Four Tips For Moms Returning To Work
Mothers who have been out of the workforce for a few years often find it difficult to return. Years spent as a stay-at-home mom can count against women as they try to get back into full-time work. If you are a stay-at-home mom who has been out of the workforce for some time, here are four helpful tips for returning to work.
1. Craft Your Resume
The first task on your list is to create a new resume. Be sure that you highlight all of the volunteer tasks that you might have undertaken while you were a stay-at-home mom. Being part of the PTA or being a scout leader both involve organizational, administrative, and people skills.
Freelance work is another good area to highlight. It not only shows that you are serious about your career, it shows that you are a self-starter.
You should also make sure to include any continuing education you have participated in while you were away from the workforce. If you haven’t done this, it’s a smart idea to become familiar with new office technologies and software.
Only include the information that is relevant to the job you want. This will keep your resume looking professional.
2. Finding Job Listings
Finding appropriate job listings is tricky for the mom returning to the workforce. This is the time to call in all of your connections. Ask your friends who are in the workforce if they know of any companies nearby that are hiring. Using personal connections often works better than sending resumes through an online site. You can and should use these sites to find job listings, but supplement them with leg work.
You may want to start with a temporary job just to get your feet wet. Temporary jobs can also help you try on careers and see which kind of job is a good fit for you. You might have completely different interests than you had before you left the workforce.
3. The Job Interview
You may be nervous at your first job interview. It’s understandable that some women will feel judged for staying out of the workforce for so long.
Before you get out there, you’ll need to figure out what to wear to a job interview. It’s likely that your professional clothes are outdated or worn. The general rule of dressing for a job interview is that you should dress for the job you want. Being more formally dressed than the office normally calls for is fine, as long as you don’t go over the line into evening wear. A nice dress and blazer, or slacks with a blouse and jacket could be great choices for you. Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it is clean, neat, and pressed.
4. Daycare
If your children are young enough, you’ll have to find proper daycare for them. Searching for daycare is a huge task by itself. When you are interviewing new day care providers, make sure you have fully researched the center and its qualifications. If you are interviewing a home daycare provider, do your interview with the same amount of care.
It’s wise to get your children used to daycare before you start back at work. The double transition of beginning day care plus your first few days at the office may be extremely stressful.
Returning to Work
Finding a new job could be a long process. Be patient and open-minded about the job you want. When you are professionally fulfilled, you will be a happier person and a better mom. Your kids will come to know the value of work. They will be fine in their new day care or school environment. You will be able to feel that you are contributing financially to your family.
This guest post was authored by Lindsay Patterson
Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer and entrepreneur who specializes in business technology, customer relationship management, and lead management. She also writes about the latest social trends, specifically involving social media.
