Going back to work early / pay rise

[Mariagatzs12]

I just had a job interview in French (of all things!) I'm supposed to go back to work in July/August to a new role within the same company. Should also get a pay rise as my skills/expect to beyond MW.

A few questions/advice , would you go back to work early is the money is somewhat better?

Would you look for another job on ML?

Would you use said job offers bas leverage for a better salary?

At this job I'd get paid £7k more so not insignificant.

Only you can answer that. I did go back to work early, but only by a few weeks (so baby was 10 months old). For me it was a good move professionally and I hated my old job. But I did make it clear that I wouldn’t be available before X date. They had to wait for me and the compromise was ok for both. On my first mat leave I was very close to being offered a job when my baby was 6 months old. In the end I was relieved to have come ‘a close second’ as I wasn’t ready to come back

I don't know. I'm just had so many good opportunities come to me while on ML for higher salaries that I keep thinking that maybe I'm selling myself short. My career has always been very important to me, but being made redundant a couple of years ago made my confidence go below ground.

It might be relevant that the one I went back early for wasn’t actually more money on the salary scale but it was greater flexibilIty around nursery equating to more at the end of the month. The one I didn’t want to go back for was more money, more responsibility, more travel. With small kids sometimes it’s about what makes life easier than what pays the most