During the recent BlogJam, contributor Jennifer Warwick posted several solid posts about women at work. While it is true that many women choose lifestyles that downplay the corner office, there's an aftereffect at work, as well.
Knowledge@Wharton this week explored research done by Monica McGrath,an adjunct professor of management and co-author of "Back in the Game. Returning to Business after a Hiatus: Experiences and Recommendations for Women, Employers, and Universities." The study found that while 70% of women who left their jobs remained positive about the decision, their later return to work was anything but. "When they were asked to describe their hunt for a job after deciding to return to work, 50% said they were frustrated and 18% said the experience was depressing."
Among the challenges:
What do you think: Can you go home... I mean, back to work... again?
Related Stories: | Topics:Management, women in business, Jennifer Warwick, Monica McGrath |
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August 13, 2005 at 12:05am by Jennifer Warwick
With my clients thinking about going back after a break, the question is less "can I go back?" that it is "Umm, I know I liked that job before...what was the part I liked again?" and occasionally, "What's wrong with me that I'm not interested in jumping the kind of hoops to get a job that I did in my twenties?"
Curt Rosengren over at "Worthwhile" and "The Occupational Adventure" just posted a link to a UK study comparing the top ten dream jobs when you're a kid (vet, ballerina, astronaut) to when you're an adult (writer, photographer, musician).
The data show that only 5% of women had ever actively pursued their childhood dream job (as opposed to 13% of men) and that 44% of women changed their dream job as they got older (only 28% of men did).
The finding that most intrigued me was that women are actually more likely than men (67% to 57%) to pursue their dream jobs in adulthood.
And that makes sense: 75% of women say they'd rather be happy at work than have a big paycheck (67% of the men felt the same way). My vote is for both, but that's another post...
So here's my question: what if "opting out" isn't about the demanding hours, the travel, the missed birthday parties and other sacrifices it takes to be a CEO? For the women I know, their choice isn't so much to to leave corporate America as it is to move into something that feeds their soul...and they've waited since they were kids to do it.