Recruit revisited…

It’s been a while since I browsed the Recruit section of The Straits Times. When we first had a helper about two years ago, I did some free lance work for around a year. During that period, I did contemplate going back to work but never came across anything that moved me enough to even send in a resume.

After we let our helper go, I’ve been so tied up with taking care of M that I hardly bothered browsing this section of the Saturday paper, especially with the onslaught of the financial crisis. With M settling down quite nicely in childcare, I thought about the possibility of going back to work again.

Hence, I picked up Recruit today and browsed through it. Although the news have been reporting an end to our recession, it seems from the thickness of this section that it hasn’t filtered to the job market yet.

I think I still have reservations about returning to a corporate environment. Power and money struggles tend to bring out the ugly side of people and I do not enjoy being part of it. I’m the ‘do-er’ kind who just wants to get the work done and go home.

What I missed most is the social aspect of work, especially when we meet great colleagues. And that can bring about some life-enriching experiences. But overall, I still do not feel enough motivation to move out of my status quo.

Guess I’ll just have to continue working for free!

Happy working mum?

I’m pretty sure I won’t be if I were a full-time working mum. With a job that separates me from M for at least ten hours five days a week, I believe I’ll turn out to be a rather grouchy person.

Now that M is over 18 months (the minimum age to be accepted into childcare), more people are asking me if I intent to return to work, reminding me that my ‘employability’ will suffer the longer I stay at home.

Well, after being so involved in M’s life over the past two years, it would be really hard to leave her to someone else’s care. Also, I enjoy spending most of M’s waking hours with her and no amount of money or career advancement would have made me change my mind again. It is not a sacrifice (major misconception) but a privilege!

I often wonder what percentage of working mums out there are really happy. My heart goes out to those who would rather be home than be at work. As for those who have jobs they’re passionate about, I envy you gals.

And so nope, I won’t be returning to full-time work anytime soon (I hope)…