Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Staying in touch with work while on parental leave

During parental leave, many women often experience a lack of self confidence when it comes to their career and the prospect of returning to work. It is so common, and happens simply because you are removed from the workplace for a period of time. Experience has shown that women who have returned to work are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they fit back into work, and how much knowledge they have actually retained and gained.

Make sure you stay active in your career even if you are not currently working. Consider the following activities to keep you connected to your professional career:

• Attend industry or association workshops and events
• Ask your HR team about staff courses available online
• Enrol in an evening course
• Stay up-to-date with industry reading
• Attend networking functions
• Attend a team meeting at work every month
• Participate in volunteer work

These types of activities will expand your social and business network, and keep you up to date on industry developments. Volunteer work is an ideal way to maintain work experience while on parental leave.

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