Have you ever taken a break from the workforce?

[mamaofprincesses]

I posted about the financial end of this in Frugality and Finances, but I want opinions on career ramifications here!

I want to take a break from the workforce. Right now I work 17 hours a week, some of them at night. I'm an adult ESL teacher. I love what I do but I'm not sure I want to do it forever. I have three small children (5, 3, and 8 months) and am due in January with baby #4.

Right now we qualify for WIC, but DH just got a 5% raise and we won't if I keep working. Obviously we still come out financially ahead if I work, and there's definitely a pride thing there. But, either I arrange my schedule so I work when DH is home (and pay a fairly heavy price in sacrificing family time) or I net somewhere around $400 for 68 hours of work a month.

So, I want a little break. Baby comes in Jan. That fall, I could start to look for a class or two to teach (community college, local school district). I could sub occasionally for my current employer. My current employer is planning to expand services, and there might be an opening there that fall or fall 2012. Fall 2012, DD1 will be in second grade and DD2 will start kindergarten, so then my daycare costs could be substantially lower.

I'm also thinking about a master's degree, so that could be a good time to re-enter the workforce if I can't find work before that, right?

I'd really love to hear from other people that this is not necessarily career suicide, and that it can be done.

[1jooj]

I left the workforce when my first was born, re-entered around the time he was 2yo, bowed out again when my second was around 6mos, and went back again when dd turned 2yo. Since then, I have bounced around at varying levels from PT to FT, with WOH and WAH in different ratios. I'm currently in a position that flexes a lot between WOH and WAH, depending on my availability now that my children are school-aged.

I think the master's thing depends on what kind of master's degree. I would probably not pursue an MBA that way in the current market. But in other areas, probably.

And maybe it's not career suicide, but I am almost 37 and only 4 years into what I consider my career. Of course, almost everything is a variable. I waited several years to have children, didn't have the drive to pursue my real goals until after my kids came along, and am working in a creative field.

[sparklett]

My husband was laid off in April 2008 and just now reentered the workforce on a temporary basis. His former job is nonexistent thanks to the fantastic (not) economy, so we decided that it would be best for our family and long-term financial survival if he stayed home and did his master's.

To be honest, having him home was a hard adjustment but now I LOVE it and so does he. He's working really hard at school and his current job only lasts a few months and contributes to his course of study. I'm going back to a "real" job next month. He'll continue to be off work for the next 1-2 years. It was a great choice for us.

From the perspective of an employer, if you do choose to take time off, you will have a MUCH better time reentering the workforce if you have something to show for your time away. Yes, we all think staying home to raise our children is noble, but employers still have to compare your tangible achievements with other candidates. If you have the same qualifications as another candidate, but the other candidate took 2 years off work to do a master's and you didn't, then the other candidate has a clear edge over you.

Even if you take time away from work and don't go to school, at least get involved in something. Join a board of directors for a nonprofit, volunteer your time, etc.

[cakemama579]

Not career suicide! You'd be amazed at what your family can afford with you taking a break.

I have taken the last 2.5 years off since the birth of my son, and rather than go back to the same job that I had before he was born, I'm going to nursing school full time and DS is starting nursery school.

Student loans are and have been helping pay for DS's schooling (I'm on scholarship with my own schooling), and they can be your friend too if you decide to pursue your master's degree.

I suggest to you to seek out any online master's program that might interest you-- with 4 children it might be a challenge to find the time for a full-time school program.

Good luck with the new baby and new lifestyle! You can do it!!!

[That Is Nice]

Gosh, this is a topic I think about a lot.

Career suicide to take time out of the workforce? So hard to answer. I guess it depends.

It depends on what your career is, how much experience you have, how your resume looks before the break, and what you can offer an employer after the break.

Not to mention how LONG the break is.

Here's my experience. I did take a "break" from the workforce following the birth of my child for two years. I see it as an extended maternity leave. Hell, in Europe parents commonly take one or two years off. That's what I did. Two years.

But here was my experience. I had worked in my field nearly a decade prior to that break, prior to pregnancy, and prior to having a baby. I never planned it for that long of a time, but, well, DH...had some issues. Anyway, I did always plan to have at least 5 years experience and to build a resume before starting a family.

I have a college degree and some grad school. I have professional certifications that I maintain. I think that combined with my decade of experience is what allowed me to re-enter the workforce following my two years "off."

It's actually been pretty tough, but I can't tell if it's because I'm "rusty" from the two years off or just strapped for time and energy due to juggling a career and parenting. Whatever the reason, I'm simply not on my game like I was before having a kid. Something has changed. Drastically. It's not even the same game.

I lost two years of experience. It's a gap on my resume. Women colleagues who graduated the same year as me and were in the same position as me 5 years ago making the same money as me 5 years ago now make $15k to $20k more than I do now. I've taken a bit of a pay cut and a cut in level of position and responsiblity to be a parent. Sometimes that seems like the right thing to have done, most days I question it.

I wouldn't say it was career suicide because my career is still going, but it was career fatigue or strangulation...my career is a bit off track, I guess. And it's harder now. But it's not dead.

[Peony]

I took a 7 year break from paid employment and returned making a couple more dollars an hour then more then when I left. The key for me was that most of those 7 years were spent still doing things that increased my marketability. I volunteered extensively running a local non-profit providing support to mothers so I really only had a gap of 1.5 years with nothing in that spot. I did change specialities during that time, I am an RN. I made sure to keep up on my continuing education, got a certification in my area.

I was approached late last year by a health dept who was looking for someone to run a program for them in my speciality. I could be making more in the hospital but I have lots of flexibility in this job, so for now, it is well worth it. I also am starting grad school very soon. I am thinking that doing it while my job is part time and my children are small so that eventually when they are older I could work more.

[Sharlla]

when got pg and moved i quit and took 3 years off with ds2. i was going to do that with dd but dh couldnt find work. it worked out ok since i still get to be at home all day with my family and having dh at home with me is wonderful
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[LittleBattleAxe]

I think it depends on the trends of your profession. I took off 13 months after ds1 was born, then worked halftime teaching; took off 2 years when dd was born, and worked halftime teaching for 2 years; took off 18 months when ds2 was born, and went to work at home doing contract work. During the times when I didn't work, I tried to maintain my professional standing by obtaining endorsements and doing volunteer work in my field.

I am transitioning from WAHM to work out of home mom this year. The competition to get a teaching job was insane! I felt worried because I was competing with new college grads, experienced teachers, and people entering teaching as a second career (the number of applicants to number of positions was staggering. After I was hired I learned that there were 170+ qualified applicants -- qualified! -- for the position I took). I had a real fear of not being hired because I wasn't current as some of my colleagues are -- and not fresh out of college.

It wasn't career suicide by any stretch but it was definitely a challenge to obtain employment. I can't really tell if employers see it as a benefit or a drawback, when a person has taken a sustained leave of absence to parent. I suppose it depends very much on the work environment.

Financially it was of course easier when I worked parttime or at home, but it was very do-able when I was not working at all -- I'm frugal by nature so it didn't take a lot of adjusting. If you really value being able to be home with LOs, there are a lot of things you can go without and not miss them.

I do not regret the time I took out of the workforce but I also didn't expect it to be so competitive to get back in.