Mid-Career Maternity Breaks—A Model of Role Transitions in the Process of Opting Out and In

Abstract

In this article, a model of role transition for mid-career women taking maternity and childcare breaks is presented. Three distinct phases of a break in mid-career—opting out, staying home and opting in—are identified and at every stage, women face multifaceted challenges in navigating role transitions. Using transcendental phenomenology, various themes are identified in the lived experiences by interviewing 26 mid-career women who had opted out and opted back in after a minimum of two years. The findings indicate that participants experience both macro and micro transitions during the stages of opting out and opting in, resulting in a range of positive and negative emotions. The resulting model incorporates the environmental factors that affect this process, and results elucidate the nuanced aspects in navigating this complex transition. Emphasising a departure from traditional linear career paths, I recommend adopting the three pillars of the Kaleidoscope Career Path model—authenticity, balance and challenge—as strategies to cope with the uncertainties and challenges of mid-career women’s professional lives.