I read that 80+ year olds look back say they wish they spent more time with friends and loved ones and never say they wished they worked more. I know retirees who never say they wished they had worked longer. I have work/life balance; real work but reasonable flexible hours (~40). Been here for over 10+ years. Underpaid (Blind also proves this). I’ll probably need to work till I’m ~65. Would like to hear from both: went for more $ for more hours/stress/inflexible schedule vs time with family. Your own pro/cons. Regrets?
Sounds like on top of wanting more pay, you aren't really being challenged that much in your existing role. Doesn't hurt to interview, you can always say no
I also think the only people talking about pay on here are the small percent who make a lot and are bragging,
work hard when you're young, save everything, invest in higher quality time with those you care about, then when the kids hit teen years, hopefully you're in a good position where you can scale back a bit at work
Pre-child, both my husband and I did everything in our power to get ahead in our careers. Multiple cross country moves, working long hours, etc. Then once we had our daughter, we both scaled back significantly. We decided that if one of us kept up that lifestyle then the other would inevitably end up having to be more focused on the home. Instead of doing that, we decided we'd both focus on our family and we'd both take steps back from our careers. Neither of us regret it. This lets us both have careers and it also lets us both be equal participants in our family.
Scaled back, working at Amazon, I'm scared to know what your before hours were.
The thing I've found at Amazon is that if I *want* to work 24/7, I can. The work is there. However, if I want to set boundaries I can do that too. No one will do it for me but as long as I set the expectation, it's respected. Maybe I won't make it to L7 but I'm okay with that and so is my orgs leadership.
Join the company that is results-driven rather than watches your hours and then work smart, not hard.
I don’t get this, I’ve managed to push myself in my career to the point where I don’t really worry about how I am going to retire, help my kids through college, etc. yet I have also managed to maintain a sensible work/life balance with two kids. It doesn’t have to be either or, you have to make it work. Get out of your comfort zone where you are and challenge yourself.
Same here. Very active social life and no worry with money. Rich? No. Retirement and kids college? All set. No desire to advance career. I enjoy my work, and no long hours.
I’m pushing my career since I’m the only income earner in the family. I don’t think my work life balance is all that bad. I sometimes have to work from home on the weekends when things get crazy, but those are around important ship cycles. It’s really not that bad. The kids get lots of attention from their mom, who willingly gave up her stressful, high paying, job. She’s much happier now rather than feeling like we’re both half ass parents and half assed employees. I’d like the certainty that I can work until 65, and I’m encouraged by the number of gray haired engineers I still see at Apple. But I feel like my options will become limited as I Age, so it’s important that I try and make more now while I can. Short version is I think now is the time to work and move up in my career. I will take my foot off the gas and coast when I feel like I can afford it.
This is a false dichotomy. You can make more and maintain a good work life balance. You just need to break out of your comfort zone and shop your skills around. Sure, starting at a new job, you'll have to work a little harder as you take up but that's temporary. In three years at Google, I now make double what I made in my last year at my old job and my work life balance is unchanged. Of course you need to stay away from hedge funds and companies that a known for bleeding you dry, but there are plenty of companies that pay well and respect you life. Google is one of them.
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Since so many layoffs are going on, so this poll
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How old are the kids? What does the SO does and can you afford hiring help?
Kids are now middle school and high school
Spouse is non-tech. Cannot afford a nanny.