A career/life conundrum

[HiEquity]

You can't beat govt jobs for maternity leave and return to work flexibility.

It's not a boring job if you don't have to be there to do it!

There will always be a dream job somewhere to chase. But you won't always have the chance to make babies... I know our priorities on this but we are all different of course.

I also know lots of new mums who rue their lack of govt jobs and solid maternity leave arrangements. So I suggest not to under-estimate how much your priorities may change once you hold your own baby in your arms.

 

[RumpledElf]

Some people do fall pregnant looking sideways at a bloke

That'd be me (got 3 kids to prove it - the last at 34-and-a-half. If I was a little lower class and started at 15 I could have 20 of the blighters by now) and I had a government job with the first. The government maternity leave is nice. Kids can change you though - you will probably get long service leave as either a lump sum or just take it as a salary, that's just fantastic for maternity leave.

But I did get very, very bored at home with my first as I didn't have a dozen concurrent interesting home projects back then. Now I'm happy as a pig in mud home with the littlies, with adult contact primarily via IRC so my brain doesn't turn to mush, and learning and applying lots of fun new Stuff. You may find you go stir crazy if you stop doing interesting work and end up at home, less so if you stop doing a boring job to be a mum for a time.

Also, check the workplace culture at the 'dream job', if they're not government you might find they frown on 9-5ers and expect you to turn up early and leave late. Not relevant when you don't have kids, but critical if you do.

 

[warrioress]

I agree that you should stay at your government job. You get so many perks after having a baby in terms of longer payments and the ability to take extra time off if you need/want it. My friends who are in govt jobs have had life a little easier financially than us who are either self-employed or working in the private sector and returning to work.

That said, the commute sounds horrible and the idea of moving closer to home sounds great. I'd do that if you are happy to put off trying for a child for a few years.

I started trying for a child at 32. I thought I'd just have to look at my husband and whammo. We've had a lot of issues, including miscarriages and IVF. I now have a beautiful daughter but took a lot longer than expected and a lot of cash and lost income to get there. While I am focusing on the negative, don't wait too long if you are ready now.

Regardless of how driven you are career-wise, your ideals about work will change once you've had your child. So if you are in a position to start trying now, I would and still be in your government job. A new employer would be unhappy if you were pregnant within a year of starting and may be difficult in giving you leave for obs appointments or the occasional late/early start if morning sickness or other pregnancy issues slow you down a bit.

+ 1

Stick with the gov job whilst you have your children. I work for a government organisation and received paid maternity leave whilst I had my daughter. Then returned back to work at 2 days a week and am pregnant with 2nd and will be receiving mat leave again (pro rata) and can take up to 2 years off.

+ 18 weeks paid parental leave from the government in lieu of the baby bonus

 

[Deltaberry]

There's no right or wrong answers for this one, but Id be interested in your opinion:

I have been in my government job (including the three hours commuting each day) for 11 years. Its a safe secure job but Ive been bored with it for a long long time. A dream job within 20 mins of home has just come up and I have put my hat in the ring for it with an excellent chance of getting the job. It also pays a little bit more. Jobs in my career field are very rare.

My conundrum:
1) Its only a two year contract
2) We're planning on starting a family within the next few months (Im 33 and shouldnt delay too much longer)
3) We're slightly negatively geared on five properties and have some CC debt from a recent wedding and OS trip which I think is giving us a false sense of drowning in debt - which makes my husband nervous about me stepping away from job security.

Im so excited about a new job, close to home where I will have the time again to reconnect with my own community. Im not too worried about a two year contract, because if I work my *** off, generally this is rewarded with more work, but the timing with attempting to start a family is a challenge...

What would you do?

Take the new job. Life is too short for you to be so fearful of everything. It's only a job...

 

[SYD]

I'm inclined to stay with your current job.

You still need to think about your existing properties and financing them. With your current job you have security. You give up that security if you leave.

If all goes well family wise and you get pregnant and leave midway through your contract it may not be the wisest career move. It may come back to bite you when you try to get back into the workforce after you have your baby.

SYD

 

[weg]

Government jobs are great but would you still tolerate the 3 hours travel after you have a baby? Not something you raised but this would really bother me .

If the dream job is 2 years (or shorter if you have a baby) what are your plans after this? Will this dream job open doors to more dream jobs, or do you have to accept what you can get?

Are you happy to give away maternity leave?

Only you can decide and know what's important to YOU?

