Nearly one-third of women have a pause in their career to start families. Less than half of these women return to mainstream jobs that are full-time. For many businesses, this leads to a lack of women in the workforce, and now business bosses have realized that there is a large pool of valuable assets in these returning-to-work mothers.
There are programs around that help these women get back into a working position by helping them with individual skills training to bring these parents up to speed with social media, job search skills and their branding.
What they are trying to do is make women aware of the vast amount of skills they possess. Many of these strengths have been learned and honed while they have been away from work, and are now found to be an asset in the workplace.
Project management, budgeting and negotiation abilities are just some skills that mothers learn quite instinctively while they are caring for their child at home. Once these women understand the skills they possess, they can work toward identifying positions in the workplace for which they qualify.
Five Big Tips for Returning-to-Work Moms
-
Planning
Although not a tip that will shatter the earth, planning is the main thing that can help you at each step, and it is never too early to start doing it.
Plan your return date – maybe in your first week, it will be better to give Monday a miss and start on Tuesday. Easing back in will be more manageable for both you and your child.
Plan for illness – when children start a new nursery or daycare, they are shown to catch an infection of some kind in the first few weeks.
It may be awkward to ask for time off so soon, so speak with your partner or family members who can arrange to take care of your little one should he become ill.
New routine – this one is a biggie. Your whole world will be turned on its head. What time do you have to get up? What time do you have to leave your home and get to the daycare? Moreover, what time do you have to be at work? These need to fit together to make things better for everyone.
-
Confidence
The transition back to work can be a difficult one for many mothers, and often comes with a serious knock in their confidence. Returning to a position that has been staffed can be overwhelming, as can a newly created job.
Keeping abreast of the times, staying in contact with your old boss and your work colleagues can make things a little easier. This will help your fear of being eliminated, and after a while, you will soon feel as if you have never been away.
-
Refresh Your Skills
If you know you will be returning to work at some point, you can use the time at home to brush up on some old skills or learn some new ones. You might even find there is something you enjoy that you can do from home.
There are many possibilities for new mothers to work from home, yet if you are reentering the work force, you might want to consider using a professional resume writing service. Resume writers are skilled in presenting your work experience in the best light.
-
Keeping it together
Once you have returned to work, it might seem difficult to perform regular daily tasks. All you have to remember is it is okay to ask for help. If you are unable to settle in at your workplace, don’t hide the fact from your co-workers. Ask for help if you need it. The same goes for at home; if things become a burden, ask your partner or other family members if they can help out every now and again.
A daily call to your child while you are at work can help both of you get through the difficult days.
-
Take care of yourself
It can be an exciting time, yet it can also be exhausting. Make sure that you take full care of yourself:
- Sleep – you will need lots of it. No more Facebook until the early hours.
- Relax – resist the temptation for those nights out or weekends away until you are used to working again.
- Talk – speak to other mothers in the same situation.
- Treats – treat yourself for a job well done. That weekly cappuccino and cake will never have tasted so good.
