As your kids grow older and start heading off to kinder or school, you’ll probably find yourself wondering whether it may be time to pivot from being a stay at home mum to returning to the office – at least even if on a casual or part-time basis. Being able to use your newfound downtime during the day to make a little extra cash for the household definitely has its own appeals – but for some professionals, the right move might not actually be sending out job applications right away.
Instead of scrolling through job ads, you may opt to ease yourself back into professional life with some strategic upskilling by enrolling in an online course. Granted, there are some pros and cons to both pathways, so let’s unpack returning to study vs. returning to work in full so you can determine what the right plan of action is for your CV.
Returning to study
The main advantage of returning to study is upskilling before you apply for new job opportunities. If you work in a field that demands you keep your finger on the pulse (think medicine, tech, digital marketing, and other STEM roles), then reestablishing and updating your industry foundations can demonstrate to prospective employers that you’re committed to delivering only the most current insights in your next role.
Returning to study can also be beneficial for anyone who’s looking for leadership positions in particular. If your highest qualification is currently an undergraduate degree, you could opt to attain an advanced degree to boost your earning power once you do return to the workforce. Today, you can study anything from a standard Masters of Business Administration course to a more specialised course like a Master of Project Management online.
And if you do already have advanced qualifications, you can even opt for shorter management and leadership training programs that you can enrol in from the comfort of your own home.
Pros
- A more flexible return to professional life (i.e. study part-time or online)
- Strengthens CV in anticipation of return to the workforce
- Strengthens earning power upon return to the workforce
- Supports eligibility for leadership opportunities
- Opportunities to build professional network through alumni communities
- Online course options available to accommodate working parents
- Advantageous for industries that require continuous learning (i.e. keeping your finger on the pulse)
Cons
- Can delay return to the workforce by 1-2 years
- Cost-intensive, so not ideal for families prioritising two-income household budgeting
- Juggling course assessments with family commitments may be stressful at times
Returning to the workforce
On the other side of the coin, mums looking to jump right back into the workforce following their career break definitely do have a lot to look forward to. Months to years of dealing with the same old household problems like grocery runs, endless piles of laundry, and the trials and tribulations of gentle parenting can leave you feeling seriously ready for some professional problem solving.
One of the more prominent cons you may experience when organising a return to the workforce is just slotting extra travel into your morning routine. It can be stressful enough getting the kids dressed, fed, and in the car in the morning without having to add getting yourself to work on time into the mix. That, and peak hour traffic may see you sitting in your car for extra hours everyday. There’s also no guarantee that your workplace will be close to home, so uncertainty surrounding when you can get to daycare or school in time to pick up the kids may make some on-site professional roles unfeasible.
The good news is that remote and hybrid work models are on the rise as well, so you may be able to find a professional opportunity that allows you to work from a home office rather than having to commute. These new-age work models also support employers in accommodating working parents, so it’s well worth having the conversation on remote work opportunities with any prospective employers during the interview phases of your applications.
Pros
- Immediately generate an income
- Establish a stable weekly routine
- Officially ending career break on your CV
- Opportunities to accrue hands-on experience
- Opportunities to work remotely
- Personal fulfillment from meeting professional goals
- Expand professional network through company/industry connections
Cons
- Returning to work without upskilling may inhibit earning power
- May require travelling/commuting for on-site work
- Higher additional responsibilities when compared to returning to study
Part-time work and study?
Then again, you could even go half and half rather than committing to full-time study or a full-time job. Granted, this move definitely isn’t for everyone, because splitting your weekly to-do list into three different components (work, study, family) as opposed to two (work or study + family) can result in a heftier mental load. But if you like the idea of engaging with course content at your own pace and thus, better absorbing all that academic material, then maybe this gentler approach could be the right fit for you.
Similarly, saying ‘yes’ to a part-time professional opportunity can help you dip a toe into returning to work without having to commit to a workplace on a full-time basis. If you’re able to develop a good working relationship with your part-time employer, then you may even be able to gain access to career advancement opportunities within that same company down the line. Imagine gaining a qualification and being able to apply it immediately at your place of work.
Map out your career trajectory with confidence
Preparing to leave the rigmarole of full-time motherhood behind can always feel a little bit daunting. Similarly, committing to either full-time study or full-time work may come with some unforeseen responsibilities and time factors across either camp. If you return to work, the nature of your role in an organisation may even change over time as you accrue more responsibilities – so what may be sustainable today might not be sustainable over the long term.
This is why the most valuable aspect of a professional routine for any working parent is flexibility. So long as you’re able to find a course or role that lets you comfortably shift priorities as needed throughout the week, you can feel more confident integrating some professional and/or academic responsibilities into your weekly schedule. And once that schedule feels comfy for you and your family (at your own pace, of course!), you can tick off your return to professional life as a roaring success.
