Thursday, September 13, 2018

How Moms Can Re-Enter the Workforce

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Everything changes when you become a mother. Everything. Your priorities change. You devote all your energy and attention on the sweet little human who is under your protection. But after a few years, you don’t need to devote quite as much attention to making sure they have everything they need. They’re becoming more independent, and eventually hopping on the bus to their first day of school, leaving you asking yourself a question: what now? The obvious answer is to rejoin the workforce, but of course, this can be intimidating if it has been some years since you had a job. If you're a mama who finds yourself in this position, here are some tips that’ll help ease the transition!


Get Serious

You’ve been on mom duty for a long time, but now it's time to rediscover your professional side. To do this, you’ll need to become something of a split personality, in much the same way as many people who have a personal and professional side do. When you’re looking for work and exploring opportunities, bring your serious face. You can be all smiles and fun when you’re with the kids and other parents - which up until now was most of the time - but make sure the people you’re talking with about jobs know that you’re serious.

Look For Opportunities

No-one’s going to come up and offer you a job (or if that does happen, then count your lucky stars and take it!); you have to go out there and find the opportunities for yourself. If you had a professional career before you become a mother, look at jobs relating to that industry, and make some tentative inquiries. Keep in mind that most jobs that need to be filled never get advertised, so it’s a good idea to reach out to companies that interest you and see if they have any positions available. Also consider any connections you have- it's often about who you know, not what you know!

Top Up Your Education

If you didn’t have a career before you entered motherhood, then you may need to top up your education to make yourself employable. But what path of education should you take? It’s a good idea to look for qualifications that will build on the skills that you’ve acquired as a mother. (And believe me, those are some serious skills!) If you’re already familiar with certain skills needed within an industry, then you’ve already got a head start on other people looking for jobs. Logistics is an industry that’s particularly suited to mothers, so take a look at studying a master operations management course. You can study online, and from home, so you take care of your parenting tasks until you’ve finished and are ready to get a job. I did my entire master's program online while also working a full time job, and it was nice to not have to show up anywhere to take a class.

Talk With Friends

When you’ve been out of the workforce for so long, it can be difficult to know where to start just to find a job. On this front, your friends and past work colleagues can be a source of great encouragement and help. Network within your own circle, and let everyone know that you’re looking for work. Someone might just have something for you. Beyond that, it’s all about being patient and waiting for the right opportunity! You've got this mama!

Being a mom is hard work, and it's really the best, hardest job we'll ever have. But when it's time for you to re-enter the workforce, you're going to be awesome at that too! Got get 'em!

Currently,
Kelsie

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