I have recently returned to work following just over a year away and what an interesting time to do it! Having a baby is a life changing experience. It changes your goals, your approach to work and aims in life. All for the better. Returning to work after maternity leave is hard enough. Now add in the effects of going through a pandemic. Yet another major change to how work life is approached.
To sum up my first few weeks back, I have the following insights I can offer:
Be patient
Before I left to have my baby I was in a role where I was constantly busy. I expected the same when I returned back on the first day!! I know this was unrealistic but I wanted to get back to being me at work again. It will happen! My diary is already full with upcoming meetings and it didn’t take too long. The work I produce will happen soon too.
Be kind to yourself
It is ok to go through a whole bunch of emotions and thoughts about choices you have made, whether you will still get the same career development opportunities, can you still do what you used to do!?!! It’s all normal and for now I’m taking it day by day. I’m taking the approach of saying yes to everything, being proactive and at the same time explaining my skills and how I would love to develop in the team.
Reach out
This one relates a lot more to the current environment under COVID19. It was pretty lonely and isolating coming back to work and immediately working from home. Meanwhile there was a restructure in the team and 95% of people were new. To combat my loneliness I reached out to my new manager almost everyday, spoke to work friends in other areas and once I was in a program of work, I started being included in a lot more team based meetings.
Put in a little extra effort
For me personally, I don’t feel settled when I can’t see the full picture and get to the point where I feel comfortable with understanding what is going on. I am spending extra time getting familiar with the broader context and more detailed content regarding the new project I have been assigned to. If you can allow yourself a little extra time when you are not at work to do this, even just for the first few weeks, it will pay off.
Wishing you the best of luck if you are returning to work after maternity leave.
For further articles relating to your personal initiative and your career, check out the following link.
The Career Girl
