I’m toying with the idea of changing to a less senior job in order to focus on my part-time studies a bit more: I’m currently a senior architectural technician.

I could just become a CAD tech, or something else, but it does have the potential to be a frying pan to fire-type scenario

Has anyone done this, or something similar?

Would it be an option to drop to a 4 day week in the same role? Either by working longer hours every other day or taking the pay cut?

Freelance?

Has kept me out of inevitable management roles for ages whereas I’d be forced into them as a permanent employee software developer that isn’t young and cheap. I keep doing the techy jobs but get paid more for it 😀

And it can be more flexible.

Though less security, in theory. Depends how secure your existing job is anyway.

Job security doesnt really exist in 2017 anyway.

Would a less senior job actually be less work? In theory you’d still be working the same hours unless you’re implying that the more senior role requires extra hours – i.e working in evenings or similar.

Would a less senior job actually be less work? In theory you’d still be working the same hours unless you’re implying that the more senior role requires extra hours – i.e working in evenings or similar.

I generally mean less responsibility, rather than less hours.

At the risk of being a pain then how does less responsibility and not less time give you the opportunity to focus more on part time studies? Unless it’s just not stressing about things in the evening etc.

What are the responsibilities you’d rather avoid? Is there a management aspect that’s taxing?

Reason I ask is that a colleague recently sidestepped from team leader to a senior engineer type role. He didn’t want to do the management bit anymore but is highly valued for his technical ability so I very much doubt he took a pay cut at all.

Could there be options for you along the same lines?

Don’t assume a job with less responsibility will mean less stress and hassle. I had had so e jobs where I have effcetively become “less seniot” and back in with all the “ambitious thrusting wannabees” busy trying to impress. Personally, I would suggest trying tomwork less hours/days at similar level if thats possible.

Unless it’s just not stressing about things in the evening etc.

Pretty much that.

OK. So plan A is working on not stressing things, lots of rescources to help with that. Search online or even get some councelling. IMO will be worth the cost and less expensive than a cut in wages ?

Best of luck

As above.

The lower you go on the totem pole the dumber the grade of idiot boss becomes, so if you get one…

If you’ve been higher, you’ll find this more unbearable than if you were just working your way up. You’ll still have the same stresses of deadlines and pressure.

Keep the grade and get shorter hours.

The lower you go on the totem pole the dumber the grade of idiot boss becomes, so if you get one…

If you’ve been higher, you’ll find this more unbearable than if you were just working your way up. You’ll still have the same stresses of deadlines and pressure.

This. Be very careful of this. I took a job last year which was a step down as I wanted to get into a new sector (amongst other things) and my boss is totally out of her depth and widely disrespected and is fundamentally unsuited to being a line manager of any sort.

I’ve a lot more experience than her, generally, and particularly as a line manger and she’s spent most of the last 9 months trying to stop me from doing my job – taking it to such an extreme that it’s become quite noticeable and she’s already been had words with by her boss.

You may be able to cope with a step down but don’t assume those around you will be able to cope with your experience and maturity…

Contracting on the other hand gives you cash and a lot more freedom to get your job done.

My Wife did this about 2 years ago. Dropped her salary and went to another company in a far less senior capacity. Went from managing a team of several people and progressing the business significantly to being pretty much admin. Thought it would give her time to sort her mental health out and reprioritise life.

What actually happened was people quickly saw what a hard and dedicated worker she was, and what she had to offer, and just gave her more and more work, and she ended up with just as much stress and responsibility for less money.

I think a lot of it depends on your outlook. I suspect that if she’d gone in and just done the work required to the standard specified it may have had the desired effect. But it doesn’t, because she’s a bloody perfectionist.

Unless you were promoted beyond your capability I don’t think I would recommend. Doing less or the same and negotiating a 4 or 3 day week (or changing firms to find that) would be infinitely preferable. Or switching careers completely.

The studies are intended to bring in the desired change of career.

The management have already hinted that reductions in hours/days will not be considered.

I’m afraid I’m going to agree with others I’m afraid that lower job doesn’t always equal less stress. A few years ago I was managing a team of almost 10 and was by all accounts pretty good at it. However I was stressed; super stressed to the point of sobbing in the evenings. During a re-organization volunteered to take on a more technical role within a team and not be the manager anymore.

I’m now more frustrated by things my boss does and things I think I could do better. The stress is different but in some ways it’s worse.. I’m not in tears but I am monumentally grumpy some of the time.

I did it for a few years when I moved to the West Country from Brighton. Now in senior management…

I think stress depends obviously on the kind of person you are. I work in the same business as the OP. By the time I get home from work in the evening I’ve totally forgotten about what I was working on that day. I have to leave jobs open on my work pc or I’d have no idea what to carry on with when I got in the next morning!