When you are considering returning to the workforce, fields such as data science may seem way out of the park for you. But they aren’t. The truth is that any return to work situation is going to feel way out of the park. It is an overwhelming process. When you are a parent considering returning to work as a parent, this could be the ideal time for you to look at a change of pace when it comes to your career.
Dynamic fields in technology, artificial intelligence, data science, and data analysis are just a few examples of the many jobs that could be your return to work dream. Before you get overwhelmed about getting back to work, do your research on what is out there. You may be more excited to go back than you think.
Open Your Mind to Change
A lot of the process of returning to work as a parent is not even about leaving the kids all day with somebody else, although that is a big part. It’s just the dread of getting back into that routine of work and answering to someone else all day. If you open your mind to change, you will be able to find a way to get the best of both worlds with returning to work as a parent. You may even be able to do something from home.
This is more true in tech today than it is in almost any other field. Tech offers a wide range of remote work jobs that give you what you need in your life. You can get back into the workforce and stay at home too. Do a little research on how to get into data science, data analysis, Web development, and any other programming language, and you will see the potential for change. A few courses ahead of time will help, so do your research on required education as well. Get the studying done before you have to get back to work.
Launch the Work Mindset
Have a set day and a set routine. Get into that mindset before you begin the return to work process.
Whether you start a few weeks or a few months before you get back to work won’t matter. Start the waking up routine, weeknight routine, days off routines, and the like now. When the transition arrives, it won’t feel like such a significant change.
Have a Plan
When you are preparing to return to work as a parent, you need to look at that with the parenting mindset. When you plan a big transition with your children, you rarely just dive into it for them without a plan. The same needs to apply to your back-to-work plan.
For you, that is a professional plan. Develop your CV, invest in the courses you need, and become a professional again. Start with a plan to do all of that.
Tidy Up That Social Media
Every company policy today has a social media policy with it. It may be time to tidy yours up. Do this before you begin the job search. Go through every social media account and remove every post that you have that may be winced over by future employers. Just tweak things. You also need to check on your friends and followers lists.
It is personal freedom of expression to have whoever you want as friends, but that’s not a response you want to give in a job interview. You don’t have to give up your friends. In today’s world, you can limit who can and can’t see your lists on social media in most social outlets.
Market Your Parenting Skills
It is very easy to feel overwhelmed and drained over the process of returning to work as a parent. Consider this your opportunity for a fresh start though. If you are looking for a new job or career, the world has opened up a little for you since you became a parent or took some time off. The world of tech, data science, and data analysis are just a few fields you may want to consider. Open your mind a little to the flexible options in the workforce that lie ahead.
And, don’t beat yourself up over how stressful and difficult this process feels. You aren’t alone here. So many people are going through the same stress right now. Use your parenting as a skill in the workforce. You can plan, organize, schedule, structure, and be on time for people that need you every day. Market those skills, and you are going to find the return to work process much easier than you imagined.
