After dinner, the living room is filled with laughter. May animatedly shares amusing moments from her work accompanying patients to medical appointments, mimicking the endearing and humorous reactions of the older people she has met. Her husband listens with great interest, his eyes filled with appreciation and delight, while their two children gather around their mother, giggling along. Looking at this warm and relaxed family scene, it is hard to imagine that, until recently, May had spent years hesitating over whether to re-enter the workforce.
Before becoming a full-time mother, May worked as a clerk in an electronics factory, where she gained extensive administrative and clerical experience. She had always been meticulous and patient. To devote herself fully to caring for her two children, however, she made the decision to leave her job. Eleven years passed as she immersed herself in the daily responsibilities of running a household. As her children grew older, she tried working as a general worker at a kindergarten, but the fragmented and irregular working hours made her realise that this was not where she wanted to spend the rest of her working life.
Deep down, May had always hoped to return to the workforce. As she enjoyed spending time with older people, she had already taken the initiative to enrol in physiotherapy and first-aid courses, quietly equipping herself with new skills. Yet, despite being prepared with relevant practical skills, an 11-year career gap and her limited experience of formal job applications and interviews left her hesitant about stepping back into the working world. She lacked access to suitable job-search information and felt deeply anxious about the uncertainties ahead.
She later came across the Jockey Club HERizon:Women’s Career Empowerment Hub.
Through the Project, May found clear and accessible job-search channels and met a group of women who supported one another along the same journey. During training sessions and mock interviews, project staff patiently helped her review the interview questions she had previously found discouraging. Step by step, they helped her strengthen her interview techniques and overcome the psychological barriers holding her back. With support and guidance from those around her, the concerns she had kept buried inside gradually faded. At last, her accumulated knowledge of care work, together with her attentive nature, found a meaningful direction.
After returning to the workforce, May became a professional patient escort. The job is full of challenges, as she works with older people who have different personalities and temperaments. Drawing on the lifting, assisting and caring skills she learned during training, she carefully observes each person’s needs before providing the most appropriate support. She finds fulfilment and a sense of purpose in watching the tension gradually disappear from their faces during medical visits. Those who were initially reserved and uneasy eventually open up, place their trust in her and enjoy chatting with her.
Yet, as May sought to rediscover herself, the competing demands of motherhood also brought considerable pressure. “There was a period when I took four consecutive night shifts accompanying patients to the Accident and Emergency Department. Late at night, as I watched people come and go in the department, I was suddenly overwhelmed by a deep sense of guilt. I really missed my two children at home.”
The struggle between pursuing personal fulfilment and being present for her family was very real. This profound experience prompted May to pause and learn to establish clear boundaries for herself. She began planning her working hours and shifts more systematically. She devoted herself fully to her work while on duty and focused wholeheartedly on her children once she returned home. In doing so, she found a comfortable balance between her roles as a mother and a professional patient escort.
This transformation also quietly reshaped the relationship between May and her husband. May candidly shared that, before she returned to work, she often felt that her husband looked down on her. Now that she has re-entered the workforce and built a professional role and a life of her own, they can face each other as equals. Her husband’s heartfelt respect and appreciation, together with the thoughtful encouragement she receives from her children every day, have become her greatest source of confidence as she moves forward.
From a full-time mother to a professional patient escort travelling between clinics and hospitals, May has demonstrated through her actions that, by equipping themselves early and finding the courage to take the first step, women can forge a practical and fulfilling career path that enables them to care for their families while pursuing personal growth and fulfilment.