2nd Innings in a Woman's Career

As I looked at my coffee mug releasing strips of steam, my mind transitioned from the park view of my apartment to a work station in a corporate office, me utilising my degree talent. Nah! I am not someone who considers that managing home and kids is “Just a Homemaker” activity. I earnestly believe that I am nurturing lives, raising future generations. Why do most of us feel guilty of not being able to resume office jobs? Why do we show reluctance when our spouse talks about any job opportunity? The only truth here is we are all Super Women waiting for the world to be a little more empathetic and flexible towards us.

There is immense Women talent in our country just waiting for the right opportunity. A few of us are fortunate enough to continue this race with our flexible employers, but this too comes with some amount of sacrifice. A male counterpart having a low potential often becomes a competition in our way of success, majorly because of the multiple roles we have to play at the family front. We all know what the problem is, how unfair this disparity is. But this is the case for women in most countries. Enough on this now. Let’s talk about solutions…

1. Hunt for an employer who understands and believes in the potential of Women talent and offers flexibility and substantial remuneration.
2. For most of us, when a flexible job is offered there is an underlying threat that the deployment is often more than the salary. Why? It doesn't matter from where you contribute. There is this concept of a Virtual Assistant which has become very popular these days. US or UK based clients outsource Virtual Assistants from India to manage their calendar and other day-to-day activities. The remuneration for this is much higher if we convert in INR as compared to an employer in India. Hence, there should be clearing expectation setting of Amount of Work Done = Fair Salary Paid.
3. Why do we have to even have to wait for the 2nd Innings? In this fast-paced digital world of connectivity, there is no limit to our ideas and aspirations. Identify the problem in your community, do a swot of your strengths and weakness, formulate a venture and explore yourself. Remember, if you have the potential to nurture lives, you also have that spark in you to nurture your dreams.
4. Instead of thinking about what you can do once your children grow up or become stable, invest time in yourself. While some of us are fortunate to take help from family members, others always can find some way to balance only if you have the fervour in you.
5. A woman is the perpetual support to her family. You have all the rights to expect help from your partner when you want to concentrate on your career or are on the verge of getting things back on track. Set expectations of "Giving it Back Too" on your partner. A supportive husband paves a path for a successful woman.

Why wait for a decade to play the 2nd Innings? The pitch of life is very rough. You may never know that dearth of knowledge or obsoleteness might make it difficult to win the match in the near future. Your potential is your asset, no matter if you work virtually or play multiple roles. It is one thing no one can take from you. Value yourself, others will do it eventually. Do not wait for the 2nd Innings ladies, life is too short to predict. Play your best, because you are and will always be the Super Woman!