The Truth About Work-Life Balance (No One Talks About)
Work life balance is this buzz phrase we all hear, but in my opinion, the reality is that life has seasons, and those seasons will have ebbs and flows of what takes priority. Having a successful career might not mean a straight line upward, but rather side steps here and there to navigate each unique chapter.
For many, success doesn’t just mean the fastest path to the top, making the most money, and having the biggest titles along the way. Rather, it’s being able to balance all of the things that are a priority for you in life while also working a job you enjoy that funds the life you have outside your 9-5.
In some stages of life, career will be #1, but other times, family might be. And I think that’s how it should be.
You might be saying, “that all sounds well and good, what does this look like in reality?”
I’m glad you asked. 😊 I’ve had several scenarios recently where I’ve seen this play out:
I had a candidate wanting to make a change from a comfortable salaried $125k a year B2B sales job to being a producer. He knew it would take hustle and lots of time to build a book. He also knew he wanted to start a family in the next few years. Seeking counsel from several successful industry veterans he knows, he was told to do it now while he had time on his side. He just accepted a role with a retail broker with a $80k guarantee knowing he could potentially fall short of that $120k all-in number year one, and that he’ll be putting in a lot of time, potentially after hours as he networks, attends events, etc. But he’s decided now is the best time to take a step back to ultimately propel himself forward into a role that would yield more time freedom and money for his family long term.
I’m recruiting for a position that’s got 60-70% travel. It’s a high visibility, well-paying position and has been very attractive to a certain demographic of candidates – namely those without children and those whose children are grown. Most candidates I speak to who have young children at home, even if the role and pay are a significant upgrade, are telling me it’s just not the right time. They’d rather make less and prioritize this kind of promotion later in life when they aren’t doing it at the expense of missing key moments with their kids.
I recently shared that I was hiring for a part time Administrative Assistant. I got a TON of interest. Nearly every single applicant was either a stay-at-home mom who wanted to get back to work part time, or a full-time working mom who wanted to take a step back. In both cases, these women knew they would be making a fraction of what they were (or had been) making as an underwriter, account manager, etc – but the ability to have flexibility and work hours around their kids, spend summers with them, etc was of a higher priority than the higher income. Not everyone has the ability to make that choice but for those that do, these part-time flexible roles continue to be in demand.
I’ve had a number of fully remote underwriter and account manager roles recently where candidates were willing to take the same or even slightly less pay and title to make the move from hybrid or in office to fully remote. Why? Because flexibility was more important to them than pay or title. Two I spoke to were primary care takers for elderly parents. A few had young kids and they wanted to be able to get them on and off the bus, not stress when they had a sick kid at home from school, etc. Another had a daughter who couldn’t drive due to a seizure disorder, and she needed 20 minutes to be able to drop her off at work each morning.
For all of these folks, these circumstances are not permanent, and they may very well navigate more money and success later in their careers– but for them right now, truly winning looks a little different.
“Each of us is on a different path. Don’t let the pressure of what you think society says you SHOULD be doing sway your decisions. Do what’s best for you, your family and your career, and you’ll come out on top – I promise. 🤗”
