s/o I have a job where I work 9-3, am I crazy to look for something new?
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Anonymous
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So apparently according to a different thread, I have hit upon the holy grail of flexible jobs. I work 9-3, from home 4 days a week and one longer day in the office.
The work is interesting, but the pay is dismal and I don't feel like there's much opportunity for growth. My kids are 1 and 3. Am I crazy to even consider looking for something new? I love that I am able to spend as much time as I do with our kids, and the lack of commute. Money is tight though, and professionally, I feel like I have stagnated. I'd really hate to shake things up and regret it later, but I also feel like I should be carrying more of the financial burden in our family. |
Anonymous
| If you quit, let me know. I'll happily take your flexible (even if it's not that lucrative) job! |
Anonymous
Definitely, you should quit....can you post the hiring manager's phone number when you leave? 
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Anonymous
| You say the money is dismal. Can you afford the childcare you'd need with longer hours? |
Anonymous
| you're a troll your basically being paid to not work, how much less work do you want? |
Anonymous
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Are you me? Almost, same situation here, including the two kids (ages 3 and 1) - 2 days at home, 2 days in the office, work about 8:30 - 3:30, a little longer on my WAH days. My pay is actually pretty good for my level and field and I have excellent benefits.
But...I am not learning or growing, am certainly "mommy-tracked", am not that interested in the work that I'm doing and there is absolutely no room for promotion. Also, it's not very secure...funding for one of my projects ends this year, not sure if something else will replace it. I should just suck it up and appreciate what I have until it's gone right? Sorry to hijack - but I would say, if the pay is reasonable for the work and your life AND you are not MISERABLE you should stay where you are. That's what I keep coming back to...apparently flexibility, having both time and energy for my kids and limited professional stress have trumped my professional ambition...at least for now. |
Anonymous
I work 9 to 6 and don't have much flexibility, but I get paid well and certainly am not stagnating. Pick your poison. |
Anonymous
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Give a lot of thought to what a more challenging, demanding job would bring to your life and how it would affect your home life. If you are willing to deal with the potential challenges, then I think you should look for something fresh and new.
However, you can add me to the list of people who would love to have a job with your hours! |
Anonymous
| Have you looked into daycare/costs? What are you doing now for childcare? Do you (and would you) have just one drop off and pick up (ie, will the same daycare center take both kids)? Will you instantly regret missing the extra time (3:00 pm to 6:00 pm) with your kids when they are very young, or is the pretend play/library visits/afternoon playdate circuit getting old for you? If you can line your childcare ducks in a row, and you won't terribly miss the extra afternoon time with your kids, then it would seem that the benefits of a new job (namely, extra income and you not feeling stagnated) would outweigh the benefits of your current job. One other thing though is how flexible is your DH to deal with sick days/doctors visits in the next few years. The other option would be to wait a few moer years until the youngest is in pre-k or k and then look for something new. |
Anonymous
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I have roughly the same schedule, pay is ok, and I wouldn't trade this job for anything!!! I'm able to pick-up my son from school, eat dinner early, and not be stressed. In fact, my DH and I were talking one night about if something should happen to my job, I'd never be able to do a full time gig - and he's right, I'm so spoiled that this is my last job. I have little children, am in my 40s and not seeking much more right now. What I have is priceless, and wish more women were able to be offered the same sort of set up - 9-3, WAH, some days I go to the office for few hours.
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Anonymous
| PP, what type organization do you all work for? |
Anonymous
| I'm one of the PPs with an 80% schedule, WAH 2 days per week, leave by 3:30 or 4:00 when I'm at the office. I work for an international public health non-profit. |
Anonymous
| Non profits are a joke no one really works hard |
Anonymous
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OP here -
It definitely is a pick your poison thing. In addition to the extra time with the kids, as PPs with similar schedules have said, the main benefit I see is the lack of stress. We have leisurely mornings, I'm not running around trying to get myself and the kids ready at the same time, and there's time in the afternoon to run errands, spend some time outside, and get dinner started so we can all sit down and eat together when my husband gets home. The one day I do go into the office, I need to get everyone out the door by 7:30 and by the time I get home at 6, it seems to be just a whirlwind of activity with DH and I trying to get everyone fed, bathed, and in bed. It's hard to imagine doing that every day now that we've had it otherwise. I keep telling myself that at least I'm staying active in my field, and doing interesting work -- so hopefully in the long run, I can transition to a new, better paying position. On bad days though, I doubt that decision. To all the PPs who would like my job, thanks for making me feel a bit better! 
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Anonymous
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