So true..

Arrival of a baby: A hindrance or a plus to your career?

The biggest adjustment in life has to be the arrival of a baby. Waking up several times in a night is a common affair. And it’s not about time adjustment alone. Expenses suddenly skyrocketed like crazy and you find yourselves digging deep into your hard-earned savings. Even with the best preparations, life is no more the same. And it can never be the same again. But whatever the adjustment or sacrifice it may be, it is worth it all when you see your bundle of joy smiling back to you.

In our current times, both parents usually have to work to put food on the table. Some who are fortunate can have one parent (usually the mothers) to quit her job and stay home to take care of the new born. But, most of us are not. With a new born, it can mean lesser time and perhaps reduced commitment towards our jobs.

So, does the arrival of a baby a hindrance or a plus to your career? How many times did you hear a comment from an interviewer: “As the job requires frequent traveling, we regret to say that the fact you are having a child now may not permit you to be effective. Thus, we are unable to make an offer to you even though your overall experience fits the bill perfectly.”? It is an unfair comment and for a slight moment, the thought of your baby as the hindrance to your career move may just crossed your mind. And other thoughts of what probably the future might be…

• Taking more MCs and emergency leave

• Can’t take up jobs that require night entertainment

• Tired and unproductive at work due to lack of sleep

So, shall we conclude that having a baby means a “career suicide”? Absolutely not. On the contrary, there are many “pluses” if we care to notice them:-

• A “parent” manager is more understanding of staffs’ family problems. You will get the support and good ratings from your staff should there be a bottom-up evaluation carried out.

• Your child can be your best ally in relieving work stress. The fact that you don’t think about work all the time can certainly help to put things in perspective and indirectly provide a more “wholistic” view of things. A healthy organization needs people like that.

It is never easy to juggle between career and children, and to be able to put both at the same priority at the same time. However, you can still have it all but they just have to take turns. Perhaps when the child is young, your career may take a back seat but when he/she is older, your career may take a full swing top priority. Therefore, it is possible to “have it all” at the end of your life – it just doesn’t happen at one snapshot in time unless you are a superwoman.