is this a mad thing to do for my career?

[Dilemmamamma]

So, age 51, last 25 years of career in senior management roles in public/non profit sector. Considering taking a very different 'entry level' job as an Admin Assistant in another organisation because its part time and I need to simplify my life for a few years with a less demanding job to spend more time with DC and aging parents - its not just the hours, its the head space I need. Just don't want the responsibility at the moment. Want a job I don't need to 'take home'. Will be a big hit on my salary but am hoping to be 'poorer but happier'. Is this totally mad at my age and kissing goodbye to future career prospects? I do have to work and may want/need to get back into more senior stuff in 7-8 years time (eg if DC go to Uni). I'll be working until in my 70s no doubt!

Could you go part time in a senior mgmt role instead? Less money but more free time and you keep at tye same level for when/if you are ready for full time again?

Have you actually got the job or is this wishful thinking?

You might find it difficult to go back to a senior position of you spend the next 7-8 years in an admin role. Would you not be better party time at a senior level, or self employed on a projects/consultancy basis?

Try and stay at your level but go part time?
Or work flexibly such as four longer days.
I think aged 60 having worked part time for years you’ll struggle to get that higher paying job again.
Also, don’t underestimate how much you’ll miss the money.

If you're used to working at senior level for such a long time be prepared for the culture shock of an entry level job. Your working pattern may be inflexible and closely monitored by your supervisor, to the extent that how long you spend in the toilet may be noted. You may be micromanaged by someone who wasn't born when you started work and regards you as competition or a dinosaur. You may need to bite your tongue and may find the situation very frustrating and actually more stressful than your current position.
Have you considered looking for a part-time role at your current level? Could you do a job share? Become a consultant? Do shorter, fixed term contracts?

Have got an interview for the admin job so may not get it but thinking it all through in case I do get offered it . Am already part time in my existing senior role but I find it stressful thinking about work, worrying about work etc when I'm not at work and often bring work home (I've always been like that in most jobs - I'm a bit all or nothing type of person).

If that is the way you are, why do you think having an entry level job will be less stressful? You'll still be consumed by it but have way less power and ability to actually make any meaningful changes or improvements.
Have you considered looking into techniques to help you not stress about work when you are not there? I think that might help and then you wouldn't need to give up your job.

Given the type of person you describe yourself as, even if you take the admin job, you'll think about it at home and be frustrated because you'll see how things could be better and might disagree with management decisions, when they realise how capable you are they'll be asking you to take on extra tasks, or consider promotion etc

I don't think you are wrong to want what you describe at all, but wonder if you will get the job you have applied for because the interviewers will assume that you actually want/will want very soon something more senior and are therefore not worth wasting time on.

I hope I am mistaken, and wish you all the best.

I personally wouldn’t take on an admin assistant who used to be a senior manager, as I’d assume they may not understand how difficult the work is. AA’s or PAs or EAs, if they are good, will work right alongside the senior managers they work for — preparing papers / speaking notes / analysis / running meetings — that means working weekends and evenings too. I often like to hire professional admin assistants for the job. But I work in IB so expectations might be different. In our industry a senior PA can often be a senior manager level.

I've done something similar recently, I was in a managerial role but took a less senior role which was part time but in the same industry. A substantial hit in the pocket as well.

The pros are

I work very close to home so I'm home by 5.05 pm, no sitting in traffic.
I don't think about work when I get home
I'm emotionally happier
I have more time and headspace.

The cons are

I find it frustrating that the firm I work for is so disorganised and set in their ways. I can see so many ways to streamline their procedures but I can't because I'm no longer a decision maker.
I am pretty skint, just about manage to make ends meet but have had to rein in the spending quite a bit.
I see the way the management run the office and it's not how I would do it but I have to button it and do as they say!
They've seen I'm capable so are squeezing all they can out of me for not much more than the minimum wage 😡🥊.

To be honest I'm weighing up whether I've made the right decision or not. I can't make my mind up.

Tanfastulic raises good points.

