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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To take a massive pay cut

122 replies

CaptainChannel · 01/10/2021 07:25

I am a very unhappy teacher earning just shy of 37k. The job is making me ill and unhappy and I plan to leave at Xmas.
I would like to change careers completely but to do so involves a large paycut. I have applied for and been invited for an interview in my industry of interest, but the role is advertised at 23k. It's a job I'd love to do but the salary isn't great and obviously by leaving teaching I give up the school holidays with my DC.
DH is tentatively supportive as he knows how miserable I am as a teacher, but obviously 23k is a low starting salary for a graduate in her mid 30s. If I was to be offered the job

Pros are almost no commute, my 2 Dc will not have to attend breakfast club anymore, it's well away from teaching but still linked to education, hopefully I wouldn't cry on the way to and from work every day.
Cons are obviously the lower salary, loss of holidays, loss of teacher pension.

I could attempt to negotiate the salary up a bit but it's not something I've done before!

So do I stick with teaching as it's relatively well paid and just suck up my feelings on it, or take the financial hit and follow what I want to do. As a family we can afford it although it would dent our disposable income.

OP posts:

ssd · 01/10/2021 07:26

You really need to ask?????

Original poster

CaptainChannel · 01/10/2021 07:28

Yes, I'd be interested in other peoples views as it's a very big pay cut and effects my pension too.

OP posts:

MavisMonkey · 01/10/2021 07:31

You're only in your 30's so you won't stay on 23k forever. What are the possibilities for career progression in the new industry. Number one priority is to be mentally well but you could set yourself a goal that you do the role for 18 months and then seek a promotion in your new field.

coodawoodashooda · 01/10/2021 07:31

Im a teacher. I get it. In fact one of my colleagues just resigned yesterday. That is a massive paycut. Whilst you are stressed now you will also be stressed half way through January when you look in your bank account and see not much. January is hard enough on your regular wage.
Id cut down one day teaching. Find some short cuts at work. Plough extra money into a pension and gey out early. Play the long game.
Imagine every month that £800 buy you a year or five out of teaching early.

stripetop · 01/10/2021 07:31

Do you think it's teaching that's causing it or this job.

I ask because for me the loss of holidays and the childcare that would follow would push me to look for a different teaching job rather than a different career.

Coriandersucks · 01/10/2021 07:31

I mean it sounds so obvious when you write it down - leave the job that’s making you miserable life’s too short to live like that etc. But easier said than done when you’ve been used to that kind of income, knowing that you can give your children what they want whenever without having to think too much, knowing there’s a bit of financial security for the future. It’s a really difficult decision when you’re in that situation - I know because I’m in the exact same position as you although not in teaching.

Still, knowing all this first hand, I would still without doubt say to you to take the lower paid job, if you can afford it then your mental health is more valuable to your family than any salary.

I might try and take this advice myself! Good luck

Coronado2 · 01/10/2021 07:32

Do it. It's not worth staying in a job that makes you cry every day.
Much better for your children to have a happy mum than a mum that is home in the holidays all the time.

Slidesswingsandtears · 01/10/2021 07:35

Have you tried changing schools or role first? I was looking at changing careers 4 years ago, but saw a job in the school I attended as a pupil. I work 4 days, love the management style and I do the bare minimum to be "good enough". Far happier for it, enjoy the job and a better work life balance. I'm a single parent too and the wage is fine. I am In Scotland though where our system is different.

ililililil · 01/10/2021 07:36

I've just accepted a job with the EXACT salary drop you describe for exactly the same reasons.

Life is too short, you need to try and find happiness.

Although I have all the same reservations that you do

Feel free to PM.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 01/10/2021 07:37

Honestly - it’s hard to give advice as I’ve never been a teacher- but I would struggle to give up the money and the holidays- if it was just the money or the holidays I’d say do it but that’s going to be a huge wack to pay for holiday clubs, child care etc.

DaisyDaisydoo · 01/10/2021 07:37

I’m a graduate in my 30’s earning 24k (full time equiv. I’m part time so actually earn way less). I left a solid career path and I could be earning way more if I had stayed, but I just wasn’t passionate about it. I love my job now and I feel so fortunate that I am in a position where I can choose to take the pay hit. If you can afford it you are lucky too- do it! You won’t regret it. Also for what it’s worth my partner is a teacher and even though he loves it, the stress is unbelievable, I can’t imagine doing that job if your heart wasn’t fully in it. Good luck at your interview

Original poster

CaptainChannel · 01/10/2021 07:37

There are opportunities to progress, but I don't think massive salaries are a thing in the industry so I'll never earn what a could as a teacher.
I've tried cutting down from HoD to line teacher but that hasn't really worked! The school isn't great and maybe part time at another school would be better. I just few a bit broken by it and I'm not present for my DC.

