2022 - Motherhood: The biggest career change of all

2022 – Motherhood is my biggest career move yet

As I sit here for the first time in a long time to write the blog, I find myself in an unusual situation for the very beginning of a new year.

Usually I am super motivated, I love to look back on last year’s achievements and plan forward for the year to come. After all, it is my job to motivate others to move forwards with their work/life plans. However, 2022 has been an extraordinary year - for me personally, for the business and for the people around me. As the world still grapples with the ongoing Covid pandemic (the aftermath of which has astounded the healthcare profession worldwide), it feels as if everyone around me is struggling with their physical and mental health. Flu, viral infections, Scarlet Fever, Strep A, Cancer, backlogs in waiting times. The news is full of issues with the NHS in the UK, ambulance triage times and much, much more.

Add to this, the war in Ukraine, which apart from the obvious results, seems to have sent Europe, at least, into an energy crisis of epic proportions. Everywhere I go, all day long, I hear about the cost-of-living crisis, soaring prices and people having to make choices between food or heating. We are all feeling it. It is unfortunate that, during this time of recession and nearly 3 years after Covid first hit us, businesses continue to struggle, redundancies are high, and people really are floundering.

At this start of 2023, I feel like the most important message I can get across is that if you made it through 2022 and have started this year with hope you have achieved something incredibly special. Do not put too much pressure on yourselves to list out last year’s achievements and make exorbitant plans for 2023. Getting through is often the biggest achievement of all. If you know, however, that you need to make some changes in order to get through the year, whether that is getting a better job and/or a second job, asking for a pay rise, trying to get a promotion, consolidating debt, downsizing, training for something new…whatever it might be, then just reach out to me. Do not let money be an obstacle because we can work something out.

My New Career Move - Motherhood

Personally, 2022 really was an extraordinary year. For those who know me, or for those who have diligently followed these blogs, you will know that I packed up a house and life in France to move to Saudi Arabia. Only to return to France less than a month later! And all this by 34 weeks pregnant. This was obviously followed by a mad rush to reopen the house, install broadband, start new phone contracts, buy a car, decorate the nursery… the list goes on.

However, by far, my biggest, most extraordinary, most incredibly difficult, yet rewarding achievement, was giving birth to my first child. She burst into our lives on the 8th May and has not stopped since – a huge bundle of energy like I have never encountered.

It was without question, the most mind-blowing thing I have ever done. Those first few weeks were relentless, tumultuous, emotional, fascinating…. There I was with a brand-new job, one in which frankly I had no clue what I was doing. This new position relied on me being able to keep somebody else alive on literally no sleep whatsoever with no qualifications, no training and no experience. Is there any other job in the world with that much responsibility?! And believe me, that sense of responsibility weighs you down hard!

Not only are you trying to figure out this little creature, but you now have five thousand new items in your home. Most of which you have no idea how to work and are far too exhausted to try and figure them out. Rocking chairs, sterilisers, anti-colic valves, car seats…you name it, we have got it! You have people who want to visit, a host of things that need to be registered administratively and throw into the mix the fact that we were doing in a foreign country in a foreign language! I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie and the clues changed every night at midnight – it was survival of the fittest.

Everyone told me that it gets easier, and it does. But it does not feel like it at the time and it still does not feel ‘easy’ now. It certainly made me think about how other people manage, and certainly how parents manage to have a fulfilling career and family life. It currently feels a bit impossible for me I have to say.

I used to think that as a HR Person, I was quite accommodating and understanding of the situations of my employees. I would like to think I was anyway. However, I admit that I had no real understanding of what the parents in my teams were dealing with on a daily basis. So, when I hear about recruiters who specialise in helping mothers get back into the world of work, or helping parents find the right type of hybrid roles I really commend them.

Do not underestimate parents in the workplace – I certainly never will again. They have done more by 9am when they pull up at the office than half of your team manage to achieve in a day. Simply leaving the house is a logistical effort worthy of a military exercise.  They think that they are constantly underachieving because they feel like they are doing everything in a rush and chasing their tails, however, as a result of this, they are far more engaged, more organised, and more likely to get the job done than anyone else on the team. I asked a client how she manages it, and she told me that she just does a poor job of everything – I think it might feel like that to her, but I do not believe that for one second that is the truth. It is a question of perception and personal limitations.

Being a parent is taking organisational skills to the next level. They cannot work late every night, perhaps they need time off to take the children to the doctors or the dentist, perhaps they have a quite different attitude towards work/life balance – but why is that a bad thing? From a career perspective, becoming a parent myself has certainly opened my eyes. There is a phrase which has become quite popular at the moment – “When you know, you know” and although I am not a fan of the cliché, this seems rather appropriate at this time!

What does 2023 look like?

My 2023 will be quite different to any other year so far and I plan to be as present as I can be as a parent for as much of the time as I can. I will not take on full time work or big contracts until she is at least 1 year old. And even then, you will notice that a lot of my bigger tasks are done of an evening now. That is the only way I can achieve what I need to at this moment in time.

I have engaged the help of a Website Manager so you should start to see some changes on the website from February onwards- this hopefully will help me to gain more business this way. If this is successful, I plan to engage the help of a VA to work on my social media with me.

You will see some new packages for 2023 such as an Offboarding Package for businesses and a Get Set for Success Course which is aimed at those looking to get a promotion. I will be working more on the Language School and Training Course offerings this year so keep your eyes peeled for what is set to come.

I have also started a side-line with Usborne Books – a business I am calling Kids Books Abroad. Learning, Education and Development are at the very heart of what I do and ensuring that everyone, everywhere has access to the best materials to do so from an early age is my mission. It makes sense that if I am to find the best methods of educating my own child that I take advantage of this opportunity to complement what I do by offering it to others as well.

If you would like to take a look at my new web page go to : Gillian's English Books Abroad (usborne.com)

How about you?

So, have you had a look back at 2022? Would you like to chat about what you have achieved and perhaps what you would like to achieve this year? Why not book in to chat with me for half an hour and throw some ideas around. It is free, informal, and I am sure I can offer some help and advice. Get in touch - I’d love to hear from you.