Career Break

A break or a sabbatical is a personal decision that we as women take and a choice that we make. Matrimony, change of

location, maternity, are the top most reasons that drive us to apply breaks and shift gears to accommodate another priority. As much as we want to resume and return, we build psychological barriers while we are on that break. These walls do not exist but are mere illusions that  we build. And then overpowering these walls become a challenge. So, the key is to build bridges and not barriers during a break.  Here are some psychological barriers that women build but it’s the bridge they need to focus on.

  1. Barrier : “ Everything is now changed, upgraded or doesn’t exist. My experience doesn’t count .”.

Your experience is an investment  that you  made  for years together into your career. No one can take that away from you. It will never go as a waste. No matter how long or short the break is. You can start from where you left.  Do not convince yourself into thinking that you have lost your Midas touch.  Whatever has changed ,can be caught up with and you can restart. And the gap will only lessen with time.

Bridge : Experience counts! Gain more experience and do not doubt your capabilities for a single moment.

 

  1. Barrier:” Ihave low self confidence, now compared to before”.

Confidence is a feeling that you create and it remains a part of your growth and evolution process. Lowering confidence means lowering faith in self. Whatever has gone, will come back to you. You have  stay unfazed by the opinions around and face everything that comes up. Its your belief in you that will stand by you. So, no matter what changes happen externally, your confidence level should not change and remain the same or even higher.

Bridge:  Youare as much confident as much as you think you are! So aim for the highest.

 

  1. Barrier : “ I do not talk get to meet or talk to people as I am at home most of the time. I stay isolated”.

Do not shut yourself up. A break is an opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances. Explore more fields and options that you never knew about. Reconnect with old friends and establish newer connections.  Networking opens up gateways to new information and news that will help you in some way or the other. So, do not stay isolated. You may be surprised how your next job or career move may just land up in your lap through such networks.

Bridge : Make use of social media, networking sites , online and offline platforms to build up on connections and expand your horizon.

 

  1. Barrier– “ The wait is way too long and is frustrating. I do not know how much more time would it take”.

Time and tide wait for no man. So, what has to happen will happen at the right time. But one has to wait for the right time. Patience and perseverance is a must. Also, investing time from daily routine to search on websites, learn a new technology, network with people , apply through various platforms is necessary. This time invested will speed up the process of reaching the right time.

Bridge :Make use of time instead of waiting for time to pass. It’s the usefulness of time that will help you get there rather than the uselessness of time.

 Stay focused, disciplined and diligent during your break. Do not let yourself down and out. The break is an opportunity replenish yourself, rethink a few priorities and restart with a roar metamorphically . Let your bridges guide you through.

You may also want to read other articles written by the same author ‘Decoding Stress‘, ‘Communication made easy…‘, , ‘Personal Finance Planning’, ‘Are you financially fit?’, ‘3 M’s… Mantra for Morale‘ , ‘Tips for effective interaction with management’, ‘Adapting to global work culture – locally‘, ‘8 Advantages of Online tutoring as a work from home career‘, ‘6 Tips for health management at workplace‘, ‘Marriage and Finance‘, ‘Passion with a Purpose‘.

About the author:

Padmaja Acharya – From the ancient language of Sanskrit comes my name ‘Padmaja’, derived from Padma (meaning lotus) and Ja (meaning to take birth from).  A woman as created by the divine.  An Engineer and MBA by virtue of education. A dance choreographer, teacher by virtue of passion. A soft skill trainer and educator by profession.  An author and speaker as guided by my calling. This is what encompasses me.

(The author is a guest blogger at Her Second Innings. The opinions expressed are those of the author.)

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