Back In The Boardroom

Is it possible to rejoin the workforce after years of being a stay-at-home mum or dad?

- Jennifer F Netto

You’ve spent the past decade caring for the kids and managing the home. Now that the children are older and more independent, you’re feeling an urge to start working again. Perhaps you’re ready for new challenges, perhaps you wish to pick up the reins of a career that you gave up when the children came along, or perhaps circumstances are such that you have no choice but to seek paid employment.

Whatever your situation may be, questions and uncertainties flit through your mind: would employers require your skills? Are you too out of touch with current trends to contribute effectively? Can you keep up with the demands of a full-time job? Are you ready for the harsh, cutthroat corporate world? Will your children be able to adjust to you being gone for most of the day?

It’s a big decision and considerable preparation will be needed. Here are some tips to help you on your way.

UPDATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

If you’ve always known that you intend to rejoin the workforce at some point in the future, you can keep yourself up-to-date even while being a stay-home mum or dad. Amidst caring for the children and performing household chores, set aside a regular amount of time for self development. Enroll in an enrichment programme or course that would keep your professional skills up-to-date.

We are fortunate to be living in a time when education is readily available to us. There are many short courses online that allow you to learn new skills, enhance old ones or keep up with the ever-changing trends of the world. Have you heard of MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses)? It’s a learning platform that offers many free and paid courses in various disciplines and from various established institutions around the world.