Career Breaks and Fears


"I have had 2 career breaks. Both for personal reasons and both in the last 5 years. Before this, my career was quite stable. The irony is that even though last 5 years gave me 2 career breaks, it also got me the 2 best jobs of my life. Now I am losing the job I really love. Why would anyone ever give me a job with this kind of track record? “ said a mother of 2 toddlers who was undergoing massive changes in her personal life and it was impacting her professional life.
She continued, "My worst fear is explaining my career breaks”.
"Whose voice is telling you this story?" I asked
She continued, "My inner voice and my experience from my last interview with the elderly Head of a family run organisation. More than my work experience, he was more interested in my breaks. He kept looking at what I lacked and not at the massive changes I had brought about in my past roles.” As she went on to reflect and narrate.
As a working Mom with career breaks of my own, it was not very long back when I was stifled by a similar situation and the fear beneath those question.
When one decides to take a break from work, especially for personal reasons, the fear of whether one would be accepted back in the corporate world increases manifolds. What adds to the fear is the perception of the people from old school. In such situations, it becomes hard to confidently convince an interviewer of one’s capabilities when one is herself doubting it.
If you are facing a similar situation or fear is clouding your thought process… send me a message for a free Coaching session.

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