As a working mum how to bring career back on track

[Bhati]

When my son was very young my career was at peak. My husband was also growing in his career. It was crazy busy and I was overwhelmed with doing everything. Even though me and husband both were juggling things perfectly ok, I always felt I wasn’t spending family time as much as I should. It was like dropping-picking up my child and providing all required resources in time but no family time. I made a decision that time to slow down my career so instead of leaving the job I found a job where I was allowed to WFH. This allowed me to attend my son’s school events, gave more time with him. I was happy working for slow pace place where progression was slow.
Now I realised that colleagues who were working with me 1-2 level below are now 1-2 levels above me. I feel really battered now as my current company I work for doesn’t progress the staff at all so people are in their roles for 5-7 years in the same roles.
My question is does any working mum has taken decisions like that and felt that they are now able to move in fast pase environment again ? How did you moved back in that track of getting promoted and moving up? I just can’t find a way to bring my career back to moving up .

Shamelessly bumping as is like to know before stepping back a bit!

I didn’t take a step back but kept working through. But to answer your question yes of course it is possible. It just sounds like you need to move job as your org will make it tricky. Wfh / flexible working is a different ball game now too so why don’t you have a look and see what’s out there?

are there any specific barriers to kickstarting things again that you’re finding (apart from the time in role issue?)

If your company, for whatever reason, isn't generally progressing people, then the obvious answer is that you aren't likely to progress there. So you need to find another employer that will enable you to progress. But that comes at a price. You can't then step back for family reasons. I'm not suggesting that's fair. Men aren't hit in this way. But it is reality. They don't generally step back for family reasons. It's always the women. But you made a choice, and the only realistic way to progress your career is to "unmake" that choice and find an employer with better prospects.

Yes, this happened to me. I took a lower grade, slower paced job and then got a bit stuck in a lower role as I was in that catch 22 of not having enough experience to get to the next level where I'd gain the experience. The company I worked for paid well and were very flexible on wfh even before the pandemic but I ended up bored and feeling a bit like everyone else who I'd known earlier in my career was getting to manager or even director level except me.

I eventually got made redundant and job hopped a bit, ending up in a temporary job and when one of the managers left I got her role on a fixed term basis. I was hoping to be made perm but it didn't happen (not due to me, they got rid of the role) but by then I had some management experience. I'm now heading up a small team but alas I'm not happy with the culture where I am now and looking to move on although I do have some decent experience now. Shame there are not many jobs about in my field at the moment.

I look back at my working from home and having a good work life balance years quite fondly now although I got frustrated towards the end and it began to eat away at me that I was not working at my potential. I'm hoping to get something that ticks my boxes now I have a bit more experience at a more senior level and maybe one day I'll be happy, although I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever be happy in a job to be honest, always something wrong. At least I'm making more money now although with the COL it doesn't feel like it!

Yes it is possible! Before children I was a career person, senior level in a highly technical role. Once I became a mum I struggled with the pace of work and demands of mum/home. I left, got a part time job completely different to my qualifications and experience but easier and better balance for my life.

That part time job was a safe job, no career progression but also no stress and exactly what I needed at the time. I was made redundant for that role and that made me re-evaluate my worklife. The kids were older, I had more capacity and I craved my old job.

I got a temp job, entry level in the industry I was qualified and experienced in. After a short tenure I moved to another company after securing a mid senior role. A senior role elsewhere came up not long after I thought I'd try my luck and got that job. All wfh. I've been in the mid senior role a couple of yrs now but have recently had to return to the office and take on significant travel. That role now no longer suits me. Its tuff. Work/life gone and I am exhausted.

I've just been offered a new role. A promotion from my current role at a different company. Predominantly wfh with some adhoc travel but within the county. I had a very honest conversation with the hiring manager, discussed to job hopping, what I wanted, the needs of the kids, flexibility, work/life etc. They have accommodated it all. They told me they were intrigued by my cv, and had guessed I was a mum looking to get career back on track they didn't see the job hopping as a negative but a positive, that I was adaptable, took risk, put myself out there and was confident to know what I wanted and try and get it and I had broaded my experience and knowledge along the way.

it's a risky approach but I've found I re-established my career in a fraction of the time I would have done working my way back up with one company. I've also been able to spend lots of time with the kids when they were younger.