Parental Preparation: Dealing With Your Career Change When You’re A Busy Mother
It’s a well-worn cliché, but being a mom is a full-time job. But it’s the most rewarding full-time job ever because it raises so many questions. It makes you reassess your priorities in life, and if you are on maternity leave, you might be considering whether the job you’re already doing is beneficial to your new life. As a result, comprehending a career change is something that might have crossed your mind. But we tend to shoo away the idea, because it’s impractical. And as your children grow older, these feelings can become stronger, but it may still feel impractical. But it’s not, as long as you have the essential processes in place. How can every mother deal with a career change?
Why Do You Want To Change Careers?
The first thing you really need to do is understand why you want to make a change in your career. Is it because you’ve realized you don’t like what you’re doing, or is it merely a case of itchy feet? Before jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, you need to get a thorough understanding of the situation. Because if you leave your current career as it’s not fulfilling you, but you’ve got nothing to go to, then you are going to be worse off. Instead, you need to undertake a thorough emotional spring clean. You need to think about what you really want out of life, and if it’s just a case of your current job role not satisfying you. If you’ve been in an organization for years, it might be time to speak to one of your superiors to see if you can be challenged in another way. If you’ve already spent so many years in a career and you are protected with a pension, as well as the other perks, it might be a little foolish to throw this away because you’ve only been unhappy in the role for a couple of months. But if this is something that you’ve realized is not a benefit of your life at all, then it’s time to plan how you’re going to move on…
Taking The Necessary Steps…
First things first, you need to determine what you have an interest in. Many new mothers love the idea of working with children because their maternal instinct has come to the fore. But it’s important to remember that you need a career that satisfies you in every possible aspect of your life. Do you think that your maternal instinct will stay if you end up playing mother 24 hours a day, at home, and at work? You need to be led by your interests, but likewise, you need to find the right balance. Doing something you love for a career can sometimes mean that it turns into a “job”. So, consider what your interests are, and this will help lead you in the right direction. When you find something that drives you or an issue that you have a burning passion for, it shouldn’t feel like a job. This is why so many people start their own businesses because it gives them an overall control of their life. It’s certainly an option, but before getting to this point, you need to have the necessary skills…
Pursuing An Education
This is probably the hardest juggling act of all when you have kids. An education, in the traditional sense, can come with many unexpected costs, and so it can take some time for you to acquire the necessary funds to get the piece of paper you need to progress to the next stage in life. If you are struggling financially, look at ways around the situation. For example, if you need to go to college for a degree, but you are obviously too busy with your children, is there anything you can do at home? Online degrees are a fantastic way to get an education now, in almost anything. And even if you are unable to acquire the necessary funds at the moment, there are still free resources for you to take advantage of. It’s important not to neglect YouTube, especially when it comes to things like TED Talks, or even the abundance of audiobooks online. Doing this is not just beneficial in your wallet, but you can delve deeper into a subject, and decide if it is something you want to do, especially before parting with your money on a degree course. But it can also be a fantastic stepping stone to a career you never thought of before. Engineering is one of those fundamental skills that provide a very lucrative, but also fulfilling, career that can open the door to other types of work. And with a degree like this, you can complete an online engineering management program while you are at home. The great thing about these types of courses is that you can do it as fast or slow as you want, which is an absolute godsend when you have children. And it’s important to remember that you can still get educated by looking for advice via the usual paths, such as career officers. And don’t underestimate the power of networking. If you have an interest in a specific industry, but you don’t know anything about it, find someone on LinkedIn and email them, or better yet, go for a coffee with them to understand the ins and outs of what you think you want to do.
Managing a career change while being a parent is one of the biggest tasks you can undergo, but it is achievable. The trick is not to jump into it right away. But rather, premeditate it and plan beforehand so you make the change gradually. This will ensure that you gain the necessary skills to facilitate the change properly, but you are suffering, and neither is your family, in a financial or emotional sense. You deserve to be happy in your career, but a lot of us feel that we should forgo it for the sake of our children. This is not the case, but it does require a bit more planning.
