Moms Restarting Careers Can Face Parental Guilt, Childcare Worries, Financial Stress
Originally published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 11, 2003
The decision to go back to work after taking time off to raise children is not an easy one. Although most mothers have careers outside the home - 72 percent of women with children younger than 18 worked in 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor - the search for that first job after a break can be a difficult one. "Mothers often struggle with this issue after months or years of being a stay-at-home mom when they decide to - or have to - go back to work," says Natalie Gahrmann, a career and life coach based in Hillsborough, N.J. and author of "Succeeding as a Super Busy Parent" (Infinity Publishing, $14.95). "The main issues that mothers deal with are whether to continue in their former career area, how to make up for lost time in their field and how to explain the gap in their employment history in resumes and job interviews." Here are some ways to prepare before jumping back into the working world:
Take stock of skills
Although you may have been away from a 9-to-5 lifestyle, you probably acquired some new skills or experiences that will benefit you professionally. "The burden is to demonstrate what you have done to stay current in your previous profession or learn about a new field. Let the prospective employer know about related reading, courses, participation in professional associations and involvement in maintaining an active network," Gahrmann says. Any volunteer activities you may have pursued can demonstrate that you have been honing your leadership skills.
A new approach
Gaps in employment can raise a red flag to employers, To prevent this from happening, prepare a functional resume highlighting accomplishments, rather than a chronological resume, which just lists your complete job history. "Use a functional resume and give exact examples of the skills you possess," says Dr. Kathleen Wells, a Sierra Vista, Arizona-based career coach and author. "An example would be, 'Organized the office, developed a tracking system and saved the company $30,000 while increasing customer satisfaction."'
Gahrmann suggests creating a "work history" section of the resume that brings up the portion of your career you spent away from work without listing specific dates. "In the work history area on her resume, a mother can simply state that she was a full-time parent or homemaker to account for the years she stayed at home," she says. "In the cover letter, she can address the stay-at-home time without taking away from the purpose of the resume. Motherhood can even be positioned as a sabbatical from which she is returning to the world of work refreshed, motivated and with new skills and abilities."
Prepare for interviews
If a potential employer brings up the gap in your career history, be prepared to address it. "During the job interview, a simple, positive, unapologetic statement about what you were doing is sufficient," Gahrmann says. "For example, 'I took time off to raise my family."' Approach the gap positively, and take the opportunity to emphasize how your skills, abilities and experience have prepared you to succeed in the workplace. "Prepare to demonstrate your high energy and ability to cope in both your cover letter and during your job interviews, and avoid sharing any misgivings you have about returning to work," Gahrmann says. Before the interview, also make sure the company meets your career and family goals. "When I work with my clients who are transitioning back to the workforce, I help them assess their values, interests, strengths, weaknesses, accomplishments, personal resources and goals," Gahrmann says. "With this type of clarity, they can look for organizations that would value what they have to offer and with which they would be a good fit. They could seek out companies that offer a family-friendly environment and that value and promote women employees."
