For some mothers who took time off after childbirth, deciding to go back to work is the easy part. The real challenge is finding work that will be emotionally and financially rewarding, and that still allows them to do their other full-time job: raising the kids.
Many women who stay home with their children ---- whether it's for a few months or several years ---- do expect to go back to work sometime.
When Women Choose to Stay at Home." The problem for many mothers is, that they wait too long to decide how and when they'll re-enter the work force. "You really have to start thinking about going back to work when you make the decision to stay home". And there are other decisions to be made: Will you go back to the same career? Even if you're not "working," are you willing to do volunteer work? Do you want to go back to school?
Some careers ---- human resources, for example ---- are pretty easy to walk back into, but in others, such as information technology or scientific research, someone who has been absent for five years will be likened to a dinosaur.
"If you want to stay in science, you have to keep your hand in it somehow," . That can be done by staying active in professional groups or by taking the occasional class; The story of one woman who took enough part-time classes to eventually earn a master's degree in biology.
Even one course from the current year could freshen up a resume. Another option for a former researcher or scientist is to rejoin the work force as a teacher or to start your own science-affiliated business, as one mother who began a for-hire service teaching science to preschoolers did. "You can think about jobs in your field, but not necessarily the same job,"
Some women, though, see this as a chance to right a wrong. "If you've decided you're not responsible for bringing in money anyway, take advantage of exploring and find something you want to do,"
Parents might be surprised how they can sell the child-rearing skills they've learned to potential employers. Parenting also helps you learn to give clear and direct instructions, to control your anger and choose words carefully ---- which can be helpful when dealing with difficult colleagues or customers, she says. "When you become a parent, you don't have unlimited free time, so your organizational skills and work ethic change for the better. If your kids are in nursery school for only two hours, you don't waste an hour futzing around; you get right to a task. That's hard to quantify on a resume but it's a really helpful skill to have."
"If you've volunteered on a local school or zoning board, you'll take a lot of heat, more than you'd take at a company."
Volunteer work offers an opportunity to hone existing skills and learn new ones., create its Web site, because it will result in a tangible product that you can show to a potential employer.
If you work on a fund-raising campaign, lead the project and make sure you add that to your resume, listing the goal that was met and how many people you coordinated.
Ambition, excitement and dedication also are difficult to define but they certainly are characteristics employers are looking for, and former stay-at-home moms usually have that fire in their bellies when they go back to work.
"Most husbands aren't unhappy about a second income when they realize how much college costs,”
But even the best-laid plans won't help with the complex feelings a mother has as she returns to work, even if it was her idea in the first place. "There's going to be guilt and stress. You're never not going to feel guilty so just get used to it. If you have everything all lined up -- who is going to care for the kids and the meals are all ready ---- during work hours you've got to put yourself first,"
"What's the worst case scenario? They'll cry ---- and pretty soon they won't even look up when you're leaving."