Career break: What to expect after your return

Career break, for some people something they don’t understand why somebody should do something like that and for others good way how to persuade their dreams or take time to think about their lives. In what ever group you fit in both cases is quite hard to imagine how it is / will be after return from your Career break. I had the chance take one and be honest I was quite naive in the way how easy it will be return back home. Personal wise and work wise as well… Therefore I decided to share my experience and give slight idea what to expect, how to deal with your return and in same time give some advice what helps to find faster an job after your return.

One of the first things I was confronted after my return was reverse culture shock. I already had known that something like that exist, but didn’t know how much this can influence you. I remember when I was  some years ago coming back home after spending a year working in India, people asked me if I am not scared of reverse culture shock. That time I thought about them that they are just trying to scare me. That reverse culture shock is nonsense. Quite soon after my return I realized what everybody was asking me about…

Now I can honestly tell you that Reverse culture shock is reality and sometime doesn’t have to be such a fun as it sounds…

At the beginning I thought that it will be easy to get over because I already have the experience with that so “I know what is waiting for me“. Well it wasn’t so true. Yes I had the experience and yes I had known it will come. On the other hand now I was away for longer time with lot of inputs from outside world and places I had a chance to visit on my way. Probably most importantly I wasn’t anymore used to the life most people live back home. That means life which was in some way waiting for me.

Passing reverse culture shock

So what was my experience and how to get over reverse culture shock faster? First of all be prepared that not many people would understand why did you actually leave the country. They would be exited to hear your stories, but that is all. When you were away their lives went on and not much changed for them. On the other hand you experienced many new things and met new people every day. Therefore for them is almost impossible to understand your feelings and in some way also confusedness you can experience.

Personally took me some time to move on. It can be for each and every person a bit different, but at the end all goes thought same phases:

• Phase one “Flying high” / I am back everything is so cool and nothing is problem. You can finally meet your family and friends. All things looks new for you and you simply enjoy your time being back home.
• Phase two “Waking up” / Now you realized that you are back. Game is over and everything seems you going wrong. You start to feel like you need to immediately leave again.
• Phase three “Now I am already settled and things are back in normal”. Be honest you are only one who thinks that. I thought I am already more or less acclimatized. In many ways I was, but still had a problem organize myself and do things fast or on time. I remained in this phase more or less till the time I started to work.
• Phase four “Return to work”. When I look back I can see that to return again to work environment helped me to finally organize myself and life. I don’t think I would be ever same person as before I left. Actually I don’t even want to. On the other hand if you want or not you are back in “normal” (whatever you call normal) life and you should adapt to the surrounding environment otherwise probably you would get crazy.

These are stages you most probably will go thought after your return back home when you were away for longer time. Of course everything has its solution and below I am mentioning few things which can help you get back on “tracks” faster:

• If possible meet with people who took Career break ass well or who travel / do the same things as you did during the break. They will understand you better. Every time is better when you can spend at least some time with somebody who possibly knows what you are going thought / talking about.
• Don’t close to outside world and try to find something what makes you busy. Focus on your hobby, find part time job.
• Go out and get between people. Staying at home after I was meeting new people every day or was nonstop surrounded by people was like putting me in the jail.
• If necessary find new friends. Everybody is changing and developing. Sometime is time to move on and surround by people who fit you more or understand you better.

Looking for an job after being a long time out of the market

You were some time away so don’t expect that job hunting will be easy when you return. The opposite is true. It takes time and more time than usually. On the other hand you have something to offer what others don’t have. It is as in every business you just need to know how to sell yourself.

How to make whole job hunting process faster?

• “Don’t burn all bridges behind you”. Stay in touch with people you were working with before you left. Otherwise you will “die” for them. Every time is hard to build new relationship than continue in old one. They need to hear at least sometime about you.
• Let people know you are coming back. Get in touch with your friends, colleagues, clients and let them know that you are going back home. They possibly can know about some opportunities on the job market which can be interesting for you.
• Search for job before you return. Start sending your CV even before you get home. Ideally at least one month before planned return. To most of the companies take some time come back to you. Therefore if you start send your CV before you are even back home can be only for good. What if they want to have interview with you right now and you are still not at home? Well we are living in 21^st century and internet is everywhere… So use a Skype.
• Think about your return. Probably most importantly. Going for Career break is not a crime and most companies will like that. Only be sure that you prepare good answers for questions about your time off. I guess worst is to tell them “I wanted to do it, so I did”.

One thing which I would not do again is going for job interview basically immediately after returning home. I did so and it end up as disaster. My head was still traveling, I was exited being home and at the end I had a problem to answer even some basic questions. So take some time to relax and get use to that you are back home.

Personal experience with job interviews after my return

Till now it was kind of theory so lets have a look a bit what for example I experienced after my return. Therefore this part is more about my personal experience and approach of some companies / agencies. When I was already at home for some time and looked back than quite surprised me approach of some people from HR and even now still didn’t really get their logic.

When I started to go for a job interviews I did not expected that people would consider what I did as something special. As well I did not expected their reaction and approach to me. I can imagine their fear that after such a long time I will have a problem to start work again or that I can decide to leave. On the other hand this approach I can have to all people. Nobody can 100% guarantee that will stay in the company “forever”. And in my case I already fulfilled my dream so most probably will not have the desire to leave again.

What was for me even more shocking that plenty HR people considered that I did not remember anything what I learned before. To questions like if I still know how to work with MS Office package really shocked me and wasn’t sure If I am not dreaming.

Once I was even invited for the interview to the branch of quite big foreign company. Between the doors they told me that they already have chosen the right candidate, but they liked my CV so wanted to see me. There would not be much wrong on this if the interview did not end up as lecture about my travels and experiences above coffee. No interest about my CV and experiences whatsoever. I have no problem to discuss my travel experiences, but invite somebody for interview and then tell him they are actually not interested? That is for me a bit too much.

Well at least I have an idea how probably woman feel when they are returning back to work after maternity leave.

As I already wrote above be prepared that people approach to you can be quite weird. Important is not to give up and continue in your goal.

Conclusion

Therefore what to expect after your return from Career brake? Be prepared that your return would not be easy as you may think. Take your time, try to focus on new goal and everything gets to normal.

Don’t expect that finding job after career break will be easy. Actually it is more difficult than normally. Start to prepare for return some time before you land back home. Start look for a job before you get home and be prepared that things would not go easy. Be prepared that there will be quite lot of people who would not understand why did you do something like leaving your job, family, friends for such a long time.

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