Make the Brave Move and You Will Never Look Back

Last summer I made the positive decision that I would go back to work.

Having been so brave and bold working in one of the most competitive cities in the world, my role and responsibilities changed following the birth of my twin daughters. I had been a successful recruitment consultant and now I was a mum who had to be emotionally and physically responsible for two human beings, but without the salary. And relying on my husband’s income really bothered me. I also struggled like most new mothers do with the loss of my identity and independence after giving birth to the girls.

But now my children are ready to start school and I thought…I’m ready to restart my career again.

I’ve always craved my own independence – earning my own money and building a successful career since I left home at 18 leaving a small town in North Wales for London. I wanted to prove to myself that given the opportunity I could once again be at the top of my career. What I had learnt from being a mum is, I was more efficient, more organised, I could read people’s emotions far quicker than I did before and I could make considered decisions in a short space of time. I just needed to get out there.

Now I may add, things didn’t go quite to plan. My fault, as instead of going for roles which mirrored my experience, I made the decision to go for lesser roles thinking that this would build my confidence and give me the flexibility in my working hours. In fact, it did the opposite. So I decided to work out what my goals and ambitions were and asked myself were they achievable with the new me.

Four months later, I’m working at The Industry Club and my experience and skills are in demand. And do you know what, the house hasn’t burnt down, the children are perfectly happy, I’m challenged in my work and have got money left at the end of the month. I’m feeling really good about everything.

If you are thinking about going back to work; here is my advice.

• Go for jobs which mirror your experience and ambitions
• Be realistic in what you want out of your role – circumstances and responsibilities have changed so the way you work might have to
• Manage the employees and your expectations of what you can achieve
• Don’t underestimate your abilities

We don’t want to lose good talent. So if you are ready to return to work or need some advice please call me on 020 7 323 1966.

Katie Warren is Digital Creative Design Consultant at The Industry Club