Who took time off work when their children were young and returned a few years later? How difficult was it to find a suitable job? Have you returned to the same type of work?

[Aderyn]

I'm thinking of returning to work in a year's time. Does nayone have any positive experiences of having taken some time off and then returned to work?

Although I'm keen to hear the negative stories too.

I haven't but will be watching this thread with interest. Have not been working (office) since I had dd in 2001, now have ds as well. Went for a job in an office last month, didn't get it because they were looking for somebody with more uptodate experience - thought I was too good for them tbh!

Hmm - I was hoping for motivation stories.

Are there any?

motivating. Perhaps I'm not ready for work yet

my sister was in the police force for 10 years, then gave it up when she had her DS1, went to university when her DS2 started school and now she's a teacher - is that the sort of thing you wanted?

Oops sorry Fio. Didn't mean to sound rude. All experiences are welcome.

Yes.. I was a psychiatric nurse, but decided to get out due to physical violence and horribleness generally.

I went to college and did a full time medical secretarial diploma. I used the second year of the course to produce DD. Sat my exams a month before she was born (timing is everything). I then stayed home for a year or two and waited for the right job to appear in the press. Got the first thing I applied for and never looked back.

I do think it depends on what kind of work you want to do/what kind of hours you are looking for etc. My ds will be starting school next year as well and I was going to go to college to continue my counselling studies, but we have been unable to sell our house, so move to essex, where I could go to Uni, is currently not happening, and had letter from local college here on Friday saying their counselling tutor has just resigned and they cannot give any dates as to when next course will be run, so it'll have to be plan b atm, and I'm not sure as yet what that is .

I think if you want a career then it is worth thinking about well in advance of wanting to go back, but if it's just a time filling job you're looking for, then maybe just wait and see what comes up when the time comes iykwim.

I'm doing an MSc in a more vocational field of study but I am not sure if I will be able to enter at that professional level or if I'll have to enter lower down and pay my dues. I could find myself in the catch 22 situation of being overqualified for some roles and having too little experience for other roles.

I know of women who are good at showing in interviews and on CVs that time at home makes them better employees, all those things you manage at home and that you are more reliable, mature, better as an employee. We also have the new age discrimination laws which surely ought to help returning parents who have been out of work for a bit.

"We also have the new age discrimination laws"

Where's the crying emoticon? I'm only 32. I hadn't thought of myself as old yet Luckily I don't think it's a very young profession. I might still have energy and vitality on my side