Can motherhood be a milestone that marks a change of career? Dhanishta Shah speaks to some women who see this as a trend as a win-win situation
An increasing number of women look at motherhood as a milestone that also marks a career change, a kind of second innings. This 'second career' offers fresh possibilities along with a chance to maintain work-life balance.
Mansi Zaveri, founder of www.kidsstoppress.com, an online platform for parents, discovered her entrepreneurial ambitions after her daughter's birth. "I continued my work in the marketing field, even after my daughter was born.
However, I felt that there was a gap in the digital space when it came to providing parents with information about parenting in the Indian context," she says.
Jasmine Shah, who had been a teacher for a decade, thought handling her family business of costume jewellery was refreshing."It offers you a chance to explore another side to your personality, to build on something you were passionate about before you became devoted to your job," says Shah.
Do women see a different career post-motherhood as a doorway to balance their life? It is clearly much more than that. Bhairavi Shah, a graphic designer who worked for design firms in the USA, clearly saw a career change as a way to work-life balance but also as a foray into an enduring passion- games. Along with Shah, Ruchita Malhotra and Kreena Muchhala, (two HR professionals who also sought this career change post motherhood), the trio started their venture 'The Goodie Bag', a niche platform for curated games. "We are avid gamers and we could see that the games in the market were all fluff! We have carved out a space for ourselves in the niche market. We consciously do not work full-time, but I am proud to be a role model to my daughters and to show them that one can continue to explore and grow even as adults," she asserts.
Does motherhood equip these women with special skills that help them in these 'second innings'? "It has definitely made me a multitasker and made me more organised. It makes one more efficient because you have less time to accomplish everything! I have also observed that my conversations with my daughters tend to seep in the topics that we take up on the site," says Zaveri.
Juggling motherhood with work is challenging. "Always have back-ups in place. Work harder in advance, and try to pre-empt things, since there are bound to be surprises!" she adds.
While taking up a new career may seem enticing, it helps to think it through thoroughly. "You need to ask yourself why you have left your first job, and why not before motherhood? You need to prioritise your reasons for leaving in order to make the transition into the second innings successfully," cautions Shah. It's heartwarming that women don't have to worry about a career post-motherhood. After all, it may well be the start of a new, enthralling one!
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