AIBU - to apply for a job I did 20 years ago on half of my recent salary, so I can to walk to work?

[anon666]

I'm currently taking a career break to study and have a break to do some life stuff. It's heaven, the house is sorted, I've learnt new skills.

However I have to go back to work at some point and I've never applied for a job without having a job before, so no idea what to expect. I was meant to be weighing up my options and priorities but am no closer to solving the work-life balance dilemma. I want to be challenged but I don't want to spend 24/7 at the office.

A local job has come up. It would be a huge step down for me, going back perhaps 18 years in my 25 year career. It has two selling points. One is that I could walk to work. The second is that as it is in a different sector, I would then preserve my element of final salary pension from my other career.

I've anonymised myself so I can say that the job salary range is up to £58k. From experience of mumsnet, I hope this isn't too triggering for people who think that's an excessive salary.

It's London, I'm very well qualified and experienced at a high level in a well paid profession, so relatively speaking this would be a fairly low salary for my skills. Someone with my level of qualifications, skills and experience could be earning £120k as a Director, or much more as a partner/consultant.

I'm not too bothered about the actual money. I don't acquire stuff, don't have a big house, one car household. I've never owned a designer item in my life, and am mainly saving up to half my salary for an early retirement. My main and probably only worry is that once I have moved down the career ladder, will that permanently tarnish my CV? Will it look odd and prevent me stepping up again?

I'll be honest, COVID is part of the reason I want to be walking distance rather than commuting into London. As another side point I'd love to be home earlier to be here for my teenage daughters who will leave home in the next few years.

Every time I hit this work-life dilemma I've chosen work. This career break is the first time in my workaholic life I've chosen life instead. I have a sneaking suspicion there is a feminist root underlying this, in that no-one ever advises a man to take a more junior position paid half as much so he can achieve a work-life balance......

AIBU?

TBH as you’re very focused on work-life balance but open to earning less for convenience, why not look for work on your level but part time? You might be romanticising the joys of walking to work and find taking orders harder than you think!

If you were say 3 days a week at your current level, you’d earn the same and have lots more time?

I wonder how the future of employment will look if people put quality fo life above careers ?

With Covid too you’d likely be working from home for the foreseeable, and if the job is London i imagine you’ll have plenty of options? Personally I wouldn’t do it.

I'd go for it. Am also slightly jealous.

@anon666

I think you're right about COVID. I presume there will be loads of people having to compromise whether they like it or not. 😳

Including me. I've no idea whether I will even get an interview with it being so far back in my career. I've done a lot since. They might also think I'm overqualified.

My main worry is - what if it's still really stressful but just less money? 🤔

Can you do some due diligence? Find out what the work culture/expectations are?

I went for the job I have now because it was recommended to me. I then asked this contact to let it be known I was interested and then had an informal chat with the hiring manager. All this before even applying. So by the time I put the application in I knew a) the job was likely to deliver on the work/life balance I wanted b) that they weren't going to disregard me as overqualified as I had done enough to alleviate their concerns in this regard

In the interview I made sure I stressed my interest in the role and passion for what we could achieve together. I don't think they found out about me having two children before offering me the job. It was more generally a conversation about the importance of flexibility in maintaining a motivated and loyal workforce.

YANBU to return to a job you did 20 years ago. I was really ambitious and got to C level - but then discovered that actually it meant more time doing what I didn't like so much, and less time doing what I love. So I changed back and have gone "down the ladder" in that sense. But I love what I do so it's a win for me. All your goals - close to home, being their for your DDs are great - go for it.

I left a London job(wish it was close to that salary!!!) but to get my same salary in Kent I'd have to be very high up management. But I hated it, cried every day on the way into work. The drop in salary is worth its weight in gold for your mental health

I think you need to do quite a lot of due diligence and soul searching. What's the culture like - how would you feel if the job was super-stressful but you were only getting half the money?

Where do you want to be in 5/10/15 years? Could you crack on at your current level for 10 years and then retire? Because at age 50, that is much more appealing to me than doing another 20 years even if I could walk to work.

It will be hard to get an interview - many companies are suspicious of people downsizing. And that's before you bring Covid into it.

But if you can go through all that and still think it's right for you - why not?

My main worry is - what if it's still really stressful but just less money?

