For the last three years, I’ve worked at a museum. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. It simply became the career I stuck with because it worked best for my life as a mother and wife. Plus, it had some perks. I had my own office, a flexible work schedule, the pay was fairly decent, and everything was extremely laid back. To most, it sounds like the perfect work/life balance. However, I could no longer ignore the void that continuously begged for a more stimulating career.
I was settling into the job I had because it worked so well for my family, but not so much for me.
Truth is, I stayed at my previous job much longer than I should have out of fear that changing careers would disrupt my family’s stability. I feared starting over wouldn’t allow me to be the mother I needed to be for my son or the wife I needed to be for my husband. I was afraid of the change it would bring or even if I’d find another job that would be better.
I would ask myself, Am I even a great candidate due to my current limitations? How could I begin to compete with others? I would discourage myself from even trying.
Deciding to pursue new career opportunities as a parent is a challenge in itself. So many factors to consider. Are there flexible hours? Will you understand if I need to leave early? Health benefits? Do I have to work overtime often?
I had to consider all components that would interfere with my ability to take care of my family.
And the more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that I should stay put. I didn’t want to rock the boat, and I stayed . . . FOR THREE YEARS.
Eventually, I noticed a change in my mood and behavior. I wasn’t happy. I needed more in my life than to work an OK job, be a wife, and a mother. I wanted a challenge, I wanted a change, and I wanted something for me.
I felt guilty for even thinking about changing careers, but I felt even worse for not trying. I began to search for new opportunities and made it a priority to find something that would work for me and my family. If the job wasn’t flexible, it wasn’t for me.
Sure. It can be a challenge to weed through which ones are family-oriented and which ones aren’t.
But at the end of the day, it’s possible.
I decided to change careers as a mom because I want my family to see me happy. I decided to change careers as a mom because time will not slow down for me. I decided to change careers as a mom because I want to be both stimulated at home and at work.