For some of us, there can be nothing designed to sap our once well honed self-confidence and self-esteem like taking a career break and having children.  Sometimes it’s very easy to find that the time you’ve taken off to have a child has stretched from months into years and the whole career map that you left as a high flying career woman, has changed and left you behind.

So what do you do?  Well you have to make a plan.  There is nothing like a plan.  Plans make sense of chaos and they help track potential, progress and pitfalls!  Get yourself one, now!

Basically, you need to:

1. Figure out where you are!
2. Figure out where you want to be!
3. Figure out how to join those two sentences together!

Some Points On Your Plan:

It’s an obvious thing to perhaps mention, but if there is a significan other in your life, you should really be consulting them and keeping them up to date on what you want and where you’re going.  You’re going to need help to pull this off, you’re going to have to structure childcare and if there is someone in your life, it is hoped that this whole strategic exercise will not be left to you alone!

Chances are, the time you’ve been out, means your field has changed and moved on.  You need to find out what has changed and how you can catch up with those changes.  You might have to get yourself re-educated and your skills updated!  This doesn’t necessarily mean going back to traditional study.  It could mean reading a few books, talking to your old network/colleges, brushing up on your IT skills.  Figure out what you need to do, make a plan and get it done.

Write yourself a great CV and have a friend look it over, or better still an old college in your field.  The CV is key and a vital tool in getting you back into the job market.  You want to absolutely make sure the person reading your CV has their attention focused on your skills, qualifications and your ability to do the job.  Yes you’ve had some time out with your children, but don’t let that be a focus of your CV.

As well as talking to your old colleges about what has changed in your old field, put out the feelers and start networking with them.  Let it be known that you’re in the market for a new job.  The sooner you do this the better.  If there is a job coming up in a couple of months, you’re going to want to know about it a couple of months before.  You’re giving yourself a real headache if you up one morning, decide you’re ready to go back to work, and expect to get a job the next week.  Prepare for your move back into work!

Plan!  Plan!  Plan!