OP posts:

Blahdyblahbla · 01/10/2021 07:38

What will you do with your dc in the holidays? I ask as if you have to factor in holiday clubs etc you will need to take another few thousand of earned income off to cover that.
Will it impact on the dynamic of your marriage?
Could you try teaching at another school?

Original poster

CaptainChannel · 01/10/2021 07:38

@ililililil

I've just accepted a job with the EXACT salary drop you describe for exactly the same reasons.

Life is too short, you need to try and find happiness.

Although I have all the same reservations that you do

Feel free to PM.

Thank you I will Pm you!

OP posts:

FellInLoveWithABanana · 01/10/2021 07:38

Only you can answer that question. Better the devil you know?

There’s more to life than money

ThankyouForListening · 01/10/2021 07:40

The holidays would be the clincher for me.
I don’t think I’d be able to get over not having school holidays.
Though the teacher pension is also a good one. My good friend just retired at 55yrs old and she’s able to do that because of her pension.
Can you move jobs and see how that goes?

Original poster

CaptainChannel · 01/10/2021 07:40

@Blahdyblahbla

What will you do with your dc in the holidays? I ask as if you have to factor in holiday clubs etc you will need to take another few thousand of earned income off to cover that. Will it impact on the dynamic of your marriage? Could you try teaching at another school?

I guess a combination of annual leave, holiday clubs and grandmas. We are lucky to live near both grandmas who love to spend time with them. But yes it is a massive consideration as we've never had to think about the holidays, I'm just there.

OP posts:

Blueblue37 · 01/10/2021 07:40

I have done it before, I left a very well paying corporate job due to my mental health (was very bad to the point that I was having very “dark thoughts”).

Took me a year to recover mentally and even now I sometimes get flashbacks from the job so I understand what it’s like to be badly affected by a job…. But….

I had to get a lower paid job and try to re build my salary back up and again I wasn’t happy! As in, there were other problems in this new job but also it was a lower paid job..

Now finally 3/4 years later I luckily got a new job on a similar higher salary to the job I left (still a few k lower but non the less very lucky to be able to climb back up!) and guess what there are also issues in this job… but I do value my higher salary and pension / other benefits a lot more now.

My advice would be see if you can move roles but still stay in higher paid teaching. Try a different school in case change of environment helps? Grass might not be greener and it will be lower paid.

Morgan12 · 01/10/2021 07:41

I would maybe look for a new teaching job. Maybe even part time?

The holidays with the DC would be the decider for me tbh. Just makes life so much easier.

Watchingyou2sleezes · 01/10/2021 07:43

Do it. A friend of mine is a great teacher in her 40s who is totally on top of the job and she always says she'd have got a job on the tills in Tesco rather than teach if she couldn't have coped with teaching.

Megan2018 · 01/10/2021 07:47

Do it. You can always go back to teaching later on if the money matters.
Try it and see.

LemonTT · 01/10/2021 07:59

There is one than one question being bundled into one here.

Should you leave a job that makes you ill? Yes

Should you leave your career? There isn’t enough information here to say either way.

Do you need to take a job with significantly less pay and prospect? No

Are you entitled to a job you love ? Probably not given the sacrifices and risk you would impose on your family as a consequence of that decision. Plus you have no idea whether you would love this job.

maddening · 01/10/2021 08:00

Are there other jobs out there though? Surely that is not the only job out there and your skill set it broad and substantial.

As you don't get paid hols at the mo you essentially earn 224 per day, and even spreading out over 52 weeks it is 114 per day Pre tax. On 23k it is £88 per day pre tax and only 5 weeks hols

lannistunut · 01/10/2021 08:02

When I'm not sure I think what I would want my child to do in the same situation and try to show the same care towards myself.

I would never want my child to stay in a job that made them stressed or unhappy.

Rainbowheart1 · 01/10/2021 08:02

At the interview ask for more money or if the starting salary is negotiable

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