I left my job and became a housewife. Doing an internship at 31 helped me pivot to a new industry 7 years later.

Mounika Chinnam pictured with her husband and their son.

Courtesy of Santosh Kumar Veeravilli This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mounika Chinnam, 33, who lives in Andhra Pradesh, India and took a seven-year career break.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I got my first tech job when I was 23, writing code for a research and development company.

I had a postgrad diploma in advanced computing and felt excited to start my career in computer science.

Three years later, in 2019, life was very different.

I had left my job shortly after getting married, and given birth to my son prematurely at 32 weeks.

As a result, I became a stay-at-home mom .

I felt I could rebuild my career at any age, but my son's early years would never come back.

I prioritized supporting him through his challenges, and my career break lasted seven years.

This story is part of My Big Break , a series by Business Insider's Charissa Cheong.

She spoke to six people who took a career break and bounced back.

Check out the other installments below and share your story here .

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