Reading this HBR article hit too close to home for me. The observations about what women do in the job market was bittersweet - glad I am not alone here but that is such a pity overall.
Unfortunately, many people (particularly women) focus on potential jobs for which they are already overly qualified. There are upsides to doing this: they will “hit the ground running,” which often makes an employer happy and can boost the person’s self-confidence. But it’s unlikely the job will lead to much growth and being stagnant in a role can make it hard to transition to the next position. In particular, an upward trajectory in the workplace requires consistent acquisition of the set of skills needed to take on the next position. Learning these skills when you’re in a position for which you are overqualified will require that you learn “off the clock” rather than incorporating learning into the daily performance of your job.
When J was a child, this was the best option for me and I have observed over the years many mothers of school age kids make very similar decisions. My friend H got her dream job in the middle of the pandemic but was too worried about the learning curve and being able to raise her ten year old son at the same time. Specially that he goes to school online now and can't participate in most activities he did in years past.
So she took a pay-cut and returned to a previous job that she can do in her sleep. I understand the decision completely and yet this move will set her career back a decade if not more. She will fully understand the impact of her current decision when her son is grown up and she finally feels free to pursue her own goals. It does not have to be this way though. It was hard for me to make the case to H given my own track record. I wish she would talk to women who had the courage to do both at once - be a mother and have a career.
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