Going Back to Work After Five Years at Home with Kids

Five years. That's how long I was out. My youngest started P1 this year and I decided it was time. I used to be in HR — talent acquisition, specifically. I was pretty good at it. Ironic, then, that I found applying for jobs myself absolutely terrifying.

The gap problem

Every article I read said "don't apologise for the gap." Easy to say. Harder when you're sitting in front of someone who's clearly doing the mental maths on how long you've been away. I tried the "I was managing a household" angle. It felt forced. I tried the "I did some freelance consulting" angle. Also forced, because I did about two months of it and stopped. In the end I just said it plainly: "I took time out to raise my children. I'm ready to come back and here's why I'm still relevant." Something about the directness seemed to work better than the spin.

What surprised me

How much had changed. When I left in 2021, we were still doing in-person interviews and most HR systems were clunky but manageable. Now everything is AI this, automation that. I had to learn new ATS platforms. SuccessFactors had been completely updated. Everyone was talking about "employee experience" which wasn't a thing five years ago. I felt behind. Properly behind.

How I caught up

I didn't do a course. I know that's the standard advice but I didn't have time for a six-month certificate programme. Instead I reached out to three former colleagues who were still in HR and asked them to walk me through what had changed. What tools they used. What the priorities were now. Those three conversations taught me more than any LinkedIn Learning course would have.

Where I landed

I'm now at a healthcare company in Novena doing recruitment coordination. It's not as senior as where I was before — I was a manager, now I'm basically individual contributor level. The salary reflects that: SGD 4,800 vs the 7,200 I was on before. That stings. I won't pretend it doesn't. But I'm back in. The kids are in school. I'm using my brain again. And I figure within eighteen months I can work my way back to where I was. If I'm being honest, the hardest part wasn't the interviews or the skills gap. It was the identity shift. Going from "Sarah who works in HR" to "Sarah the mum" and back again. Each transition messes with your sense of self more than you'd think.

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