Give it a try for a few months, and if you find that's the case then quit, and leave it off your CV.

It'll be like it never happened!

I just did this! Left £120k pa job in December 2019 after 20 years climbing to the top. Very stressful and lots of long hours but I loved it. Sort of enjoyed the oddest career break with my children during lockdown then returned to work two weeks ago. Earning half what I was before and a few rungs down the ladder but goodness so far it is great! I can also walk to work, my salary is still very ample especially after higher rate tax impact and my new role is interesting and flexible. My lack of impressive job title doest bother me at all although I thought it would as I was so defined by my career for 20 years. Just feel so much happier already and I see my lovely family every single day. Precious given they are teens now and childhood time seems to be slipping away. Oh and I think i might be a nicer less stressed, tired, run ragged mum too....

Do you ever plan to go back into the career earning 120k?

Because from experience I can tell you - some companies look at your last drawn salary.

You would need to sell it very well to the new roles recruiter. It will be a hard sell because the question will always be 'she is using this as a interim role' 'couldnt find anything suitable' 'over qualified' etc etc

i dont think you could use the justification that you want a step back from the rat race- i think that would come across poorly

I would maybe concentrate on the role itself and the industry - stepping away from your current industry etc

Id go for it

Maybe. But via my network not recruiters. After 20 years I feel sure at least for a few years this is feasible. But yes any longer than that I would struggle to go back. Hopefully I won't want too!

Will this tarnish your CV? Yes. Will this make you happy? Yes.

I would try and negotiate up to £20k more - especially is your £120k salary is the norm for your sector and experience. Your potential employers will know this and you can hopefully find a middle ground.

Never undersell yourself and also, it gives you a better position to future negotiate with a) your (potential) current employers in future and b) it’s easier to explain/negotiate with future external employers.

Other than that, a drop in salary when you’re able to meet your outgoings AND get a better quality of life is worth a serious compromise. I’d be fucking delighted to be in that position

Could you try the job for 6 months and say to future recruiters that you were specifically avoiding a train commute during the pandemic?

If you are over 50, you may never want to go back to the stressful full-on commuting version, but instead start to relax in an easy job and then unwind to retirement over the next 15 years.

If you need a change then definitely make one. I think you’d struggle to go back to where you are now if you go down. How far away are you from retirement? Is part-time working an option? If you want a career change and can do without saving so much go for it.

YAN really BU but would you get the job? Don't underestimate how reluctant most managers would be to have someone with your talent and experience reporting in to them. I also agree that they won't see you in it for the long haul.

I agree Covid is the perfect excuse for why you took the job when it come to your CV / future jobs.

Agree with empty - how likely are you to get the job? Many employers might feel 'threatened' by your seniority.

And it depends how old you are and what you want for the future, I have taken a job earning a fraction of what I used to earn and much less 'seniority', but I love what I do (third sector), have loads of autonomy and genuinely feel that, in some small way, 'I make a difference'. I too can walk to work ... but I am over 60 with no intention of getting back into 'career mode'.

I too am in the same situation. No where near your salary level. But from 30k to 18k. I can walk and have no stress. Other job is 25k and alot of stress. Walkable.too though.. ergh

Do it. I did a similar this. Don't regret it at all.

You will probably never be able to get the seniority back. Not saying you shouldn’t do it - but don’t kid yourself, unless the new company promotes you within, you may well be stuck.

I am not sure you have looked at enough options - this is really a very “extreme” set of options. As others have said I would explore part time roles, different tracks (like support lawyer not fee earner), perhaps wait for a more senior role but in the new location.

Etc. Don’t jump just because this option happens to be there without looking for something even better that could deliver a bit more of both...

Also being a lot more junior than you are used to can be quite annoying.....

Lots of really useful feedback, thank you very much.

Sorry I haven't replied individually, I'm trialling a time limit app to reduce my mobile screen time. That needed to happen.

Truth is that it was stressful, but in retrospect I found more junior jobs more stressful not less. Well, perhaps a different type of stress. You have less control over the deliverables and deadlines, which can mean being overloaded.

However, the stress of being more senior was watching my back more, being aware of political maneouvring, plus what to do about it - if anything.

I think there has been a great balance of pros and cons here, thank you "hive mind". I would never have got this breadth of thought by myself - Mumsnet at its best.