Sital Ruparelia

I frequently meet woman who leave senior roles in the banking sector to start a family and take a career break. They have worked hard to get themselves into a strong financial position and now want to spend the next few years away from the rat race and focus on bringing up a young family and enjoy some well deserved ‘me time.’

The first few months after the birth are great, they love the time with the child (or children) and find it very satisfying. Whilst they miss the people they worked with along with the ‘adult interaction,’ they most definitely don’t miss the commuting, politics and other stresses of corporate life.

Life is good.

But then a year down the line – maybe even 2 years, they start to feel a sense of ‘something missing.’

They can keep themselves busy with a full diary of the school run, a visit to the gym, coffee mornings with other mums and various after-school activities for the kids. Maybe they even dabble in some projects to keep them busy – renovating the home or helping hubby build a property portfolio (although that project is now on hold due the credit crunch and falling house prices).

That’s when they realise that the creativity, drive and ambition that drove them during their banking career is inherently part of their nature – in the same way that becoming a mother is part of their nature.  Part of their DNA, so to speak.

They think about going back to work part time, but can’t bare the thought of a not being around the kids. At the same time, they also don’t want to be defined as stay-at-home mum. It’s a catch-22 situation.

They are not quite ‘career mums’ and they are not really on ‘maternity leave’ and waiting to go back. It’s that ‘in between place’ where they are trying to figure out what it is they want to do next with their careers. Whilst they would not share some of this openly with others, deep down they feel uncertain, a little frustrated and sense some of their confidence slipping away.

What they are looking for is a new career that takes advantage of their skills and talents, but also allows them to be with the kids in the early years. A home based career or business that provides them with the opportunity to get out and have adult conversations which don’t revolve around nappy rash or what to put in the party bag for Jonny’s upcoming birthday party.

Something that stretches their intellect a little and maybe gives them a new career for the next 5 years. Or maybe it just gives them a chance to try a job or business idea without the pressures of “should this be my new career?” A bit of an experiment so to speak.

Does this sound like you….?

Or maybe someone you know – a partner or a friend maybe?

Over the next few months, I will be featuring career ideas and options for mums. Ideas that enable them to tap into their talents and so create more money, more independence and more fulfilment whilst also being there for their children. Career options that help mums have their cake and eat it, so to speak.

Sital

P.S. Before I get a barrage of comments back about stay-at-home dads  – yes, this post and the ideas I will feature will be as applicable to stay at home dads as well as mums!