Managing Back-To-Work Better- Some Quick Tips For Women

We don’t need more Gyan and emphasis on the mammoth impact of women returning to work after a hiatus. The benefit to the economy and as a society overall with more women participating in the workforce actively and for the long- term, is immense. 

Women take a break from work, for a multitude of reasons, ranging from maternity, health reasons, caretaker roles, and others. With all the guilt that they take upon themselves for taking the decision of moving back to work (and most of it given by society), it is a terrible dip in confidence that they feel. On top of that, they need to prove their calibre all over again and prove their commitment to the organization. 

Despite all the difficult things to cater to, women are bouncing back and how!

Here are some facts that will bring a smile to our faces-

-Percentage of women returning to work after maternity has shot up to 80 per cent in 2021

-Only 10 per cent of female employees are quitting their careers post-marriage.

- Just 20 per cent of them are leaving due to relocation.

- Overall retention rate of female employees, post-marriage, has improved by 50 percent.*

But we can’t ignore the fact that it takes oodles of courage and battling a lot of challenges to reach that other side of career growth.

Are you also apprehensive about returning to work after a sabbatical? Think no more, we have got your back! Here are a few tips to make your comeback to work a smooth transition.  

• Priming your family for a change – Have multiple conversations with your family regarding your decision to rejoin the workforce. A friendly reminder, you don’t have to do it all alone, its good to ask for help sometimes. 
• Honesty can take you places – You don’t have to hide or make excuses for your career break. Rather, shape the narrative of your career break. Explain your career break, but keep it brief. 
• Upskill to stay relevant in the game – No one would want to hire someone whose skills are outdated. Upskilling is no longer a choice; it has become an absolute necessity if you want to get back to work stronger than ever.  
• Learning can never go waste – Certifications are a great way to highlight your sincerity & commitment as a professional. Above all, this will give you credibility and a competitive edge over your colleagues.  
• Network, network, network – We can never emphasise enough the power of networking. Reach out to people on professional networking sites and who knows, it might land you in a job interview. 
• Carry confidence in your outfit – You do feel confident in the outfit you love, right? And, confidence speaks a lot about your personality. So, don’t forget to dress with confidence while walking into your next job interview. 
• Most importantly, believe in yourself – Apologies for saying this out loud, but if you doubt yourself, so will others. Self-doubt and the imposter in you will make it hard to believe in yourself, but don’t let that colour your perception of who you are. 

One thing that women definitely need to get over is GUILT, guilt for not being there for their loved ones, guilt for making difficult life choices and most importantly, guilt for wanting to have it all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to have it all, a child, a family, AND a stable career. You just need to believe in yourself, and you are halfway there!!

-Sunanda Banerjee, Head of Learning & Development at Passion Connect.