Need to sound out people who have ditched their profession...

[chicagomum]

I am seriously considering stopping work for the next few years, and it is pretty unlikely I would be able to return to my current proffession if I take a serious amount of time out. Has anyone else done this and if so do/did you have some other work in mind for when you return or will wait and see etc.

I too hope to go back to uni which will mean giving up a very decent position/salary but it scares me lots - I think this is a very brave decision you are about to make and would be interested to know how you get on. May I ask why you wish to give up work - is it wok life balance issues or to do other stuff ar have you just had enuff!!

best wishes BBB

I am about to do it - but it's easy as I am bored and tbh it doesn't pay a lot.

Plan is to have second child then retrain and be self-employed.

Giving up a top salary doesn't scare me because I've never had that. I absolutely never will return to my present profession as bored out of my tree by it.

I'm just about to chuck in my hard earned 'career' & want to work as a teaching asistant & ultimately a teacher. Basically I am fed up of juggling it all, can't get much further on at work & have been offered a nice redundancy package!

chicagomum,
Could you not just do fewer days and just sort of keep your hand in, then step it up if you wanted to when your children are older.

Hi just answered you other post chicago mum. I gave my job 4 yrs ago great salary. But felt it was the right thing to do. Studied did a change of career and now working in dd's school as a teaching assitant going on to teach....

Yep, gave up to look after ds's and realised chairty I was working for was about to go under (and they did- all but one manager and secretary made redundant) thought sod it, and went to college / now at Uni. Like it seems everyone else here , , am planning on teachin, at Secondary level. 1/3 of way through degree (or almost- one month and exams left) then a PGCE.

You know sometimes a rest is as good as a change! I work at Board level and have had two career breaks. Once for a year when my oldest was going backpacking for a year and my youngest was a year out of starting school. I was lucky and having worked in multiple industries found it easy to get back into work. I am also currently on a break since December. It is not unusual to want to do something completely different, ask yourself if you work to live or live to work. Provided you can pay your outgoings do what you enjoy most, life is too short.

I decided to stop when I had dd and knew, as much as you ever can know, that I would not return.I was a staff nurse. After a couple of years , when my professional re-registration was due, I couldn't do it as I hadn't worked or studied enough to keep up to date. Now I've been out for 9 years, and although I intermittently get letters inviting me to do a back-to-nursing course, I can't see me doing it.
I assumed I would work again, couldn't not do something once kids at school all day, and have been in various child-related jobs, varied hours, sometimes paid, sometimes voluntary.
As for the long term future, who knows. What is important for us as a family is that I'm here for out of school hours and holidays as dh works anti-social hours.

Also, have you thought of going into a more academic environment.Most dental schools have increased their student intake and may be looking for GDPs to do the odd session supervising students.

Yes I ditched my career (had achieved a senior position and all that). No - don't have firm plans about my return to work. Helped considerably that I was disillusioned at work; therefore didn't feel that I was sacrificing anything.