When was the last time you paused to think about yourself – your hopes and your dreams?

Embrace a new mindset of continuing the journey and all you need to do is to make the choice. The choice to restart your career is the first step and the biggest leap of all that will follow, balancing work and personal life – and with the flexibility of time, space and choice of work.

Marriage, motherhood, caring for elderly parents and other personal reasons have often led women to walk away from their dreams.

How To Restart Your Career

Before we go on to the why and how of rebooting your career, understand the key steps for a career comeback:

Make the conscious decision to work

Research

Create a mind map of your career goals

Organize your work time schedule

Upskill

It is all out there on the internet. A lot of it is free resources to use for your own benefit but make sure you filter out the unnecessary.

Here are some tips for effective researching towards a career comeback:

Do not go overboard with research – take it slow and allot time in the day for it

Mindful browsing – it is easy to get distracted with so many choices

Look for content that would help you learn something better than yesterday

Make small goals to work towards the job to avoid feeling overwhelmed

The internet is going to be your main learning platform. A lot of it is free resources to use for your own benefit but make sure you filter out the unnecessary.

Where To Look For Work

Online Career Platforms Dedicated For Women – Register yourselves and look out for projects that are suitable for you. Back2Work4You is your go-to site here!

Corporate Returnship Programs – many organizations have taken up this initiative as a corporate social responsibility. A lot of them are aimed at women empowerment

What Are The Options For Career Restart?

1. Freelance

Even though it has been quietly co-existing for many years, only now, amidst the pandemic, has the world seemed to have noticed it. Any skill, be it technical or creative, which you find valuable in yourself – figure out how you can monetise it and sell it for quality, This could be writing, auditing, graphic designing, online tutoring, head hunting, digital marketing etc.

If figuring out a skill is overwhelming, I will save your time here and guide you to Saloni Srivastava’s side hustle ideas. Analyse your skills and see which one of these hats you can wear as a freelancer. And then, do everything necessary to pursue it. There is plenty of resources and guidance that is available online to upskill yourselves – one such space is right here on Back2Work4You where our mentors will help you get where you need to.

As long as you follow the rules of freelancing in the country that you are residing in and you are proactive about the clients you choose to work with, this is an amazing platform for many.

2. Work From Home

If anything good has come out of COVID-19, it is the option of remote work. Who would have thought it would become the new norm! Women have often had to show up at work with terrible menstrual cramps, a child who suddenly falls sick in the morning, or a nanny who needed an emergency day off.

There are so many tools available to have virtual interviews and meetings, to get work done from home. As long as you are organized and you are productive, remote work has become a blessing for many.

3. Returnships

These are career restart programs that could evolve into a permanent job. If corporate is where you belong, then shoot for the stars. Not only is this an opportunity to re-enter the workforce but you also get to pick up from where you left and upskill. This should be your goal if you are looking into settling into a full-time role but at present, you feel you could use some on-the-job training and confidence boost. This option also helps in testing the waters in a role that you desire and on a short-term commitment before going full-fledged.

4. Part-time / Full time

This should be what you zero in on once you have clarity about the hours you can invest in your career. When you have a corporate job, it comes with certain added benefits like Visa, insurance, annual ticket etc. If full-time is an option and you are equipped to make a complete comeback, then go ahead.

5. Business For Women Entrepreneurs

If you have a business mind or you always wanted to have a small scale online store in mind, then why not pursue it? The options are many and talented women are around us who may need the right support and encouragement. If that’s you, Back2Work4You can help you through with the legal procedures to set up your business, right here: Business for Women Entrepreneurs

Managing Career & Personal Life

It is all to do with the mindset. You may have various reasons for wanting to get back to work – it could be pure career satisfaction, financial independence, the need for multiple streams of income to make ends meet, it could also be because you are ambitious. And that is good.

Be mentally prepared for:

Frequent guilt trips about family obligations

Overwhelming days

Low self-esteem due to the career gap

Possibility of having to prove yourself again

Multitasking career and personal life

Initial upskilling investments etc.

All of the above is perfectly normal to feel.

Yes, you are going to face guilt, worrying about children and their welfare. Yes it is going to be overwhelming trying to be perfect at it all. I have had several moments where I doubted my grit and skills. It may seem like some have it all sorted but please know, that everyone has their own stories of joyful moments and life struggles.

When you doubt your capabilities, picture yourself as a woman of substance. It starts with believing in oneself. And the rest will fall in place. I have only begun my journey and I hope you choose to pursue your path too. You are stronger than you know.

Back2WorkYou, is here to help you resume your career. Starting, Right Now.