Would you leave?

[Anonymous]

I have a job I know many moms would die for on paper. It's doing (in theory) interesting work in a lucrative area of law (it can be parlayed into a $$ inhouse job after years of service). The problem is that there is not enough work, so it is dead, dead, dead boring.

The stats:

75k pay
4 days/wk (80% schedule)
1 day work from home
Work day is 7-3:30
Guaranteed govt job - impossible to get fired

Am I insane to look elsewhere? Should i just ride this gravy train until my youngest is out of highschool?

Sigh. Honest answers please. I am an overacheiver and feel like I should be "doing" more, but kind of fell into this position and feel like i need some
Sense knocked into me. DH thinks I am insane to give it up.

[Anonymous]

You are insane to give it up. Be a high achiever in some other aspect of your life.

[Anonymous]

I'll take it!

[Anonymous]

Yes, you would be insane to give it up. Try something new in another area of your life if boredom is the issue.

[Anonymous]

If you are not satisfied, start looking. It may take you a while to find something else where you have flexibility and interesting work, but I think it is worth seeing what is out there. GL.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand what you mean by very lucrative area of the law. If that is the case, then why are you only making 75k for an 80% work schedule? (I assume this is not a govt job, but your post is somewhat confusing on this point - if it is govt, then I understand the 75k.)

Anyway, I would recommend you just ride this out. The grass is always greener. You are pretty likely to regret it if you leave.

[Anonymous]

I'd love that schedule. Pay is a bit low, but the balance is pretty good!

[Anonymous]

Keep that job forever. You can find a way to make it more interesting or fun. It's all how you approach it.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to say whether to leave when we don't know what you would be leaving for. How would the hours be different? Salary? Job security? Your position now does sound pretty ideal, other than the fact that you're bored stiff. The latter is meaningful too, though, so it might be worthwhile to make changes for something you'll feel more engaged by.

[Anonymous]

I would leave, but I am obviously the minority here.

Since I had kids it is even more important to me to be fulfilled at work - otherwise why am I paying someone else to be with them all day?

There is no harm in dusting off your resume, building your network, and starting to look... maybe you'll find something more fulfilling, maybe you'll develop a better appreciation for where you are. Either way it's a win for you.

[Anonymous]

Well, I'm in a similar situation with a great job, sane, smart people who care about what they do, and similar pay. I'm a single mom. Sometimes I get bored. My thought is that it's really not that much longer until my child launches. I will re-evaluate then. It's too good to leave.

[Anonymous]

Is there promotion potential?

I'm in a similar position, but the main reason I want to leave my job is because there is no promotion potential. I am bored right now and even if I tough it out, I will still be bored in 3 years and only making as much as COLA increases allow.

So if there is no potential for growth where you are, then I would look for something else or you'll be bored forever.

[Anonymous]

I assume you aren't the breadwinner in your family? My point is, can you think about what you love doing or like about your job or would want to spend your time and try to do that in a freelance capacity/start your own business. If you were making $200K I'd say that would be tough, but you may be able to find a flexible job that pays close to that.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, if there truly isn't enough work to go round, then your job security isn't as foolproof as you might imagine. You might be the first to go with furloughs or Rifs.

[Anonymous]

OP, what else would you want to do?