Get Back to Work after Having Children

When you have children, going back to work is not simply a question of finding an appropriate job and applying for it. You have other considerations and arrangements you must make, such as childcare, and the effect of your working on your family as a whole.

You may, for example, have to face being less involved in your children’s lives and must assess the implications on your wellbeing, and that of your family, in terms of stress and tiredness.

For some people, lack of confidence after years spent bringing up children is the first and most important hurdle to overcome in any job search.

Many more people returning to work don’t want to enter full time employment and search for something that fits better with their family responsibilities.

For instance, if you want to be at home when the kids get in, you may find that jobs that are temporary, part-time or involve working from home are more suitable. A long commute to a potentially better job may also be out of the question. This makes your search for the right job even harder.

If you need to update your skills or get retrained, Learndirect can help point you to a relevant course. If you need training, take it before you apply for a job, and then you can then include it on your CV.

If you have young children, one of your first considerations - and biggest costs - will be childcare. A few employers offer workplace crèches, but the vast majority of employees must organise childcare for themselves. This varies from nurseries, and playgroups, to nannies and au pairs.

For available childcare in your area, go to ChildcareLink. Oftsed, the education regulator, inspects all providers apart from nannies and au pairs. Read inspection reports at their website.

Many companies and government departments now claim to be ‘family friendly’. You need to check what this means in practice. A family friendly employer should offer working arrangements like parental/emergency leave, flexible working hours, subsidised/tax efficient childcare, job share schemes, and the opportunity to work from home.

A company or public sector organisation that is paying more than lip service to the idea of being family friendly will have literature on the subject. This may be available on the organisation’s website. Check out Family Friendly Work for suggested businesses and public sector concerns.

Freelancing or temping can fit well with your family life. There are many different recruitment agencies that place candidates of all levels in many different fields, including finance, publishing, media, education, marketing and secretarial. Find relevant agencies in your area in the Yellow Pages. These can often provide useful assessments of skills gaps you may have.

If you want to work but lack confidence to enter the job market, ask friends and family to assess where your strengths lie, and get a trusted friend to help write your CV with you. This summary of your skills and achievements can help eliminate feelings of inadequacy. It sounds trite, but a makeover and new clothes can also dramatically improve self-confidence.

Remember: working often seems easy after running a busy household and caring for children. People with children all too often undervalue the social and organisational skills they acquire from parenting. Most of these talents are transferable to the workplace, if you can learn to recognise and value them.

There is financial help for parents who return to the job market. You could be eligible for Child Tax Credit and some other benefits, depending on your circumstances. Visit the Citizens Advice Bureau’s website for more information. Single parents can also get help from the government’s New Deal site.

See www.workingfamilies.org.uk, www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk, and www.gingerbread.org.uk. Also, see the UK Net Guide articles on CVs and job interviews.