Anyone who has made the transition from being at home with a lovely gurgling baby (or toddler ? or teens!) all day to entering the very adult world of the 9 to 5 will know that this can be quite an adjustment. Whilst there are all the logistics of childcare and creating five minutes for yourself every now and again to handle once you?re working again, there?s also the issue of finding a way to squeeze yourself back into the workforce in the first place. You might be returning from maternity leave, or you might be wanting to re-enter employment after several years as a parent ? whichever category you fall in to, these tips should help make the move easier:
1. If you?re re-entering the workforce after some time out of it then sit down and reappraise your skills and experience. You have probably changed quite considerably in the time you have been at home and you may have new skills to offer, additional expertise and brave new ideas. Don?t rule out using your parenting experience as a selling point ? being a parent involves many skills that are applicable to a working environment, from high level organisation to a wealth of patience.
2. Focus on your targets. No matter whether you?re returning from maternity leave or entering a new working world, step one is always to know what you want from what you?re about to do. Are you looking to contribute to the family funds whilst you try for another baby? Are you launching a new career entirely? Do you want to return to your old field of expertise? Write down what your goals are for the next year of returning to work and where you want to be at the end of it.
3. Talk to those around you. Whether this is to discover what they think your skill set is after several years at home, or to understand how other mothers went back to work after maternity leave ? the support and perspectives of those around you are vital.
4. Understand that everyone gets the fear. Change of any sort is quite upsetting for most people so if going back to work scares you then you?re completely normal!
5. Don?t undervalue yourself. There is a tendency for some women returning to work to feel like they must take on much more and excel far more than anyone else to be judged by a normal standard. There are laws in place to protect you from being discriminated against for trying to make children and a career work and you can do both. Focus on what you do bring to a situation, rather than areas where others have the advantage of less personal responsibilities and see yourself as you want others to see you.
6. If you?re considering a brand new career then it can be worthwhile taking some advice from a professional careers counsellor. They will be able to help you identify your best skills and how the parenting you have done can be an asset on a CV.
7. If you feel like your experience needs a boost then consider taking on some volunteering work in the right area. This will give you valuable hands on skills, demonstrate ability in the right areas and also show that you are used to balancing home and work life effectively.
8. Don?t underestimate the organisation that is going to be required when returning to work with a family! Being a parent is a full time job on its own and balancing that with another job is going to be tricky. Think ahead, schedule as much as you can, arrange childcare, get relatives to help out or brief the kids (if older) on the slack they are going to have to pick up.
9. If you?re turning to work after years at home then be sure to overhaul your CV. There are plenty of online CV resources where you can download templates that will show you how things might have changed in the employment application process. Get some advice on your CV from friends or relatives if you need to. You may also find that the interview process presents an obstacle if you?re not used to it ? again you can find lots of information online on what to expect. Try taking a few sample psychometric tests, do some practice interviews with the family and train yourself to be able to communicate your best skills and experience without getting flustered.
10. DON?T FEEL GUILTY! This is always the kicker for many mothers who return to work as leaving your child with someone else, or feeling like you?re not 100% there for your family, can make you feel like a terrible mother. Figures from 2011 showed that 66.5% of mothers work so you are not alone.
If you?re considering returning to work then don?t let any worries about doing so put you off. It can be a hugely rewarding experience to be a working mum and with a bit of organisation, some forward planning and plenty of patience during the initial adjustments you can make it work for you and for your family.
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Amy writes for UK-based Crawley job board ? GatwickDiamondJobs.com ? which is full of useful advice for finding a job or changing careers.
Source: http://hercaribbean.com/family/10-tips-for-mothers-looking-to-get-back-to-work
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