There are signs that some bias is dissipating when it comes to women at work and caregiving.
Recently, LinkedIn reported that while one in 67 jobs were remote pre-pandemic, today it’s more like one in seven. This is a huge step forward when it comes to workplace flexibility and the ability to be a caregiver and continue to work.
Moreover, as a sign of the times, LinkedIn released a new feature that allows you to note your career break – to identify it as a title on your profile. It’s a good thing as we’re in the midst of the great resignation and breaks of all kinds surround us. It also provides a new way to say “stay at home mom.”
All of this is positive in the effort to break the bias around career breaks and caregiving, and in moving toward normalizing the ebb and flow of caregivers from the workplace.
But what we know is that even if others see the good in it, women who take a break lose their confidence quickly in that first year. People who were investment bankers forget their value. And it doesn’t have to be so.
There’s VALUE in career breaks. Here’s why.
First, you gain invaluable transferable skills, which are highly coveted by employers because they are difficult to train for.
And second, you gain new perspectives and talents. Career Coach Johanna Beyer sums this up well in her post, Taking a Career Break Can Be Good for Your Career.
Of women returning to work, Johanna writes:
“Their biggest fear is appearing like they have nothing professional on their resumes for the last five to ten years. Their self-confidence can be low, as well as their trust in being a valuable asset in the workplace. Fear to step into the unknown keeps any new ideas or actions from happening. They feel stuck.
While many would see that taking a break from work is a setback for your career, I see it as a HUGE POSITIVE. When you take a break from your work, it is a chance to see what new gifts and talents want to come out and express themselves.
It is like hitting the pause button to see what else feels interesting, alive and challenging inside of you. When you start to look at your life through this lens of purpose (AKA, what you would do if no one was watching or paying you) you begin to see that you have been growing possibilities for your new career all the while you have been at home with the kids.”
A great example of Johanna’s point is Tara Mark, who turned a career break into a thriving pottery business that you can read all about here!
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