At SimScale, we have almost 50 employees who have children and although each of their stories and life situations may be different, there is one thing we all have in common: balancing family life and work. Continue reading as I’ll share my personal story about being a working mom at SimScale and how I’ve transitioned from my parental leave back to work.
Entering a New World
When you become a parent, all of a sudden your entire world changes. Whoever you were before, forget that person, or maybe put it aside for a while. You will become an entirely new person and don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean this in a negative way. If you are anything like me, you may have thought things are going to be super easy, you’ll just take the baby anywhere you go, and they adapt to you rather than the other way around. Maybe there are some parents where that is the reality, awesome for you! It wasn’t for me and that’s wonderful too. My son is my whole world and I have come to love this new life so much. Seeing the world from a completely new perspective, through a child’s eyes, is so much more exciting than I could have ever imagined. Learning again to love and really appreciate even the smallest things in life is so rewarding and really distracts you from overthinking things.
Becoming a Working Mom
What I didn’t foresee before becoming a mom was that juggling work and being a parent is a whole new challenge in itself. Initially, my plan was to go back to work after 6 months, at least a couple of hours per day. The positive-minded side of me was thinking I need this for myself and the little one will be sleeping a lot anyway, no problem at all. Well, he certainly was sleeping but so was I. As someone who needs a good amount of sleep, I definitely had to adjust to the smaller amount of sleep I all of a sudden was getting.
Luckily, we have a pretty supportive system in Germany that allows parents to enjoy an entire year (or even more if you choose so) of parental leave while receiving financial support from the government. Also, SimScale made it very easy for me not to worry about it and to really enjoy this time with my son. As someone who is a very passionate and ambitious person at work, and who had a hard time leaving all of my responsibilities behind, I was a bit surprised yet relieved by how easy it was to “just” enjoy this special time with my son without any other work-related responsibilities. Time flew by quickly!
Flexible Working Schedules and Support at SimScale
Just like that, another 6 months later, and here I was anxiously awaiting my first day back at work after a year off. This time I was mentally ready for this challenge and had a very smooth start. It was as easy as turning on my computer, opening Slack and all of the tools I use on a daily basis, and I was back in business.
My husband, who also works at SimScale, and I are able to have a very flexible schedule. He decreased his hours and spends the afternoon with our son while I spend my mornings with him and work in the afternoon (and here and there in between, which I really enjoy). With both of us being able to work remotely, it couldn’t have been an easier transition. We are able to take care of our son while continuing to pursue our careers. Working in an environment like the one we have at SimScale means you see lots of other parents in similar situations too where you don’t have to justify if you leave work early or work at times that may be outside of the typical “9 to 5” schedule.
Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force recently brought together all parents at SimScale in a virtual meeting and it was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to connect and share experiences and tips with each other. Many of us are able to benefit from the flexibility and the support that is provided by the company, whether that’s decreasing hours, leaving work early without questions being asked, or just being able to combine working and having kids without feeling like you have to give up one or the other.
Whether you are a working parent or maybe in a completely different stage of your life, SimScale provides an environment that offers a lot of flexibility and trust-based work. I can certainly recommend you to keep an eye on our careers page if that is exactly what you are looking for!
Stay tuned for more insights into SimScale and see what the team has been up to on our @lifeatsimscale Instagram feed. Want to start your own SimScale story? Make sure to keep an eye on our careers page for possible openings!
