So… it’s time to go back to work after a bit of a break.
Maybe you stopped to have kids or for health or personal reasons. Or perhaps you just took a bit of a sabbatical and it’s time to return. Whatever the reason, heading BACK into the workforce can be a daunting time for ALL women… whether you’re trying to get back into the same career or industry, or whether you’ve decided it’s time to try something new.
Almost instantly, that annoying little voice starts whispering in your ear…
Are you sure you remember how to do this?
Is this what you really want?
Have you thought about how this is going to impact your family?
Do you know (or remember) enough, to pick up where you left off?
(And my personal favourite…)
Are you even employable in the same way anymore?
These thoughts can be debilitating and, for most women, they’re enough of a reason to either retreat from the idea altogether, or sell themselves short when looking for work.
We ALL feel the same way after a break from the workforce and guess what?! That’s great! It means that you’re definitely not the only woman feeling this way AND it also means that, if other women have felt these exact same feelings – but they’re doing exactly what they want to do anyway – then you too can also go back to work competently AND confidently.
The trick is to find out what’s in your way, and what’s fuelling that voice in your head, and then systematically conquer it!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the self-doubt spiral, when your inner voice starts whispering negative nonsense into your ear every night and unfortunately, this is exactly the environment that Imposter Syndrome thrives in.
It creeps up on you slowly and before you know it, you’re working in a dead-end job and hating every minute of it because you KNOW you deserve more and you’re capable of SO much more… you just don’t know how to get there.
When looking for work again, most women feel restricted by a range of roles that they feel will FIT INTO their lifestyle and give them the flexibility they need.
Sadly, our instinct is to ‘take what we can get’ and work our way up the ladder again. The problem with this is that we tend to start right at the bottom of the ladder when really, we can easily skip the first few rungs with just one thing… CONFIDENCE!
You KNOW that when you left the workplace for whatever reason, you were skilled, competent and capable of so many things. You may have been running your own business or even steadily climbing the corporate ladder already.
Whatever the case, you need to remember 2 crucial things when the time comes for you to go back to work:
1. You've Got This!
YES, you really do! The truth is, your skills haven’t mysteriously disappeared, nor has your ability to learn and grow. What’s suffered is your confidence.
You’ve been out of the loop for so long that you’re afraid of what ‘work’ will look like when you jump back in. And that fear is absolutely legitimate!
The world is moving at such a fast pace at the moment, technology is changing every single day and what you once may have been extremely experienced in within the workplace, may no longer be a required skill. BUT… YOU have not changed!
YOU are still the capable, accomplished and experienced woman you were when you made the decision to stop working – THAT HASN’T CHANGED. Sadly, what’s changed is your belief in yourself and your confidence levels.
By using regular confidence building techniques to increase your confidence and renew that belief, you CAN become the confident working woman you once were… and want to be again!
Which leads into point number 2…
2. You MUST have a Growth Mindset!
Easier said than done, I know. But the truth is, once you accept that EVERYTHING is learnable and YOU have the ability to continue learning and growing, then NOTHING can stop you.
It’s really easy to send out your CV with the thought in your mind that ‘this is all I can do so I’ll take whatever I can get with this limited set of skills’ but what you MUST do when going BACK to work, is to take a moment to try and remember how you felt when you FIRST started working.
Remember when you were eager, willing and hungry to learn? Remember when you knew that you didn’t know much, but you were happy to be taught? And remember when the possibilities before you seemed endless?
Take yourself back to those feelings, but THIS time recognise that you’re in a position of MORE power and MORE control, not less. THIS time, you’re starting from a position where you have the benefits of life-experience, maturity and determination.
You’re wiser, you’re stronger and you’re SO much more capable than you think you are. You just need to believe it and accept that you can learn, grow and do so much more this time around.
It all comes down to your belief in yourself and the confidence you need to take that belief to the next level, and back yourself.
So… now you know the 2 things you MUST remember when going back to work, to help you combat self-doubt and eliminate Imposter Syndrome. And hopefully, you now also realise why you absolutely MUST manage it when returning to the workforce.
To help with this, we’ve created a free download that takes you through the 4 BEST confidence techniques to conquer Imposter Syndrome and boost your confidence when going back to work.
Complete the below form to get it now!
Grab your FREE DOWNLOAD and start increasing your Confidence Today!
And remember… BE YOU! We like her BEST!
