Anyone not climbed the career ladder?

[Celebrityskin88]

For instance in the school I worked in, many teachers were clamouring for heads of department roles and eventually moving up to SLT. Friends of my age (30) mostly been promoted into managerial roles now.

I feel like it's a societal expectation that we have to keep progressing and climbing the ladder. Is there anyone who's just happy with the status quo and isn't interested in moving up?

Managing a team of people doesn't interest me particularly. And it sounds lazy but to some extent I just want an easy life, I don't really want a job with high stress and responsibilities for more money.

I've had comments from some people about how I could be 'doing more with my life' , and 'do I want to be in this role for the rest of my life?" And I don't understand it.

Anyone else?

Yes, I’m on the senior but not principal level. I made it clear on paper in my last annual review that I am not going for further promotion. I’m not many years off retirement now and have no intention of doing a more stressful role for what is ultimately not much more money at all.

The potential extra income was ‘spent’ on buying time /mental space rather than a newer car or fancier holidays

Argghh sorry but this drives me nuts.

The assumption that money is something only frivolous and materialistic people pursue.

How about a deposit for your child’s first home?

Replacing the roof when it collapsed (happened to me!)

Paying for a place at an independent school (it’s not for me but a lot of MNetters do.)

Having the freedom to buy something that is far from essential but will bring you a lot of happiness?

Not everyone who seeks promotions are ruthless self obsessed idiots. It’s sensible to seek financial security for you and your family.

So long as the none aspirational partner isn't pressuring the other to climb the career ladder for more income to meet their own financial desires but not trying to achieve themselves, which it sounds like isn't an issue for you as you say you want to live within your means, then it's an individual thing and of course no judgement.

I myself am very career orientated as I find I get bored at work quickly and want the next challenge, I also have a lot of aspirations personally that require more money so it's a two pronged thing.

I completely believe in work life balance, but it works both ways, can't have a good life balance if I'm not earning enough at work.

@blueshoes It's a bit unfair to suggest that if you don't want to climb the ladder and be constantly preoccupied with the next promotion that you must be 'working to live'. A lot of people very much enjoy the job they're doing and wouldn't enjoy the next level up (eg being a classroom teacher vs being head of year or head of department). They aren't just working to live, they can be passionate at their 'lower level' jobs.

Me. My last three managers have all been younger than me. I’m starting to feel embarrassed as my managers are getting younger. My problem I know.

Somewhat later than ideal I have now realised I want to progress. I have to. I’ve started to do something about it and am actively looking for promotion both internally and externally. I already earn more than average and maybe that made me a bit apathetic. I feel I’ve become stale and I don’t want to end my career on this salary. I want more.

@Aliceandthemarchhare

The potential extra income was ‘spent’ on buying time /mental space rather than a newer car or fancier holidays

Argghh sorry but this drives me nuts.

The assumption that money is something only frivolous and materialistic people pursue.

How about a deposit for your child’s first home?

Replacing the roof when it collapsed (happened to me!)

Paying for a place at an independent school (it’s not for me but a lot of MNetters do.)

Having the freedom to buy something that is far from essential but will bring you a lot of happiness?

Not everyone who seeks promotions are ruthless self obsessed idiots. It’s sensible to seek financial security for you and your family.

That’s how you interpreted my comment but it’s not what I intended. Of course the fundamentals need to be in place-otherwise why work at all? There is a clear difference between a job which allows for security and some comfort + time, and job which allows for luxuries but less time. (And yes, I am aware that this is a position of privilege.)

Depends on your definition of "luxuries", or if not definition but desire out of life, holidays are luxuries of course no denying that, but they are luxuries I'm not willing to go without, to me working harder to have more opportunity to explore the world is absolutely worth the "price", travel = fulfilment to me and living a full life, I need money for that! (Talking personally, I know not everyone sees travelling as living a full life).

Life is allll about the luxuries to me!

I've climbed to the top of my career, nowhere left to go unless I change career. But my work life balance is much better than it has ever been because I am in charge of my time. I do value the money for paying off mortgage, saving for DC future etc. Also travel a lot in non covid times. But I do have to be quite mentally tough to cope with the responsibilities of my job and the senior politics can be wearing.

Me! I have a technical role and have no-one reporting to me. If I moved up to a management position I’d probably earn 20% more but I get paid pretty well already and have decided I don’t need the stress of people management.

See I love travelling but if you’re working all hours in a stressful job you don’t get much time to enjoy it. I’m in a fortunate position in that I’m a contractor who has plenty of roles to choose from. So I was able to take 6 months off and live in Japan (I’d had holidays there before and wanted to experience more, learn some basic Japanese etc). I was able to just pick up another role when I got back. That’s how I choose to live my life now. I work and save then travel. Outside of covid of course! But then I don’t spend on other things to be able to afford to do that. I don’t run a car (live in London). No cleaner, gym membership stuff like that. I even do my own hair! (Well Dsis cuts it for me and I dye it). So in many ways I’m very frugal. My outgoings are tiny and I don’t miss/need any of that other stuff.

I would like to be a manager where I am but that's it really. I like not being married to my job and having time for me and my husband. I make enough money that I will be able to buy a house in the next year as I can save for a deposit, pay bills and have enough left over for for savings and treats. My husband had a booming business and was planing to expand but the stress was unreal so he's downscaled and makes similar to what I make now. We are both happier. Work to live, not live to work is firmly my motto with work. I have friends who are really climbing the ladder and getting into very professional roles. I'm happy for them and they're happy for me. No expectations.