This raised question marks for me
may want/need to get back into more senior stuff in 7-8 years time (eg if DC go to Uni). I'll be working until in my 70s no doubt!
Trying to move back into that aged 60 will be tricky

What Tanfastic says

I am not nearing retirement age but work part-time admin to fit family. It is ok but be prepared to be looked down upon by people half your age with half the qualifications\life experience. Really you should try to negotiate staying at your current grade but going flexible, in my experience admin staff are generally very good otherwise they don’t last but salary/career prospects are similar to shop staff, cleaning etc.

No way. You’ll take a huge hit to your pension and it will be shitter than you’re expecting in role anyway. Also no way will you easily step back into another ace joe role in a few years time.

Try and stay at your current level but with reduced or compressed hours or see if you can take a sab for a few months to reset.

Can you stay in your existing role and out source other things to make your home life easier ? Do you do things like out source food shopping, cleaning, ironing, child care, some care for parents ? Do you have a partner/husband who can help out more ? Personally, I would not sacrifice my job first, I would look at changing things out side work first.

If you leave your current job, you will be sacrificing your life now and your future. Can you take some holiday or unpaid leave to sort out things to be more efficient outside work ?

You'd be royally fucking yourself over to leave the level you're at. Can't you go even more part time, have another day off?

I understand where you are coming from regarding wanting less stress and responsibility and hours. But you will find being a junior without the ability to change things really hard. And you'll end up frustrated and quite frankly a pain in the arse to your boss!
I say that kindly. I am a manager of people, process and infrastructure. It's hard work but it's what I'm good at. And my team are skilled in each of their areas.
As others have said, think of a different way. Maybe a consultancy position where you can choose your days but do the same level of work

If you work in the admin role, you may just add money issues on top of your existing problems

I would be surprised if you got the admin role as you are seriously over qualified. If you got the interview, they are probably curious why you even applied. Be prepared to spend a lot of time at the interview explaining why you want to do this and why this is for the long term.

I am with other posters in the 'don't do it camp'. If you are prepared to quit anyway, why not quit to a different organisation which has a more manageable senior role. This could be a smaller organisation, fewer reports, smaller role or the no.2 or senior manager role. There is a huge guff between senior management and admin assistant. It is not all or nothing.

I suspect you might just be burnt out which is not a good state to be making career decisions that may have a permanent effect on your ability to get out of and require you to eat shite from people less competent or experienced than you but talk down to you like they know better. I always thought it if I was going to put up with bad working conditions, the only way I'd do it is to be paid for it. But with an admin assistant, you are getting shat on and not paid.

With a half-way house role, you are less likely to burn your bridges when you are ready to gear up again. You are also more likely to convince the interviewers that it is a realistic step down but not too much of an adjustment and you are going to stay. Your manager will also not be as young as your child.

I agree with the others it will be a different type of stress/frustration at the admin job. Possibly a better answer is to stay where you are but try to change your thinking - can you try meditation or mindfulness to reduce taking your current work home?. It sounds fluffy and I was the worlds biggest cynic but prompted by my kids I have got much better at this. Often it's not the job that forces you to take it home but yourself.

I am in a similar position in terms of having a senior management job and wanting to work p/t & lower stress for the next few years (but very bad at leaving work behind!) The way I've approached it is to look for more junior positions but with a particular specialism in which I have some experience but not expertise. That way, I hope to achieve work-life balance in the shorter term but still with some progression and end goal in mind. I also hope this will make interviews more convincing as I have a genuine enthusiasm for the subject. Specifically the one I have on Monday!

I am only 42 with v young children so am at a slightly different life point from you, but even so it may be worth considering.

I think you’d find it very difficult to return to a senior manager role in 7yrs time. I also think you’ll find it difficult to get offered an entry level admin role after being a senior manager for 25yrs. You’ll be viewed as over qualified and over experienced.

Also don’t assume that entry level jobs are without their stresses. You’ll also have money stress to add into the mix plus the drop in salary will significantly impact your pension.

If you already work part time have you considered CBT or other mechanisms as to how you deal with and react to stress?

What Yamaaan12 said.