Unused career potential? Not in my book!

A recent article in the New York Times discusses research on gender gaps in seniority and pay, arguing that long hours and the expectation of constant connectivity are driving highly educated moms to take less demanding jobs so their husbands can take more demanding ones. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/upshot/women-long-hours-greedy-professions.html?emc=edit_na_20190426&nl=breaking-news&nlid=16198882ing-news&ref=cta

It’s a very interesting article, and there are plenty of discussion topics that could flow from the findings and conclusions. Yet the comment that struck me most was the assertion that women who decide to work more flexible jobs “are left with unused career potential.”   

Here’s the quote in more context:

“People are increasingly marrying people with similar educations and career potential — a doctor is likely to be married to another doctor instead of a nurse. Yet the pay gap between husbands and wives is biggest for those with higher education and white-collar jobs. Some parents on elite career paths each continue on them and outsource child care, while others decide not to maximize their family earnings and each take lower-paying, more flexible jobs. But researchers say that because of the changes in work and family, many educated couples are finding that couple equity is out of reach — and many women are left with unused career potential.” 

Define Success for Yourself

As a mother and professional who made a conscious decision to work flexibly, I took some offense to the statement about “unused career potential.” It assumes being in the C-suite or being among the top wage earners is the mark of success and falling short of that is somehow wasteful. I certainly applaud women and mothers who do attain those heights, and I’m grateful for their examples, for my daughters and for myself. 

However, if there’s anything I’ve learned as a wife and parent, it’s that there is SO MUCH MORE to being successful than making money and having a fancy title. There are also countless ways to apply higher education other than in the workplace. You can bet my legal education has come in handy in raising my girls to accept uncertainties and unfairness in life, and to keep fighting the good fight; in volunteering at school to help kids develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills; in communicating effectively with teachers, parents and administrators; in participating meaningfully in our community and in growing spiritually; and so on and on. 

Even at work, there are many more ways to be successful than making top dollar or making partner. I get excited when my efforts bring about a positive result for a client, or when my good work generates more work. I enjoy the relationships I’ve built with colleagues and staff. It’s also pretty nifty that I can type my name into Westlaw and get a few hits. Sure, I could give seminars on legal topics and get super involved in bar associations. At this time in my life, though, I choose to be present for my family. When my nest is empty, I have no doubt I can dig into my career more. But will I look back on my life and feel like I’ve wasted my career potential?  Not a chance!

Do you flex or want to flex?

Your career path is a very personal journey. I’d love to hear about why you decided to work flexibly or why you hope to do so, as well as what you think of the NYT article!  

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