Changing Perspectives... on Career Breaks

Like a badge of honour, I carried around the statement “I returned to work after only four months of maternity leave” – proudly responding to exclamations of “Wow, how did you manage that?” and “Working and looking after a four-month-old; how did you do it!” 

Bizarrely, I was proud of returning to my high-pressure media agency job before the usual year of maternity leave. Now with my daughter about to turn three, I just think: What was I thinking?! 

My personal experience of maternity leave was mixed with a lot of personal, societal and professional pressures to ensure I didn’t miss out on the ever-evolving industry of media for too long – and that I was a stronger, more modern, more successful woman for going back earlier than necessary and getting back into it. 

At the time, I was told taking too much time off would leave me out of the loop, make it impossible to get back into work, or trap me in the dreaded ‘mum-brain’ hole forever. Worse still, I was warned that returning might be too hard altogether – with ominous hints about job security and what my role might look like.

Reflecting on that now, I wonder what it’s like for people who step away from their media careers for reasons other than the socially accepted parental leave, or for reasons beyond their control? 

It’s even tougher the more senior you are. With AI reshaping the industry, restructures underway, and redundancies looming, senior leaders already feel intense pressure to hold on, adapt, evolve, and overperform. So what happens when they need – or want – to take a break? It’s a pretty bleak picture.

Tackling the career-break stigma
There are subtle ways in which the stigma of taking a career break reveals its ugly head – in job interview questions around “time away”, bosses or colleagues assuming you are less ambitious or have fallen behind, and constantly feeling like you need to prove yourself more than others. 

I felt this like a shadow following me around long after I closed my laptop at the end of the day – the need to prove myself as a capable and got-my-shit-together mum, at home, at work and socially. 

But what our industry overlooks are the strengths gained from taking breaks. We need to reframe the idea that breaks are wasted time – they’re often when valuable, transferable skills are gained. In my case, while I may have lost a few (million) brain cells during early motherhood, I gained patience, resilience, adaptability, time management, perspective and, most of all, empathy.

I’ve found that women I work with who’ve taken similar breaks are some of the most reliable talents – professionally and culturally. The skills gained during these periods are incredibly valuable in the workplace, yet the stigma persists. Women often feel this most acutely due to longer family or caregiving breaks and the need for flexibility, part-time work, or remote arrangements. This unfairly contributes to the ongoing gender gap in leadership and career progression.

So why does the media industry, in particular, have this blind spot? And what can we do about it? We need to challenge a culture that prizes constant hustle and linear career paths. Our obsession with speed and staying “on” makes time out look like a disadvantage. But what if we flipped that thinking? I’d argue that returners bring fresh perspectives our industry desperately needs.

Genuine DE&I means creating space for nonlinear journeys without penalty. Organisations and managers need to normalise career breaks as part of a healthy, diverse workforce. 

Personally, I have reframed my career break not as a weakness but as a strength – something that gives me an edge in my dynamic role, both within my company and with clients. 

I encourage anyone who’s taken a career break, for any reason, to shift your perspective and recognise the valuable skills and fresh perspective you now bring to your work and those around you. 

If we want to see real diversity in our industry, we need to embrace the fact that valuable talent doesn’t always travel in a straight line.