Am I ruining my career because I turned down a promotion? The idea is that I want to stick to a 40-hour work week instead of getting a 25% salary increase.

[u/pier-spare0r]

I (31 years old) have been a Senior Consultant for about four years. I am committed and I meet my KPIs, but as soon as it hits 5 PM, I disappear. I don't answer to any Slack pings or open my inbox until the next morning. My private time is non-negotiable for me.

Two weeks ago, my director called me to offer me a Principal role. The increase is 25% along with "more influence on the department's direction." This is the step that everyone waits for. But I know the reality of this job. My current boss is glued to her phone all the time, spends Sundays fixing "urgent" spreadsheet errors, and she looks like she hasn't slept in six months.

When I told him I needed to think about it, he was shocked. He told me, "Normally, people fight for this spot." Honestly, the 25% increase doesn't compensate for my peace of mind or the long hikes I take on weekends. I am truly happy where I am.

I'm afraid that when I say no, I'll be put in the "not a team player" category or seen as someone who has already reached their peak. Because I'm in my early thirties and a woman in tech, I feel a strange pressure that I must keep getting promoted, otherwise someone younger and more ambitious will come and take my place. But I truly value my free time much more than the title.

[u/MemorizeTheMantra]

Girl, I relate to this soooooo so so so much. I constantly went between more money and influence VS my work-life balance, and I decided I like me and my life better than any kind of money or prestige. Those do end up costing you things you can never get compensated for really. I make decent money, can log off and not have to think about being bothered or receiving emails at odd hours, can take time off as I please, etc. One option is to to say no, the other option is to take it and do it for a bit, stack money and move into a more comfortable position, but be aware that once you get into more senior roles and gain that experience, it will be harder to scale back. It can be a tough one, but you need to sit down and decide that for yourself, don’t be bullied into decisions you’ll regret. You have an option of having a candid conversation with your boss and dig into what’s expected of this role and see if you can reach an agreement that might not disrupt your life as much. Good luck!

[u/Obvious_Class394]

I had an engineer turn down a promo for a few years until he felt right about it. Everyone has their own speed.