Going Back to Work After an Extended Break

going back to work
going back to work

Going back to work after a long break can be challenging. When it comes to going back to work after an extended break, whether it’s because you’ve had children or just because of other circumstances can be challenging.

In this post, I’m going to share with you some of the things that you may want to consider when coming back to work after an extended break.

You May Feel Guilty

Mothers especially are often faced with this feeling when coming back to work after an extended break to take care of their baby or toddler.

If you have children and the reason for being out of work for an extended period was to stay home to raise your children, even if they’re a bit older, you may still feel guilty about the fact that you’re not going to be there one hundred percent of the time anymore.

However, there’s absolutely nothing to feel guilty about when you’re putting the interests of your family and ultimately your children first. Who’s to say that you are or not you, as a parent, not allowed to take a break from your career for the well being of your children?

If you do decide to go back to work after an extended break having taken care of your children, be thankful that you put your family first, and go back to work knowing that you’ve not done anything wrong.

You May Have to Re-train

One of the biggest things to consider when going back to work after a break, depending on how long you have been out of work it to retrain to meet the new qualifications and skills that are required by your new job.

If you’ve been out of work for a while and the industry has changed significantly, it will depend on your job and also your initial qualifications and how far things have moved on since you were last there.

Before making any decisions on whether to go back to work and whether you should brush up on your skills, it’s always a good idea to speak to your employer about this since they will be able to recommend you courses such an online masters degree in Engineering Management where you can have a look and see if this is something that you would be able to do part-time while working. You may not need to do a full degree, but you could also do things like an evening course that only takes a few weeks.

The Company may Have Changed

Depending on how long it is since you’ve been last at work, many things may have changed dramatically, however, this doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to pick up on the changes and get yourself back up to speed.

Take such a challenge, learn the skills, new technology and anything else that will help you to be up to date in your field.

Your Job May be Different

Just like the company that you work for may have changed in terms of natural evolution process that industries go through, the job may also have completely changed since you were last there.

This can come about as a result of the industry changing overall or simply new technology that has perhaps eliminated a big part of your job. With this in mind take some time to consider before going back to work and see if this is something that you still are interested in doing long-term.

You May Realize you don’t Want to Continue on with this Career

One thing that may happen when you go back to work is that you realise that you’re tastes and interests have changed since you’ve started with your career.

There’s no universal law that states that you have to stay in the same job or career for your entire life. If you decide that you do not want to pursue your career anymore, and you’re just not suited to it anymore, it’s perfectly fine to let go as long as you’re honest about it and let people know upfront.

You May Need Childcare

If you have children then it’s worth considering that depending on the ages of your children you may need childcare. However, it’s always worth speaking with your employer about this, since many businesses are now focusing on making their company more family-friendly and introducing things like on-site childcare and childcare vouchers to support mothers and fathers to come back to work.

You Not be Better off Financially

Many people assume that by going back to work they’re automatically going to be making more money than if they were staying at home. However, this isn’t always going to be the case especially when you will need to pay daycare for your children.

If this is the case, you need to sit down and weigh the pros and cons to see if it will be financially beneficial to go back to work, and if the income will be worth your while spending 8 hours at work each day.

Many people have found out that working wasn’t making them better off financially due to the high cost of daycare.

Take in consideration these basic, yet, vital items, before considering going back to work after an extended break from work.



1 thought on “Going Back to Work After an Extended Break”

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