I would still have worked... but instead of being a self-employed WAH parent, I'd probably have worked at a non-profit or corporation for the first few years of my kids' life. I didn't realize how important things like parental leave and vacation days were, until I had kids!
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I would've taken the opportunity to go into the Teaching Fellows program -- instead I turned it down.
Could've had summers off with DH and LO and would've been doing one of the most meaningful jobs in the world.Too late now -- I don't have the time or patience to teach full-time while going to school!
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I would have negotiated my "deal" a little better. After I was hired, another guy came on and managed to negotiate 4 ten hour days, so he gets every Friday off.
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I would have chosen my work in another town 30 mins away. Then I would have chosen my house to be by my work like I did. GRass is greener on the other side.
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Not specifically "work" but I would've gone to state school because I'm drowning in school loan debt! Luckily I qualify for public service loan forgiveness but I wasted two years working at a company that didn't qualify because I didn't know about the program!
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I would have negotiated extra vacation, equivalent to my last job. I also would have asked to move to 4 days per week upon return from maternity leave. Instead I'm working 50-60 hours a week. Meh.
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No! Now that I have a baby I finally feel at peace with my choice not to go to grad school. It had been my lifelong dream to have PhD but my last year of college I chose to go work for a Fortune 100 company instead of continuing my studies. At the time I was engaged and we knew we wanted to have kids soon. We would appreciate mat leave and paid vacation time in the future.
Well the future is now, I had a baby in May. I got 16weeks paid maternity leave + 3 weeks paid vacation + the option to take unpaid leave until baby's first birthday. We saved up before TTC so I could take some of the unpaid leave. When I go back to work it will be at only 32hrs a week and WFH 2x a week. I feel incredibly lucky because this kind of flexibility and support from your employer is basically unheard of in the US.
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@ModernDayJibarita: good for you! That's amazing!
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I would have graduated earlier or much later. 2008 was a bad year, and it was impossible to find a job. Should have also gotten an internship while I was still in school. I couldn't find an unpaid internship anywhere unless I went back to school, even though I had a degree. Ugh.
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I would have taken advantage of tuition reimbursement earlier and spread my masters over more years to maximize the benefit.
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I would have pushed myself to go into the Master's program for Genetic Counseling. All the science made me nervous and going further into debt really scared me off, but I should have done it. Instead I stuck with my Masters of Social Work and stayed in my hospital social worker job. I have no hope for advancement and minimal raises. Even if I decided to go back now, we'd have to pack up and move the family, because the closest program for GC is outside of Philly, where we moved away from 2 years ago.
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Not sure, because the choices I made led me to the life I am living now and I like my life. Even if I had to move very far away from home. Right now I am focusing on getting pregnant and having kids, but who knows what I could do later on. My job has a ton of great benefits attached, so it'd be hard to give up. I'm indifferent to many aspects of it otherwise.
Things need to change in the U.S. and companies should be made to offer paid vacation time and family leave. Plus the world is changing so rapidly. So much of what I do could be done from home! But we don't have that opportunity.
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Well, for one I would not have taken on as much student loan debt as I did. I didn't fully comprehend at the time the impact it would have on my life. I also would have stayed in CO, we moved to be closer to family but DH and I both liked our jobs there so much more and had much better commutes. Being near family is great, but work place happiness makes such a difference on quality of life. I do feel at peace with my decision to go back to work though, it's the right thing for our family right now.
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I would have chosen a different major in college- after I had kids I realized I would love to do something nurturing with children like teach or be a nurse. I probably would have stayed in the workforce if I was doing something that I truly enjoyed.
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I would not have bought a "starter house" as an investment in a town we only lived in because it was close to my "starter job". Would have rented longer for more geographic flexibility in my career.
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I would have really worked on changing my career earlier, and having myself much more established in THIS new career before having my child.
I was naive, thinking I could do what I used to do after having a child. I was soooo dead wrong (my previous life as a broadcast designer for TV networks usually require 60-80 hour work weeks and insane deadlines). So instead of having a plan, I spent a long time (1.5 years, yikes) figuring out what to change to, taking classes to get there, and learning the very hard way that the industry I switched to is not (1) easy to get in (2) as profitable as I was used to. Even now when I have everything figured out, I am still not where I want to be financially. I wish I knew that I HAD to ditch my previous career so I would have time to get myself up to speed first before I have my baby... but then again, it took me 5 years to even get pregnant so I wasn't even sure if I could have a child in the first place. Ahhh.
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I would not have chosen to teach in AZ. Very little respect, pay, competence, etc. I would have picked a different state in regards to my job.... but I love living here for other reasons.
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Nothing, actually. I stayed in the federal government when I didn't necessarily want to because of the maternity leave and benefits, spent five years TTC wondering if I was being stupid staying in a job I didn't love for benefits I was never going to get to use. But it worked out.
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It would have been great just to figure out what I wanted sooner. Between grad school, and traveling, I spent the majority of my 20s without direction. Now that I've been in the workforce a while I have a better idea of what I'd like to do, and am doing my best to get where I want to be. But I wish I had started around 25 or so rather than 30
Oh well, live and learn, I guess!!
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I would have specialized right after dental school instead of practicing for 4 years. I wish we could be settled somewhere with a long term outlook, but this is how it is.
Could've had summers off with DH and LO and would've been doing one of the most meaningful jobs in the world.
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