Lower grade, lower stress job vs better career option job. What would you do?

[Cherrymix]

I am a CCAB qualified accountant & work in public sector. Before having kids 5 yrs ago was on track to be a financial controller in the next 2-3 years.

Gave up work to have kids & for last 2 years have been doing various part time fill in jobs created by me through old colleagues.

I like my work & am a bit of an all or nothing type of person, a bit of a perfectionist which means I did used to get a bit stressed out at work. I also love being a mum and have been a lot more chilled since I gave up work for kids.

I now have a choice:

i) part time permanent job at current employer at one grade lower than the job I did before had kids. Advantages - low stress, job you can leave at the office, easy, flexible, easy to get to, nice people, efficient and good quality department. Could easily spend off work time doing other voluntary work. Disadavtages - a bit boring and probably a career dead end (I'm 45)

or

ii) part time job share with a lovely job share partner at 2 grades higher. Advantages - higher powered, more career prospects, more interesting, more stimulating. Disadavantages - more stress, would probably spend off work time thinking about it, not such a well run dept as i).

Which one would you do and why?

2 because a low grade job will probably bore you.

I used to run the African operations for a multinational financial services org, and I did an option (1) when I had children, went back to relatively boring job in a bank in the city (same job that I had had when I was 30)

For me personally was the best thing I could have done as I've never had to make compromises on my work/life balance: Knowing I can do the job with my eyes closed has been priceless during those days/weeks when baby is teething or I have had a nanny crisis or whatever.

Saying that, I have been doing the job for more than 3 years now, and a couple of months back the MD of the bank asked me to work for him for a couple of weeks on a specific project.... it was the first time I had really used my brains since my DS was born and it was like slipping on a favourite jumper, really demanding, challenging work and I loved it. Consequentially I am now ripping my hair out with frustration because I've got my appetite back for real work but there's no permanent role working for the MD available....

So I'd say do (1) if the kids are very young or you have lots of home demands; otherwise do (2). No contest.

Thanks for all your replies. It seems that ii) is favourite with you out there. I guess part of the issue is to do with what I might do next. This possibly includes becoming the main earner again while DP gives up work for a year or so to pursue other interests.

I feel like i) would be easy and probably am not too worried about boredom as would be able to do other things outside of work. One of these incidentally BecauseI'mWorthIt is doing the leg work to set up my own business. I'm not ready to take plunge on that yet as DC2 is pre school so can't afford to pay for childcare with no guaranteed income coming in.

However I do feel that by doing i) I would be turning my back on the career ladder which annoys me when I think of all the time I spent qualifying and also get the feeling of "I could do better" than my bosses.

I think by doing ii) I'm keeping options open - as someone pointed out its easier to go from ii) to i) than vica versa.

WOuld be interested to hear from job sharers about how it works for them.