I wish there wasn't this whole 'lacking ambition' thing and expectations to move up but who cares what others think I guess.

People have very narrow ideas about what 'ambition' and 'success' are. Perhaps your ambition is having work/life balance or a low stress life - that's no less an ambition than wanting to get to the top of the career ladder. Knowing yourself, what you want and honouring that is very important - more important than just going along for the ride because its what you feel like you should be doing.

For what it's worth, I'm completely with you! I'm well educated and could have done 'more' but im perfectly happy where i am!

I would say I have and am climbing the career ladder. However you're not being unreasonable in the slightest. Anyone who's suggested you are or that you are lazy etc aren't very nice people.

We all have different priorities in life. Do what's right for you and your family 😊. If we were all the same the world would be a very boring place.

@Aliceandthemarchhare that’s an interesting point though. A cushy job won’t be that way forever - if you were made redundant would no progression be unattractive to employers?
People might want to see at least role changes not the exact same thing for 20 years

Also I am climbing but have no desire to be a manager either - more money for less work is my motto

Me. I work for myself from home. If I worked full time I'd be reasonably wealthy as my hourly rate is good. But I am essentially lazy. I love spending hours going for walks, watching the birds, reading books, so I work just enough hours to mean we don't need to worry about money, and we live pretty simply anyway. I think I have a better life than people who are working from dawn to midnight most days just so they can have a new car every few years, the latest kitchen and skiing holidays. But they'd probably disagree.

@Meruem

See I love travelling but if you’re working all hours in a stressful job you don’t get much time to enjoy it. I’m in a fortunate position in that I’m a contractor who has plenty of roles to choose from. So I was able to take 6 months off and live in Japan (I’d had holidays there before and wanted to experience more, learn some basic Japanese etc). I was able to just pick up another role when I got back. That’s how I choose to live my life now. I work and save then travel. Outside of covid of course! But then I don’t spend on other things to be able to afford to do that. I don’t run a car (live in London). No cleaner, gym membership stuff like that. I even do my own hair! (Well Dsis cuts it for me and I dye it). So in many ways I’m very frugal. My outgoings are tiny and I don’t miss/need any of that other stuff.

Your life is my idea of heaven. I'd do the same but DH doesn't want to travel that often.

Gave up being a manager juggling my professional job with managing others to doing the actual job full time. Best thing I ever did. Management is not for everyone, and where I worked there was a lot of pressure and responsibility with your authority constantly undermined. Wished I had given up the management side years ago.

Agree op. Horses for courses isn't it.

See I love travelling but if you’re working all hours in a stressful job you don’t get much time to enjoy it.

I suppose it depends on sector, I've found the more senior I've gotten the more leave I've been able to negotiate and the more I manage my own time, I think I feel less stressed now than when I was a junior level and having to deal with customers. Each promotion has meant more responsibility but not more time, the responsibility doesnt stress me out. You'll never catch me working past 5pm unless I have something very big on or if I'm getting my flexi up, I've knocked off for the week to enjoy this sunny afternoon in my garden

You know that feeling when you think about jobs/roles you would like to do, this was me. Aged 18 I was a Civil servant at a particular grade, throughout my working life I had a bash at all those jobs I fancied doing, finally ending up back in the civil service at a lower grade than when I originally joined.
When I retired early 2017 I retired at the same grade as I started at aged18!
I know that I am capable and had I stuck at it I would have retired at a better grade and with a bigger pension.
I hated being a manager, I wasn't paid enough for the hassle and unfortunately many people just are not cut out for such a role and most "progressions" involve becoming a manager.

I suppose it's about how you define success and "climbing the ladder", which a lot of people seem to be equating with changing job roles. I have a job that I thoroughly enjoy and I'm passionate about. The pay is decent and I have a good work-life balance (term time only). I manage a couple of people but they're both very part time and low maintenance from a line-management pov, if anything they make my life easier! I'm not "progressing" in the sense of being promoted because there's nowhere for me to go, unless I was to move into a different field or a different kind of organisation altogether. But I don't want to do that because I'm very happy where I am so I'm progressing in other ways. I'm starting a Master's degree this year (funded by my employer), developing my own role and making improvements to the organisation I work in all the time. I think it's wrong to assume that if someone stays in the same job role for a significant period of time they lack ambition. I am very ambitious for myself, the organisation I work in and the community we serve. I also know when I'm onto a good thing and there's nothing wrong with that.

I jumped off management pole at age 40, (now 48) set up as a specialist consultant. The next management level up meant basically handing over my life. Both DH and I now work part time, as he did similar a couple of years ago. We haven't touched our savings from that time, so they are there if needed. Stayed in a reasonably modest house so we could pay off mortgage. It was well worth it, but only because I know we have money to fall back on and potential to increase the amount we work if needed

Op, I’m with you on this. I’m a ft classroom teacher but not interested in managerial positions. I love teaching, hate paperwork, and have a life. I use my free time and energy to challenge myself in other ways . I help my partner with his business and generate extra money that way, and have a big creative project that I hope may also make me some money one day. I don’t want to move up, but sideways.

Yep. I'm 62 and a cleaner. I have NEVER wanted to be in a position of authority. My wife spent years in effect practice managing the GP's surgery she works at but never applied for the role (after a succession of managers came and went) because she didn't want the responsibility. Loved doing the job, had the whole thing running like clockwork, knows the systems inside and out but doesn't want to have to deal with dickhead management on a daily basis.