For Stay-At-Home Moms: How To Prepare Going Back Into The Workforce
If you took a break from work to focus on motherhood, you're not alone. Here are things that you can do to prepare yourself for working full-time again.
Career women giving up work after giving birth is not something new. Being a stay-at-home mom has its many perks. You never miss a milestone or trick that your baby does. You get to prepare your baby's first meal, give him his first serving. You can never bring back your baby's first months, so taking it all in is essential.
However, before you know it, you are now at your third toddler. Where did the time go? Now that your children are all in school, you have now your home and the whole day to yourself. And you start to contemplate if you can still go back to the workforce and revive your career.
The answer, dear Momma, is yes. Most returning mothers fear that they have missed so much and that they may not fit in the workplace. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Being a stay-at-home mom does not mean you did not evolve. Managing a home is one of the most challenging jobs you will ever do, enabling you to learn skills that will be useful in life and work. Some skills that you develop include organization, multi-tasking, research, managing people, collaboration, and negotiation.
Here are some things that you can do to make your resume look more stellar and to prepare yourself once you start to look for a new job.
Take online short courses.
Many schools offer online short courses that you can take while you are at home. These short courses give you the opportunity, convenience, and flexibility to manage your personal development and your family life. They are also cheaper than traditional schools since you do not need to attend your classes physically. You can take short courses on sales and business, accounting, finance, and computer and information technology, among many others.
You can also join conferences or enroll in online classes for specific certifications. Both can help re-awaken the career woman in you.
Learn a hobby.
Forget the jokes about motherhood hobbies. Take up a hobby that can make you more skillful and may even give you opportunities for a side business. Here are some hobby suggestions that can make you some extra cash on the side while you're at it.
Revisit your resume.
Make time to revisit and update your resume regularly. You can make a general resume and targeted resumes as well. Aside from your skills, you can include other activities that you are involved with, such as volunteering involvement, community clubs and guilds, freelance projects, and self-employment. This will show the varied skills that you have, therefore bringing more value to the job role you wish to fill.
Identify the mom's skills that you used to raise your kids.
Moms have the unique abilities that make them perfect for their kids. You may not get paid by managing your household and raising your kids, but that doesn't mean you did not learn anything in the process. You were a manager, organizer, planner, implementer, coach, teacher, and counselor all in one, and even more. Evaluate yourself. You will be surprised that your mom's skills are instrumental in an office setup.
Other skills that you may have picked up while being a full-time mom include excellent communication skills, negotiation skills, management skills, financial planning skills, and ability to meet deadlines. With these skills, you are poised to become an effective project manager.
Workon your health.
Being a mother is hard enough. A career in the mix can make it even more exhausting. While you start to revamp your resume, do not forget your health. If you plan to revive your professional career on the side of being a mom, you will have to be in a healthier and fitter state. Eat healthy, properly, and on schedule. Exercise regularly. Having a healthy body can result in a healthier and happier mindset.
Talk to your family.
Your family must be aligned with your plans. Although your dreams and ambitions are your own, a supportive husband and family can make the transition easier for you. Discuss who will be in charge of driving the kids to school and who will be in charge of fetching them after classes. Getting them on board and having their support will make the process smoother for everyone involved, especially for your children.
Balancing a career and motherhood is never easy, especially after coming from years of being a stay-at-home mom. There will be many adjustments and challenges along the way. Have a clear goal of what you want to achieve for yourself and your family. When you have established your goals, it will be easy to remind yourself of why you are even enduring in the first place.