I hate my job. Many reasons but I don’t want to do it any more. I’m in a reasonably niche field in a small part of the country, it’s difficult to get posts that allow remote working (or would allow it once there is a vaccine and we are back to “normal”), I don’t want to move/commute and I don’t think I want to go any further up the ladder. What I really want is some job satisfaction and some time to enjoy my house.
A job has come up at a place I used to work which I like the sound of and it would be a return to a bit of the organisation I used to really enjoy. It would be down a grade and I’d also be managed by someone I used to manage (that bit I’m not worried about as we get on well).
Has anyone gone back down the ladder and if so how did it go? How can I best convince the recruiters that I’m serious about really wanting the job? Is it unfair on up and coming people?
I personally wouldn’t hesitate to do it if I was going to enjoy the job more and it didn’t impact too much financially.
That said I’m not a massively career orientated person, happiness as twee as it sounds is key and if you can do a job you would actually enjoy and still have enough to pay the bills etc at the end then I say do it.
I worked for four years in a job I hated and it does effect your mental health. Life’s too short.
In my experience some employers have been delighted that someone with my background is happy to take on a lesser role, some have expressed concern that I'll be bored or won't be able to take being told what to do. Fortunately for me I've been able to find jobs where I am largely left alone to 'manage' my own job, rather than manage a business, so I don't feel too constrained. Also I'm older and less inclined to give a shit if the boss is running things badly, I just want an easy ride with enough cash for me holidays.
Short answer is yes, I had burn out at 23 so decided to try a completely different because I hated the way mine had gone. So I decided to start all over again. It was absolutely the right thing to do and the only thing that scuppered it was getting pregnant almost immediately so I never got to get that career off the ground before becoming a parent (which basically puts the kabosh on anything).
Many years later I have a fledgling career that I love and it is in the field that I left my high-flying, high-pressure job for. So it has worked out so far.
I agree that life is too short, agree strongly. I think convincing recruiters etc that it is a career choice might not be as hard these days as it was 15 years ago. Work life balance feels like much more of a thing now, even more so with the pandemic.
I don't know if this is really a helpful way to look at it (god knows I've very little experience in the careers market) but I wonder if any employer who really couldn't see this as a positive thing and couldn't see what great value you'd bring to it by doing this, would be the right employer in any case?. IYSWIM.
I think you should definitely go for it. If money isn't a huge factor then why not.
Thanks all. Financially it’s doable (mainly because I’m want to quit after Christmas either way, so at least with this there will be some income ) and it really is about work-life balance, or at least finding something that doesn’t keep me awake at night and erode my confidence to nothing.
I do see what you mean smal. If my experience isn’t valued and they second guess my reasons and jump to conclusions then they aren’t the right employers.
I also think you should go for it. I will say though that A tried to do this after he was made redundant in June. He wanted a break and to reset. What happened was that he got a lot of interest, a lot of interviews, and feedback that came back every time that he was overqualified and they felt he’d be bored and move on. So while I think it’s an excellent idea and would do that myself, just be aware of how you’d handle these objections when they come up, because I’m sure they will.
Chicky, is there an element in role you want to step down to, that would never be present in your current role? That is about the role itself rather than what it means for your work-life balance? (I haven't worded that very well, but positive enthusiasm for the role rather than seeing it as a step-down.)
I've been pushed into managerial, simple as it was the only vacancy when we relocated, but if I could step back down a grade into a professional role, I would. I miss working directly with the students and I'm always going to be one step removed at this current level.
cluefree wrote: ↑Mon Nov 23, 2020 11:57 pm
I also think you should go for it. I will say though that A tried to do this after he was made redundant in June. He wanted a break and to reset. What happened was that he got a lot of interest, a lot of interviews, and feedback that came back every time that he was overqualified and they felt he’d be bored and move on. So while I think it’s an excellent idea and would do that myself, just be aware of how you’d handle these objections when they come up, because I’m sure they will.
This happened to a friend of mine, and he was also treated with a bit of suspicion ie the hiring manager thought he'd want her job! It's a very backwards attitude and this was about 10 years ago, so I'm not sure it would still be the case. I also think that coronavirus and lockdown has changed attitudes to work, and work/life balance, and people will be shifting roles a lot.
I think you should go for it!
Christ on a bendy bus son, don't be such a fucking faff arse
I think it’s an excellent idea. I’ve done something slightly similar in moving away from responsibility and it has definitely helped.
Could you ask the person who would be your manager about how it would be viewed? If they have some insight into why you want to make the move they might be able to put in a good word during the process.
I've done it. I've done from running a department on a magazine in a job I hated (and on reflection was bullied out of by the editor) to taking a deputy role on a much bigger magazine, where I absolutely loved my job (for the first few years, anyway). In reality it was a fair better role in terms of my CV, but with less responsibility - win win in my book.
Being managed by someone you used to manage may be the tricky bit though. Could you cite family commitments etc?
Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either, just fuck off and leave me alone.
