When, Why and How to Go Back to Work
Have you taken some time off from work, but are ready to go back? Here are some ideas to help you make it happen.
I spent most of the first phase of my career as a certified workaholic; but when our daughter was born, I decided I could have the best of both worlds and went to a part-time schedule. Except as a workaholic, I didn’t know how to shift into the part-time gear. My idea of working part-time was going into the office three days a week, being a stay-at-home mom two days a week and working into the wee hours five nights a week and on weekends. I was exhausted, stressed and unhappy. I felt I couldn't do either job as well as I wanted. I was letting my team down when I had to leave the office to get to daycare before it closed and I felt sad every day when I dropped off my baby. My husband was travelling and before I reached the breaking point, we decided I would stop working altogether and be a “full-time-stay-at-home-mom.”
It was wonderful. I had such fun with my daughter. We had play dates, we made crafts, we baked, we read, we wrote plays, we dressed up. I poured all my energy into our daughter and our family. Sure, I envied those moms dressed in clothes that had to be dry-cleaned or wearing shoes that could not possibly be worn in pursuit of a toddler. Surely I would have rather had a nicely vacuumed sedan instead of a crumb-covered, dent-ridden SUV. But these sacrifices were incidental to the big picture. Right?
But then I started hearing about women who were once my peers being promoted to partner or running their own companies. I noticed their crumb-free sedans had been upgraded to luxury models; their nicely dry-cleaned outfits had designer labels; their household chores were handled by specialists. I started to regret my decision. I felt like an unused resource - the heirloom china that is kept packed away so that it doesn't get broken; the vintage car that sits under a tarp in the garage; and ultimately, the deciding factor, the untapped source of income.
I had thought I was doing the best thing for our family by giving up my career, but was I doing the best thing for me?
I decided I would go back to work when our son went to first grade. As soon as he got on the bus that first day of school, I began planning my re-entry strategy. Over the next few weeks, I updated my resume, made a list of my contacts, re-organized my office, renewed my CPA license and drafted letters of introduction. My job search felt a bit like I was standing at the open door of an airplane with a parachute on my back, wanting to experience the exhilaration of flying, but not being able to stop adjusting the snaps on my chute.
Soon, a good friend and former co-worker suggested I interview with her accounting firm. Long story short, I got the job! All my procrastinating – I mean, planning – was over. They wanted me to start right away. There was no looking back.
Those first months back to work were the hardest of my whole career. Even harder than working through the night on a client’s IPO, or researching technical accounting issues or placating angry board members. At this point, my biggest challenges were getting familiar with the new office lingo, learning all the ways technology had changed my job during my sabbatical and finding an appropriate outfit. But, I did it. And it was worth it. I was finally able to leave the regrets behind.
My career has included being a full-time workaholic, a part-timer and a stay-at-home mom. I was lucky enough to have the support of my family, friends and co-workers to be able make changes as my needs and our family’s needs changed. I realized how important it is for me to be the best I can be. And as I discovered, what is best for me has changed over the years. Certainly, planning my jump and adjusting the safety features on my parachute were critical steps. But all the planning in the world wasn’t going to help me jump out of that airplane.
When, why and how can you go back to work after taking time off? These are the some questions to consider:
Honestly address why you want to make a change. Are you running from something or to something? Are you doing this for yourself or someone else? What are you hoping to achieve? Are your goals financial or more qualitatively driven?
Identify what you would like to do. Do you want to get back into the same career you left? Do you want to try something new? How have your interests and skills changed during your time off? Is there something you really enjoy doing? What do you do better than other people? Can you use these new interests and skills to help re-launch your career?
Surround yourself with supportive people. Do you have your family’s support? Is someone willing to pick up the slack for you as you take on new roles and responsibilities? Can you reacquaint yourself with former colleagues? Do you have friends or family that can help you establish a new network or help you find new opportunities?
Plan ahead. Do you need to re-educate yourself in the areas that may have changed in your absence? Do you need to get re-certified or re-licensed? Should you learn a new skill or brush up on areas where you may have gotten rusty? Do you understand what will be expected of you in a new role? Are you prepared to make the change?
Be confident in yourself. Your history and your experiences are invaluable. You can do this. Check the parachute thoroughly and JUMP!