often got asked to do cover or have informal meetings about a pupil or got dragged into work discussions), which was pants, and I ended up working 5 days for 3 days pay too, because it was too hard to do marking and prep at home at night with a non sleeping baby.

I actually ended up slightly better off as a child minder than teaching for 60% pay and paying for full time childcare, as I lived in a high demand area and filled my spaces almost immediately, plus it was a better lifestyle at the small child stage.

We moved abroad and I now do something else again, which fits better around school age children because I go to work, work hard, but then leave it at the door and come home, and on fixed early shifts I don't have to have primary school kids in child care past 3pm.

I do sometimes regret no longer having high earning potential, but tbh I left that behind with my first job, which paid better than teaching. A positive is that I can always find work - I am definitely flexible and willing to try any type of work :o TBH ironically admitting the kids are my priority now helped me get the job I have now as it explains the career change, which might have been puzzling otherwise. I have somewhat kept my options open as I still teach a couple of adult education evening classes.