Why are there no well-paying part-time jobs for educated, somewhat intelligent women who happen to want to dial back their career a notch or two so they can tend to their children but still make some coin? I recently found one (it has "manager" in the title!) and applied but they haven't called. Granted, this was like 10 seconds ago. But I assume when my resume comes across the wire Human Resources calls an emergency meeting and shouts things like, "You call her! I'll e-mail her! Someone get in their car right now and show up at her house! Don't let this one get away!" People, my resume is that good. Or so it should be after paying TheLadders.com a hefty sum to make me sound much more impressive than I really am.
When I was discussing a return to work toward the end of maternity leave and indicated I didn't want to be in the office full time, they offered to let me work four days per week with a 20 percent pay cut. As the now-vindicated Wes from The Bachelorette said, "I was born on a Tuesday, but it wasn't last Tuesday." Because in those situations you might be working one day less, but I can assure you you're still doing the same amount of work, just shoved into four days. Unless they are hiring someone to work that one extra day. Which they never do. So I took my ass on down the road to an early, if temporary, retirement. And I'm thrilled it played out like it did and I've gotten to spend the majority of my time doting on my children who will either someday be better for it or wind up in jail. (I only intend to take the credit on the former scenario.) Plus, physically I don't think I could have worked even part-time, woken up multiple times a night for feedings and lived to tell about it.
But now two years later I'd be open to a part-time job with a pared down salary if such a job existed. And I know tons and tons and tons (okay, like three) other women who are in the same predicament. So the question is why aren't there more opportunities for meaningful, well-paying, part-time employment? The only women I know who seemed to find that negotiated a flexible arrangement with their employers following maternity leave. Or they are in a medical field like nursing that lends itself to part-time work. I hate blood. That wouldn't work for me.
My point? Well, I don't necessarily have one. That's what I like about not working. Nobody can come over to my blog and tell me to revise it because it's not to their liking. Well, they could, but I'd tell them to #@$% off.
In the meantime, I will sit by my phone, my computer and my front door waiting for the flurry of activity that surely this company's entire personnel department is going through right now to reach me.
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Best of luck to you! I'd hire you but I get the feeling you're not interested in working for hugs. But not real hugs, of course, that's presumptuous, not to mention borderline sexual harassment. I mean the chocolate hugs. By Hershey's. Because 2 types of chocolate is better pay then just 1, right? Otherwise I'll pay you in chocolate chips. Bitter-sweet. On both counts.
ReplyDeleteI feel you. I thought the same thing when I was ready to return to work. I harrased my husband to try and push for a position like this to be created at the company he works for, not for me but just so that I felt better about the world.
ReplyDeleteNow I work 3 days a week hostessing at a restaurant just so I get out of the house and some adult conversation...I haven't been able to figure out how you can work part time but make enough money to cover child care costs for two kids and still have some left over.
Once you have kids you're screwed I guess. :)
good luck with your job search. my kid will attend elementary school next year, right now he is in private school, but only part-time. the full-time price is outrageous on a one-income family. i plan to return to part-time work next fall. hubs wants to me to get a job in retail to get a discount. i will be applying to Costco. please, control your laughter. it's hard to find something decent when you can only work about 4-5 hours per day. i want to be the one taking him to school and picking him up. that's super important to me. i hope you find great part-time work with an amazing salary. take care.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for trying! I'd love to know what works also because that would be an ideal scenario.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered the same thing many times. There are so many bright, educated women I know who are shut out from their professions because they want to work part-time while their children are young. I applied for a job at the YMCA last week. The pay is $7.50/hour, but they're willing to offer a 9-2 schedule three days a week with on-site daycare. Glad I got that master's degree.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. I have a part-time job I love, but it took a few years of unemployement before I stumbled into it, and then worked my way up. And there are times I think I'm really doing a full-time job, just busting my ass enough to get it done in part-time hours! The only reason my position was created as part-time is because I work in education and they didn't have enough money in the budget to fund a full time person. But there are so many of us who WANT part time work! I think this is the next feminist frontier.
ReplyDeleteBTW, awesome crockpot recipe: put some pork and a bottle of BBQ sauce in the crockpot. Wait all day til it gets all mushy, toss it on a roll and...pulled pork sandwiches! Delicious!
I'd hire you in a second! You a brilliant and worth a million!!! Tell 'em I said so!
ReplyDeleteUgh. This is such a problem and I get worked up about it all the time. It seems bananas to me that the view of most corporations is that if they get squeeze the maximum out of each employee they're being inefficient. Truth of the matter is, most full-time corporate jobs could be completed in fewer hours, hence your former company's sly attempt to cut your pay. I would have thought more opportunities would have arisen after the recession started since the majority of those laid of were men (because, you see, it's cheaper to keep the lady folk on the payroll), but it seems like the prevailing attitude is still full-time or nothing unless you're in the service sector. Boo, I say, boo.
ReplyDeleteThis topic gets me all feministy and righteous.Grrrr!
Oh, crap. Mr 4 is going to start school in April, and I should be looking for work. I want something part-time (and not in the service sector). Are there any jobs that would pay me to stay home in my pajamas and play on my blog? Cuz I sorta like not working.
ReplyDeleteThinking about this is giving me a headache.
Man, I'm with you. It's particularly depressing when one still pays $1,000 month for that graduate school education. (And will for many, MANY more years.) Glad that "investment" paid off so well for me!
ReplyDeleteBut you're probably right to make the choice you did with your old job. When I was in law school, some alumnae did a panel on how they balance work and motherhood, and basically all the part-timers said they do full-time work for part-time salaries. The panel was intended to show students the wealth of available options, and instead everybody just left depressed.
When my kids went to school I did substitute teaching. Didn't pay scads but had the benefit of knowing all the kids in their school. I refused to teach under fourth grade, though. I prefer the older ones who say, "Fuck you." My favorite response is, "That's not an option for you." Shuts those little fucktards right up.
ReplyDeleteI get heated about this, too. I went to see Gloria Steinem speak a few months ago. Did you know that during WWII, the government paid for childcare so women could go to work? Her point being that the government will help when it's beneficial to them! I think our society sends a horrible message about the value of motherhood.
ReplyDeleteI also decided not to go back to work because my "part time" option was to go to work everyday for a "half day." Now as an English teacher, I am not good at math, but it would really would have ended up being 3/4 day, close to a full. Whatever.
Susan, there needs to be more subs like you!!!
I've been wondering this same thing lately. I wouldn't mind doing something part time, but it has to pay well and be at least somewhat intellectually rewarding. Thus the barista job at Starbucks is out. Not that I wouldn't enjoy getting all the free Chai Tea Lattes I can drink, but, you know.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!