Stay at Home Moms Returning to Work

Due to the economy many stay at home moms are finding themselves having to go back into the workforce sooner than they planned. This can be a stressful time trying to find work after years of not working. Career coaches are seeing many women these days who thought they would have a few more years at home with their children struggling to find work.

Returning to work in a strong job market is difficult. Let’s face it, the job market is definitely not at its strongest, thus making it harder. Even though you probably feel a sense of urgency to land a job, the best thing for you to do is slow down and take a deep breath. It’s important to make sure that you cover all of your job search basics before rushing in. If you are in crisis mode, it will be harder to make a good first impression on perspective employers. Make sure you are organized and ready before you dive in.

The first thing you need to figure out is what kind of job you are looking for. Do you want to go back to the same line of work you were doing before deciding to be a stay at home mom, or do you want a change of pace? If you want to go back into the same field, you may want to figure out what parts you liked about your previous job and which parts you didn’t. Then try to find a job that focuses on the parts of the job you did like.

Don’t send resumes to job boards like monster.com and call it quits. You may find a job that way, but there aren’t any guarantees. You may want to get in contact with your former co-workers. They may be able to help you find a new job. It’s not a good idea to ask people straight out if they can offer you a job themselves. Before contacting anyone you need a quick conversation planned out. It should include what kind of job you are looking for and what kind of experience you already have. End the chat by asking them, Do you know of anyone I should contact? Remember to keep it brief, you don’t want to inconvenience or overwhelm the person you are talking to.

Another important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t talk to anyone until you are ready to return to work immediately. If you don’t have child care already lined up and you have to cancel an interview, you aren’t going to get the job offer you hoped for.

Volunteering your time in your intended field can also be a great asset. Not only does it look good on a resume, it can help you to meet key players in the field. Volunteer work is an incredible way to expand your network.

Just remember to take as many deep breaths as you need to keep yourself calm and focused on your job search. Never be apologetic for staying at home to raise your children, you have nothing to be sorry for. Make sure you show enthusiasm about returning to the workforce. Good luck.