Reset – Restart – Refocus

Five years ago, I had this craze of doing something different, something on my own. Little did I know, it would take me to a whole different level. After a successful stint of my entrepreneurial journey, it was now time to get back to corporate. I started my job hunt and then pandemic happened.

The struggle is real: Getting back to your contacts, seeking their help to find a role for you is challenging. Attending interviews after a break is not easy. It can get devastating and at some point, we give up. But what kept me motivated was my family’s constant support and the push to keep trying. And when I got my much needed break, there was no looking back.

The journey to entrepreneurial success has been hard and filled with challenges, but worth it. Today, I am happy to share my experiences with other women who are coming back to work on how to succeed both as a professional and a multi faceted woman.

The work dynamics in the business world change constantly. Be prepared for a younger workforce, an increasing shift to email-only communication, getting work done through Watsapp. On the plus side, most companies have tools that allow you to be productive on your mobile and have friendlier ‘work from home’ policies. While these changes make life easier, they also increase expectations about productivity and informality.

Sharpen your toolkit: The downside of a break is that we lose continuity in our resume, networks get outdated, and sometimes, one’s drive and motivation gets questioned. But this can always be handled with a bit of effort and a positive mindset. During a break we can recharge our intellectual capital, reorient our career path, and bring purpose and conviction to our second innings.

Emotional Maturity - how to manage yourself: Corporate in India is making progress, with hiring managers becoming a lot more accepting of career breaks. But some of us are still handling compensation policies that might be skewed against second inning players. During my break, I met few of my friends who had avoided breaks and were several steps and rupees further up the ladder. While listening to their success stories, I briefly regretted the cost of my career break. Eventually I realized these feelings are perfectly normal and they should not overshadow my mindset towards re-launching my career. Remember, it’s important for us to remind ourselves that it was our choice to take timeout. Resenting peers, policies, or personal circumstances can blind us to new opportunities and derail us.

Demonstrate Professionalism – How to manage others: Not all recruiters or hiring managers have the sensitivity or maturity to probe for reasons regarding a career break, and often appear to question a candidate’s motivation for the role they are seeking. My advice is to demonstrate professionalism and avoid becoming defensive. If the person conducting the interview is going to be your manager, then use that conversation to form your own judgment about the job. If they are overtly skeptical or doubtful about your motivation and intent, be confident and assertive about your interest. For women coming back to work, it’s in our interest to imagine our day-to-day interactions with the future manager, balance the pros and cons, and finally trust our instincts.

Ease yourself into the workplace: People who have taken career breaks for over five years often find it difficult to adjust to a 9-to-5 (or beyond) schedule. In today’s economy, women can ease themselves into the work place by offering their services as a consultant. Easing oneself back to work gives us time to adjust both on the home front and professionally.

Look out for a cool start-up and offer your skills and experience with a positive attitude. After a couple of projects, you can ease yourself back to work on your own terms.

 Plan for support: In our country, we have the luxury of having parents, in-laws, domestic help, and much more to give a helping hand. However no one can help at short notice. Sound out everyone who is a potential helper in advance and check on their availability. That gives us the luxury of going back to work with a well planned back-up for support. I shamelessly used my mom & brother’s family as back-up while coming back to work. This worked admirably as my daughter was looked after by people who loved her as much as I did, leaving me free to focus on the job. Support may be expensive but will be a fraction of what we earn – and worth every rupee. Women who return to work bring very meaningful and diverse experiences. They take on major changes to their work-life balance, want to prove themselves, and are actively seeking to contribute to the world at-large. They should be applauded.

So remember we are doing something wonderful. It may be a tough journey for a while, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy the journey.