Sometimes I struggle to recognise the old me: a driven, ambitious lawyer working on billion dollar deals on the male-dominated trading floors of the world’s biggest investment banks. What followed was not the international career I had always imagined for myself but a long, unplanned and often stressful career break, towards the end of which I barely knew who I was.
Returning to the workforce after time away is tough. Returning after caring for kids, parents, or after an illness is tougher still. It can leave you feeling isolated, despondent and lacking confidence. So how do you pick yourself up again and look forward? How do you reclaim your career and, possibly, yourself?
Over time, we change and so do our desires and priorities. Take time and effort to figure out who you are now, where you want to go and what you want to do. Work out your needs and wants by re-assessing your personal and professional values, strengths and passions.
Confidence is the foundation upon which to rebuild, and it’s best done brick by brick. Break down each larger end goal into a series of small, achievable steps that, win by win, will help you regain confidence and achieve goals.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a village to find and secure a job. Put yourself out there to regain old networks or find new ones. Build your cheerleading squad because community and connection is everything.
Know there may be setbacks but keep focused on your goals. Take the time to process and learn from disappointments. If one route doesn’t work, try others. Use your cheerleading squad to maintain self-belief, persistence and determination. Remember, you’re not alone here.
Bhupinder Kent is Senior Relationship Manager in FW’s Jobs Academy, helping women find meaningful work. She also writes about women and immigrant stories drawing on her experiences of living, working, studying and travelling in over 50 countries across six continents. Bhupinder was an international finance lawyer before an unplanned career break during which she had kids, moved countries three times, and was a carer.
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