I took a real break from work-life to be with a growing family. One that lasted about eight months, the break i.e.
While I was enjoying it thoroughly in the village, I had to get back to the city.
Since I was on a break, I felt I had the opportunity to look at various career options – perhaps a yoga teacher, I was flexible. Perhaps a child nutritionist, I had done a crash course from Coursera. Perhaps a dietician, afterall I had successfully got back in shape after a baby. But, I took up freelance writing! While it didn’t pay well, I really enjoyed, researching on unknown (to me) topics and writing and storytelling articles for the web. That’s when I started to miss my job as a communications person, really!
While I wanted to get back to work, I was a bit unsure and to be honest, quite under confident. I had heard horror stories of women unable to join back work due to lack of support system at home, company’s inability to hire someone who is on a break and all that. With that in mind, I decided to get a grip, talked myself into trying and guess what, it worked like a breeze.
Here are some things to do during your break to make a successful comeback:
Keep up-to-date on topics related to your business
Read, research and learn (online courses are a boon) to keep abreast of the latest in your business as well in technology. Keep in touch with your friends, especially those work, to stay with the momentum of work-life.
Update your skills
I took to writing and that helps me practice that one skill which is very important for a communications person. At the same time I took sometime out to network with seniors in the business to see what they are looking for, as a top skill, in our topic.
Work on a routine
While freelance writing, I had set up a routine that was akin to an office routine. Except it was a lot harder being at home, since household chores came in between work. However, creating the routine certainly helped me quickly get into work mode when I joined back.
Stay positive
It’s Igikai afterall, you have to offer something the world needs and is ready to pay for it, and that you love doing it. Having a purpose and focusing on it keeps negative thoughts at bay. It also helps to be fit with some exercise and update your wardrobe and style 😉
Now that you have worked on what ‘they’ want, you have to work on what ‘you’ want, unless you ‘need’ a job. Being on a break allows you to think through the kind of role you’d like, work-place that can keep you going, culture and values that go with your own, comfortable commute, perhaps.
Update your profile and spread the word
Now that you have a fair idea of what the business wants and what you want, add on to your profile with courses that you took up, business events you attended and the freelance work or hobbies that you picked up. Get it reviewed by a few experts and then share it with friends, ex-colleagues and on social media. I got all my queries through these three channels.
Create the support system
Now that you are out there, ask yourself, if you were to work fulltime, what kind of support would you require – family members at home, flexibility at work, work from home options, a cook, a driver et al. Make what’s possible, possible or atleast to list them down. When you take up a job, you’ll be much more prepared.
We certainly can get back to work with…a little help from friends! Next up…how to make best use of the break besides preparing for a new job 😉
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
In a career spanning over a decade as a communications expert, she has championed and led programs on several sustainable business practices, diversity and inclusion programs.
She loves to read literature, and books on management and development in technology and economics. She mentors young women students & entrepreneurs in her home state, Sikkim.
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