Things to consider when returning to work after having children
Had kids and thinking about returning to work? If your answer is yes, you might be feeling this degree of skepticism that being both a parent and worker is going to be a problem. As your fears grow you wonder whether you are doing the right thing, will you be able to manage everything?
Luckily, there are quite a few things that you can do that will help ease the move back to work after having kids, and here are some of them.
When to Return: There will never be a ‘right’ time to go back to work. Any decision should be about what feels nearly ‘right’. If you wait until there are no reservations about it at all, then the chances are you won’t return.
Recognise your skills: Having and raising children gives you a new set of skills that are important in any job environment. The parenting skills you’ve gained, transferred onto the work environment values, now mean that you have skills such as:
* Problem-Solving. * Multi-Tasking. * People Skills. * Time Management.
These are skills that any employer will want. It is important to show employers how the skills you’ve acquired will be an asset for them.
Exploit Technology: Technology has advanced to the point that that where you work is no longer a matter of where you live. With sites like uk.jobrapido.com, it is much easier to search for jobs online. Whether it be jobs in Birmingham or jobs in any other major city in the UK, the technology is here to provide you with tools that will help you find the right kind of job for you. The advances in technology mean that we are not restricted to the office. New technology offers more chance for flexible working hours, chance that was not even possible up to a decade ago. For example, technology – in this case things like the widespread access to Internet and the development of the Cloud - provides the opportunity of true flexibility through working from home.
Career Goals: When you begin thinking about returning to work, consider spending some time thinking what your career to be now and not what it might have been. Managing your career and family simultaneously may pose challenges so think about doing a job that will make you happy. You need to find something that will provide you with that all-important work-life balance to avoid any possibility of feeling some sort of guilt (towards your family) about going back to work.
Flexible Working: When looking for a job, think about how you want to work. It does not have to mean returning to full-time employment. Flexible working provides a way of working that can help meet your needs. Apart from many different variations of part-time work, flexible working also involved the chance of working from your home, while your children are doing their homework, for example. It is always worth exploring, maybe not directly, what an employer’s policies are on flexible working hours.
Finally: Returning to work after having kids is not the end of your career. You have a range of new and improved skills that any employer will want. New technology makes finding work significantly easier. It offers the prospect to work in different ways. Along with flexible work, you can also enjoy more flexibility in managing family and work.
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