Companies Need Moms!

on Jun 03, 2011 in Blog

Ladies, I know you are out there. You, the one with the degree and resume that got dusty while you took that prolonged leave of absence to raise kids. Perhaps you are thinking of re-entering the workforce because you are newly divorced, you need the extra income or maybe just because the kids are now school age and you want a new challenge.

I get it, it can feel daunting and scary competing with fresh-faced college grads and peers that stayed on the career track. (I believe the new terms are now “off-ramping” and “on-ramping”.)

Well I’m here to encourage you to on-ramp Moms! Maybe you feel out of touch with all the new technology and advances made in your fields. But the fact is, if you were able to land a job before you had kids, there’s no reason to think you still can’t. Your degree does not have a shelf life and those companies that hired you before thought your personality would be a good fit. In fact, a lot of the bigger Fortune 500 companies have diversity agendas and are looking specifically to put more women on their payrolls.

Listen, anybody who can change their kid’s outfit while preparing lunch and discussing the details of your home addition with a contractor clearly knows how to multi-task! Perhaps you manage your own retirement fund, use spreadsheets to manage your renovation project or use accounting software to balance the family budget.  I’ve seen Moms organize amazing fundraising events, come up with creative marketing promotions, and sell ad space.

Moms learn how to communicate quickly and concisely with pediatricians and teachers who have limited time for you. Perhaps you are a master at bargaining down the landscaper by promising a higher volume job. Or maybe you are a whiz at using the internet as a research tool to get the best prices or run due diligence on a babysitter.

Dealing with kids all day you have probably learned to hone your negotiation skills, deal with cranky individuals and work around irrational requests. This defines you as a “people person”.

Own it Moms – you are CEO’s of your own family. Don’t be afraid to put your projects on your resume as work experience. Perhaps you will need to take some courses and not expect to be able to re-enter with the same title or even in the same industry. The idea is   to reevaluate your skills and be open to marketing them in a different way. So get out there and start getting paid for your time again!