howmany of you have swapped high flying careers for menial part time work since becoming a mum?

[driedapricots]

just a straw poll out of interest... any examples would be really useful as i'm thinking of a media feature idea. thanks lovely mumsnetters

I didn't swap a high flying career but I did change my private sector great-starting-job-with-lots-of-career-progression-ahead-of-me type of job for a public sector pretty-much-deadend kinda job. I had too because of discrimination due to pregnancy in the private sector job but I've carried on with postgraduate degree while in the public sector job so will start a new private sector hopefully-highflying-job when I've completed my contract and my degree.

No but I did look into it very seriously at the end of my last maternity leave as I did not want to go back to my old job. Taking into account our household budget with and without different childcare obligations, I narrowed down my personal choices to a 7am - 3pm typing job or a very FT senior management role.

I went for the latter as this actually worked out as not much less time with the children each day (as my kids are early risers!) and although the take-home after childcare would not have been that different in both roles, the FT job came with 10% employer pension contributions and the possibility of a bonus and has allowed us as a family to employ a wonderful nanny rather than patching together different nursery run obligations etc.

That said, if the 7 to 3 job had been a 25 minute walk from my home instead of a 45 minute train journey, I might have gone for it as it would be wonderful to be able to do the school pick-up every day!

By the way, if you want to take this further, there is a "Media Requests" topic in Mumsnet which is the more appropriate place to post.

I has just been offered dream role as senior lawyer in my preferred industry and resigned when found out was pg. Had to decline new role, retract resignation which company kindly did but they then recruited someone for the role I was doing so when I return to work I will be less senior and 'high flying' than before. Now think of it as a job rather than career .

Dunno quite what you mean by high flying (or menial), I don't manage a ftse 100 or anything but am uni educated and city worker.....? Does that count?
Id rather lick the inside of the cat tray every day than return to old role but am playing the game presently like everyone else trying to get an fwa out of an employer....

Dh went from a good job to a min wage p/t one so he has more family time.

Check . Am now a mature student though.

Started university degree course last year (aged 50!) to retrain for a new career.

I was the manager of the in-house information and research department in a multi-national insurance brokerage before DS was born 15 years ago. Took 2 years off, then did crappy local part-time admin work for years, interspersed with the odd bit of freelance business research consultancy. Been out of the game FAR too long to return and business research is also a very London-centric profession.

And Google has fucked my career.

Yes, I was an IT Manager pre children. Separated from dc1 father and the shifts didn't work with child-care, now I'm an NHS administrator for 16 hours a week.

Worked in the city for 15 years, but then had dd with sen so now work for free for a charity

I haven't but the main reason is that with 4 children it would not be financially viable.

My only option of working was to carry on with my career or not bother at all, seen as we have no family around and keeping 4 children in childcare is hugely expensive!!!

Mmm once u have one it's do u go back or aim for own football team to avoid return?!!!

lol la ciccolina you made me laugh. It is very true!
I have 4 but still managed to keep my career going...so far anyway.
It's not been easy though and I often feel like throwing in the towel!!!