​​​Rinku Goenka, our consultant in the Asia Legal Practice, tells us how she overcame the obstacles of integrating back to the corporate world after taking a break to care for her son. She offers some advice to women in a similar situation…

Rinku, why don’t you start off by sharing a few details about yourself?

I am a qualified lawyer from India with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Law. After completing my education, I worked for four years in India before moving to Singapore with my husband and 10-month-old son. At that time, it was only just the three of us so me returning to work was not ideal as I had to care for my son. I took a career break of two years until he turned three and started school. I decided to return to work as things were more stable.

What were the sort of challenges you faced when you returned to employment?

I did my research of the Singapore job market and realized it was difficult for an Indian qualified lawyer to get back to work. Fortunately, I landed a legal executive role at a law firm in Singapore. But private practice was tiring and took up a lot of time away from my son and often I would come home late while he would already be sleeping. After five months, I decided I couldn’t continue like this anymore as I realized I needed more flexibility from work.

How did you learn about the opportunity here?

I got in touch with the team in Singapore when I was hunting for job opportunities and my details were forwarded to the Legal practice. However, there weren’t any in-house legal vacancies, and so I was asked if I would consider joining the legal recruitment team instead. I decided to give it a shot and grab the opportunity even though I didn’t have a recruitment background.

How have you been able to maintain a healthy work-life balance?

Being able to work flexibly has meant that I’ve been able to attend my son’s parent-teacher meetings. There is also great mutual support and understanding from my colleagues at Argyll Scott as they know that I am a working mother.

Do you have any advice for mothers looking to re-enter the workforce?

It is difficult adapting to the workforce after taking a career break. But never give up! No doubt, it is a sacrifice and a struggle but take the chance and grab every opportunity that is given to you. I would also recommend that you research the market thoroughly for your specialist area of focus. But most importantly you need to be patient and persistent!