Balancing Family and Career: How to Navigate a Planned Career Gap and Future Opportunities

Hi Everyone, I've completed my MBA in HR and am working in Recruitment in a Japanese Consultancy. I got married about a year ago and am now planning to have a baby. This decision will result in a career gap of around 6 months. I am eager to enhance my career and also want to earn well for my family.

Career Options After a Planned Career Gap

I have two options in mind. The first is to pursue a Labor & Law Management Diploma (Part-Time), and the second is to learn the Japanese language and work as a Freelance Japanese Interpreter & Translator. I believe learning Japanese would be beneficial as I am currently employed in a Japanese company.

Please advise me on what my next steps should be. I am open to any other suggestions you may have.

Thank you.

In order to work as a freelance Japanese interpreter and translator, you need to invest at least two to three years. Are you willing to put in that much time? You need to clear the N1 level. I hope you are aware of that!

Consider Work-from-Home Opportunities

Have you thought of taking 'work from home' in the field of recruitment? This way, you can be near your child too.

Like Atul Sharma mentioned, you need to be ready to put in the necessary effort and time to move in the direction you wish to.

However, you seem to be off the mark about your expectations and reality. You mention, "enhance my career. Also, I want to earn good money for my family." Remember that you will be expected to take maternity rest—at least from the 8th month and further after delivery. Do you think you can spare time for any diploma or do any work from home to earn?

You are at that point in life for any woman that's God-given. So please focus on passing through this phase without any other thoughts or responsibilities weighing on your mind.

Your child needs your attention more than anything else now. And if you thought your attention to the child starts only after delivery, please Google, and you will know that it actually begins from the 5th or 6th month of pregnancy, if not earlier. Your mental frame of mind during this period is of utmost importance for the well-being of the child into his or her adult life.

Once you are past this phase, you can revisit or restart your career and take it from there. Many companies are okay with hiring a woman with a career gap for maternity reasons.

All the best.

Regards,
TS

Miss Thakur,

First of all, congratulations in advance for the new influence in your life...  Atul and TS both have made some valid, sensible points.

Balancing Career and Family

Enhancing your career and earning good money for the family don't always align well with "Planning a Baby." Realistically, planning a baby means not only a break in your career but also a shift in your mindset as a career-oriented person. Until you feel ready to be apart from your baby for extended periods, you shouldn't focus too much on your career. This time is purely "Baby & Mom time," so as TS said, enjoy the experience.

Mothers as Natural HR Professionals

Incidentally, did you know that mothers are God's naturally created HR professionals? Think of any HR process or activity you learned in your MBA, and compare it to a similar situation at home. You might realize that your mom, like a true HR person, handled it just as you learned in theory (perhaps on a smaller scale, but the same principles apply). For an HR professional, especially women, being a mom is, by default, on-the-job training that can only benefit you when you return to the professional field.

Work-from-Home Opportunities

Does that mean you have to sit at home and do nothing? Not at all. There are many work-from-home options you can explore to contribute to your family's finances as you wish.

All in all, the bottom line is... you are about to take a roller coaster ride... Enjoy the thrill and have lots of fun!

Cheers to your life!

Navneet