Sorry not sorry! Here’s how you can prep yourself to rejoin the workforce after a sabbatical
A career break is not a crime.
Today, as I started with my daily commute for making it to work, on time and with some shred of sanity left, I wondered if I should complain about having to battle the peak hour crowd or just be glad, I am employed. Am I equipped to empathise with the struggles of a person struggling to or rejoining the workforce after a sabbatical? Coming to work, grabbing a cup of piping hot coffee, putting on your earphones, and getting to work is not the norm for almost 80 per cent of women in India who aren’t in the workforce, according to studies.
Among those who used to be shining at their workplaces, only a few women return to work after having taken a break. Studies show that only 27 per cent of those women go on to occupy senior positions. While this article is about what you can do when rejoining (or trying to) the workforce, the onus of making it happen should ideally not fall on you alone. It is the collective responsibility of the entire economy to change the attitudes toward a gap in careers. If people don’t realise that on a moral level, maybe the fact that creating a conducive environment for women to be employed again can add around $770 billion to India’s GDP can do the trick.
However, while it would be nice for that change to happen sooner than later, we aren’t here to sit in dormancy. Whether you are seeking job opportunities, going to start new employment or simply tackling the many struggles of one, with a few things in mind, life may become easier for you.
Get your things in order
The first step to returning to the grind is to settle on a plan of action. You will have to crossover from hemming and hawing to absolute resoluteness—and the decision that is bound to give your life a 360-degree turn will require it. Line your ducks in a row and ensure the responsibilities you had while you were not employed are delegated and taken care of. This will not only prevent an absolute pandemonium but also help you focus on your new-found paid work, attentively.
Acceptance is important
We are in an era of transformation, wherein every industry is evolving in its own way. If your sabbatical has been a long one, you will have to know that things may not be exactly where you left them. Julia Manke, founder of a recruitment agency, Fingertips, explains how she has seen the lack of acceptance with regard to change as one of the most common obstacles people face. “And by change I don’t mean just the use of social media. Generally, there are smaller but impactful changes in every field and having that attitude to give a certain period to simply absorb and learn is important,” Manke explains.
Upskill and make up for the time away from work
Acceptance heralds us to the next important thing—finding ways to disembroil from the confusion stemming from unfamiliarity. The best way to go about it is upskilling and learning what is relevant to your field. “Talk to a few people (neighbours, ex-colleagues, friends, acquaintances, and recruiters) to get an understanding of what restarting work can entail depending on the length of the sabbatical you took. Brush up your old skills and learn new ones. Start preparing (if possible) at least three months before you intend to start work,” Manke suggests. Learning something new is like diving straight into a cold swimming pool, it may feel daunting at the start, but, with time, you begin to like it! Upskilling may not just help you work better but also stimulate you mentally as you prepare for a new set of challenges.
Watch out for imposter syndrome
Repeat this: I am skilled, I am smart, and I deserve this job. Unfortunately, many companies are still in the regressive rut that sees a gap year as a defect. But you have a life beyond your career and a sabbatical should not make you feel like you’re being tried in a court. Karishma Chawla, a chartered accountant who returned to paid work (being a full-time mother is work too) after almost a year, said she refuses to let comments on the space in her career get to her. “People judge all the time. But you should not let self-doubt get to you. Make the most of this opportunity and confidently give your best,” Chawla advises.
Don’t feel bad about lost opportunities
When a company refuses to consider you because of your work sabbatical, what does it say about them? For me, organisations like these seem biased, regressive, and not favourable to growth. I would rather want to put my heart and soul into a company that sees me as an asset than one that may hire me but not give me equal opportunities for advancement in my career. Based on your skill set, make a good pitch, and the right employer will not hold the gap against you. Shama Nimkar, a media professional, says she was in a phase that made her self-confidence drop after a sabbatical. “I took up a job in a toxic workplace (had no idea before I joined) and I had to obviously leave it. This was after a break I had taken from work. My confidence fell so much that I was willing to settle for just about anything until I found a company (a renowned one) that didn’t hold the gap against me and provided me with the training needed for me to succeed,” Nimkar shares. “Ever since then, there has been no looking back for me!”
Image credit: Liu Wen for Gucci
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