I’m 39, a woman living in Bengaluru and lately I’ve found myself at a strange crossroads. I’m grateful for where life has brought me but at the same time I quietly miss a part of myself that I knew very well. I have around 10 years of corporate experience in HR and my last role was at a managerial level. For the past three years I have been running my own business which has done moderately well. It has been a completely different kind of learning experience and I’m genuinely grateful for everything it has taught me. Yet somewhere along the way I started missing the feeling of having a steady income of my own. I miss being part of a professional environment and having that sense of financial independence that came with my corporate career. But when I think about going back I also remember the other side of corporate life. The politics, exhausting conversations, constant deadlines and most importantly the amount of time and mental space it took away from my family. I’m extremely close to my daughter and she is currently studying through an open schooling system. I’m very involved in her studies and that time with her is something I deeply value. I want to build something for myself again but I also don’t want it to come at the cost of being present for her. And that is where I feel stuck. A part of me genuinely wants to return to the corporate world but I’m unsure of what my avenues are today. HR feels incredibly competitive and at the managerial level there seem to be hundreds if not thousands of applicants for every opportunity. I have always been a good performer and had built a career I was proud of. Still I sometimes wonder where I fit into the job market now after spending the last three years as an entrepreneur. Maybe corporate HR is still the answer. Maybe consulting, remote work or something more flexible would make sense. Maybe there is an avenue where my HR experience combined with the experience of running a business could actually be an advantage. I honestly don’t know yet. What I do know is that I’m grateful for every chapter so far. My corporate career taught me a lot. Running a business taught me things a job probably never could and the time I have been able to spend with my daughter is something I would never trade. I suppose I’m just trying to figure out what my next chapter should be. If anyone here has been in a similar place or has reinvented their career around this stage of life I would genuinely love to hear your perspective. And if anyone knows of an opportunity or can guide me towards something that might suit my experience and circumstances I would be eternally grateful. Thank you for reading this far and for simply listening.
Sincerely a very positive confession I read in recent days. I am not actually your field but a fellow mom with IT career. I have worked 5 years before maternity and post maternity I had to take a break of 6 years. It will always be a ball missed. You can’t have all the balls at once. You should always weigh the priority and act accordingly just like men. Wishing you a happy career journey 😊
I think the key is to stop looking at this as a choice between career and daughter. At 39, with 10 years of HR experience plus three years of running a business, you actually have a stronger and more diverse profile than you may realise. You don't necessarily have to return to the same corporate setup you left. Consider HR consulting, fractional HR roles, remote HR operations, recruitment consulting, L&D, HR advisory for startups/SMEs, or part time leadership roles. Your experience as an entrepreneur can actually be an advantage because you've now seen business from the employer's side as well. Also, don't underestimate the value of your time with your daughter. A job that pays well but leaves you constantly stressed and unavailable may not be the right opportunity, even if it looks impressive on paper. Perhaps start with a 6 month experiment rather than a permanent decision. Explore flexible opportunities, update your LinkedIn profile and CV to present your corporate + entrepreneurial experience as one coherent story, reconnect with former colleagues and HR networks, and take a few interviews. You can then judge the market based on actual options rather than fear of what it might be like. And remember, going back to work doesn't mean giving up your relationship with your daughter. The goal is to find a career structure that fits the life you want, not to squeeze your life around a job. You haven't lost your career. You've simply added another chapter to it.
There is always some trade off needed. Either personal/family time or financial independence. If there is not much pressure that 2 salaries are needed, you can stay with daughter and work on your business on the side. You have to figure out which one is priority. Good luck !!
You do your business as well as your job also, no full time business, part time
Dont return you can't be all tht competitive, age also catching up, you will burn out, and all your pride in yr history of a glorious career, will go away as well.... Continue doing something entrepreneurial, sky is the limit. When you run out of ideas, try gardening/selling plants, farms, open restaurant or partner with some into fooding ventures, open ayurvedic clinic/stores, kindergarten school if your kid is still not college going....
Where ur husband
If you want to know what exactly you need to do and when for a better future and life then go to steer-u.com. You can send your question and instant ans you will get. For any specific question of yours, use this link plz …. https://www.steer-u.com/future-prediction/customizedQuestion
Share your anonymous workplace story with our community. Submissions are reviewed for safety and published if approved — no account required.
Submit ConfessionShare your thoughts anonymously.
ℹ️ Your comment will be posted publicly on Facebook if it complies with our community guidelines.
Comments for Post #C27901