Have you considered other options like a public service transfer closer to home, even if unrelated to what you do now, and with the travel time saved do voluntary work/extra training in your dream area.

Is leave without pay for 2 years an option? I've known this to happen in the past but not recently. If you don't ask you don't get.

 

[RumpledElf]

Is leave without pay for 2 years an option? I've known this to happen in the past but not recently. If you don't ask you don't get.

Long service leave + any outstanding holiday leave at half pay + 1 year leave without pay should = 2 years off work.

 

[The Y-man]

I am assuming the 3 hours commute is a per day total by the way!

For example in Melbourne, 1.5 hours each way is not unusal for a commute to the CBD.... I hear in Sydney, that'll get you to the end of your street.


The Y-man

 

[Lou300]

The new job is also in government so all my entitlements (sick leave, AL and LSL) will transfer to the new job. Im not career minded (hence the property investing...), so I dont need to consider career advancements. The travel is 1.5hrs each way. Quite normal for people in Sydney, but Ive been doing it now for 15 years and am burnt out with it. I live on the Central Coast (where this new role is offered) and a job which requires intelligence on the coast is a rarity and heavily coveted.

I had a confidential conversation with my current HR manager who was refreshingly frank. Secondment or leave without pay in my current role is a definite option. Also paid maternity leave will be available to me in the new job after 12 months of employment. Ive also got three months of LSL and AL up my sleeve.

I think the ideal situation will be a) I get the job and b) I can take leave without pay/secondment from my current job.

Anyway, now I wait to see if even get an interview for the role....

 

[BayView]

The new job is also in government so all my entitlements (sick leave, AL and LSL) will transfer to the new job.

So whaddya worried about?

Gubbermint Job is an Aboriginal term meaning "perks galore and I can't be sacked no matter how useless I am". (not in your case of course )

Just bloody do it.

My commute is;
1 min by car
3 min by bike
10 min by foot (walking like zombie).

No traffic lights.

Heaven.....

 

[RumpledElf]

You're making me want to get a day job again lol

I've spent so much time pregnant or breastfeeding over the last 4 years though I wouldn't know where to start

Parenting does strange things to you.

 

[SYD]

The new job is also in government so all my entitlements (sick leave, AL and LSL) will transfer to the new job.

This changes things.

With your benefits being transferred I would be looking at the new role. It is a good thing that your HR person is being open to you having time off.

So where is the conundrum? Is it the uncertainty after the 2 year contract is finished?

SYD

 

[RumpledElf]

So where is the conundrum? Is it the uncertainty after the 2 year contract is finished?

Its the biological clock talking, with 33 being firmly on the slippery slope to reduced fertility and interesting complications in the breeding process. Some people can merrily have perfect babies with no complications at 45, for others the tap turns off at 30 or below, and you never know until you try.

Its a girl thing and its completely unavoidable, aging celebrities with surrogates notwithstanding. Blokes don't suffer from the same deadline problem.

 

[Lou300]

A quick update

Thanks to all of you who gave me all sorts of insight on my little brush with the crossroads of life.

I went for the job and got it!

I also (prior to going for the interview) let my current boss know about the job, and negotiated 12 months leave without pay. He has given me his blessing and hopes I return in a year. My former workplace have been incredibly (surprisingly) supportive through all of this.

The job is good (Im two weeks into it), and my new boss is already talking about her intention of making it a full time role (pending all the usual ticked boxes...). She has also said she wants me in that full time position - I must have made an impression stumbling through my first week

As for starting a family, my husband and I at this stage are still planning to commence trying in August, which would see out my one year in the new job and if timing is good, will provide some continuity to my previous employer where they are hiring someone to fill my shoes while Im away in this new role. If I can seemlessly include maternity leave into the mix, it will reduce their recruitment hassles and they can keep on whoever they hire now to replace me.

I will reapply for my new role again if/when it goes full time, but if Im not already poking out the front, I will give them full disclosure on my family plans - its only fair. At least if they are still keen to keep me on, I can have a short maternity leave and have my husband be the stay at home mum instead since he has oodles of leave.

There are many crossroads to go through this next twelve months it seems, but at least I have some good foundations in the meantime. Not to mention some great guiding advice and opinion from my good people on this forum.

 

[Lamingtons]

Have not read all the posts but life is too short in a job that you are unhappy in. Recently I changed roles and I cannot tell you what a difference it has made to my outlook in life!