After I had my daughter in 2001, it gradually became clear that she had autism.
At the time, I was a media lawyer at a firm where I had worked since 1994. I worked on libel cases, which I loved, but there weren’t enough hours in the day to juggle the demands of my job with my daughter’s needs, so something had to give.
In 2004, when my daughter was 3, I left my job and was prepared to step back from work for as long as needed. Thankfully, my husband, who worked in banking, could financially support us and our two children.
A decade would pass before I jumped back into my career. It was a time of personal growth, and if I could go back in time, I’d still choose to take those 10 years off.
This story is part of My Big Break, a series by Charissa Cheong, a senior reporter at Business Insider. She interviewed six people who took a risk by taking a career break and bounced back.
Check out the first story in the series below, and share yours here.
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Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz for BIBusiness Insider USA
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When I gave up work, I didn’t have to think, “What am I going to do with my day?” My diary filled up so quickly.
I would take my daughter, who is my second child, to speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. When she was 3, she started at a specialist school for children with autism, where I became a chair of the governing body. I also took on other voluntary and personal projects, like becoming a charity director, and embarking on separate psychology and English diplomas.
I never felt unfulfilled. I used the same analytical and business skills that I did at work, just in a different context.
It was lovely knowing nothing was left on the table as far as my daughter’s care and development were concerned, and to enjoy family life when we had a third child.
After my third child started school in 2013, I had extra time on my hands and came across an ad for the perfect job, working four days a week in a legal role at a media organization.
I thought I might have an edge. My previous work experience was relevant, and the job involved lobbying, which I’d done some of for disability rights during my break.
But the closing date was 5 p.m. that day, and it was already 3 p.m. I rushed to put together and submit a rsum. By the time my husband got home at 7 p.m., I’d already been invited for an interview.
The interviewers asked me if I’d find it difficult to return to work. I said no, because being a lawyer is mostly about having good judgment. No lawyer can advise on absolutely everything without doing some independent research. I might have to check things a bit more in the early days of my new job, I said, but my judgment was still there.
Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz for BIBusiness Insider USA
I’m lucky that getting back to my career was plain sailing. Having a strong network was massively helpful, as people were very generous with their support. To help me with the interview process, I phoned people in the industry that I had kept in touch with and asked them to help bring me up to speed on the field. When I was offered the role, those same people put together a reading list of key precedents decided over the previous 10 years to help me go back to work.
It was funny to see how quickly I snapped back into things. On my first day, someone asked me a question about contempt of court over the phone. It was satisfying to think, “I know the answer to this.”
Having high-quality, was also absolutely crucial in the years after I went back to work. We had several trained special needs nannies who looked after my daughter. It takes a village.
Hanna-Katrina Jedrosz for BIBusiness Insider USA
I started the job in January 2014, but switched companies after roughly nine months, when I got a chance to work at a UK news channel. Then I moved to Discovery, and now I work at a newspaper group as a general counsel.
It has been roughly 12 years since I’ve been back in the workforce. My 10-year break comes up in conversation sometimes, but it’s a bit like saying, “I used to be blonde.” It’s not like it’s foremost in mine or anyone else’s thoughts. I don’t remember being asked about my career gap during interviews for those later jobs.
It’s important not to be defensive or apologetic about the fact that you’ve taken a career break. Whether you’ve been trekking around Australia, bringing up your kids, or looking after elderly parents, you will almost certainly have done something during that break that you can talk about with energy and enthusiasm when you’re looking for a new job.
Have you taken a career break and would like to share your story with Business Insider? Contact this reporter:ccheong@insider.com
