Oct 8, 2007 5:36 pm US/Eastern
Family First: Latest Issues Facing Mothers In Workplace
Mother's Steps To Relaunching Career
Reporting
Cindy Hsu
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
If you've taken a break from your career to raise the kids it can be intimidating to jump back in the workforce.
The encouraging news is that there are lots people and resources out there to help. I had the opportunity to sit in on the Detours & OnRamps Conference in Jersey City, New Jersey www.onrampsforum.com where women from all over learned the latest on the issues facing mothers in the workplace.
I met Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin, co-authors of Back on the Career Track and co-founders of iRelaunch.
1) What are the top tips to relaunch your career?
"7 Steps to Relaunch Success:
1) Re launch or Not, You Decide. In other words, make sure you really want to go back to work. If you have to go back to work for financial reasons, make sure you psyche yourself up into wanting to go back to work.
Otherwise, you won't be a convincing candidate. If you're not sure whether or not you want to go back to work, then take the relaunch readiness quiz in our book, Back on the Career Track, or on our website at www.backonthecareertrack.com
2) Learn Confidence. Don't be intimidated. Thousands of women (and men) have found great jobs after time out, and you can too.
3) Assess Your Career Options. Don't assume you want to, or have to, go back to the same kind of work you did before. Think about whether your interests, and potentially even your skills, have changed and how they might be transferable to a new environment.
For example, if you were an account manager in advertising, maybe you want to be involved in some other aspect of the field, such as market research or copywriting, or do account management in another industry.
Try to take on some consulting assignments as a way to test new options, boost your confidence and add current experience to your resume.
4) Update Your Skills. If you haven't kept up with developments in your old field, or the field you're currently targeting, subscribe and read relevant trade publications, attend a conference, visit relevant websites, talk to former colleagues and consider taking a course or two to brush up your skills.
5) Network and Market Yourself. This is probably the most important thing you can do. Once you have an idea of the kind of work you're interested in, make sure you tell everyone you know what you're looking for and ask them for referrals to people you can talk to about opportunities in that field.
Then, don't ask for a job, but engage people in conversations about what they do, where the needs are for talent in their organization and how you think you might be able to contribute.
Eventually, you will meet someone who has a need for the skills you offer. To make it easier for people to get in touch with you, have a business card printed up with your name and contact information.
6) Channel family support. Make sure you develop support for your relaunch among your family and close friends. Test out new childcare routines before you return so that everyone gets used to the new arrangements. And finally:
7) Handle the Job or Find Another One. By this we mean, don't consider your first job back the be-all-and-end-all. If it's not right for you, you're in a better position to negotiate changes within the job or to find another one.
So, get out there and RELAUNCH!"
2) Biggest mistakes people tend to make?
"The biggest mistakes people make are probably selling themselves short-not being aggressive enough out of a lack of confidence-and not thinking carefully enough about the kind of work they want to do and pursuing positions that are not really a fit with their changed interests."
3) Are companies interested in this workforce?
"Yes, companies are very definitely interested in this segment of the labor force, much more so than they were just 3 years ago. Currently, the greatest interest is coming from the accounting, financial services and nursing industries, because these industries have experienced tremendous growth.
But we predict many more industries will be interested as baby boomers retire and employers discover that there are not enough people in their talent pipelines to replace them."
4) What's the trend in flextime for women?
"Flextime has been growing. A number of companies have embraced it throughout their organizations, not just for women. But in talking to a company about flextime, you have to make sure you're talking about the same thing.
Do you mean the ability to attend soccer practice and the school play once a month, or do you mean working a 4-day work week or do you mean working 50 hours a week with total flexibility as to when and where you work?
Make sure you and your prospective employer are on the same page in terms of what flextime means."
5) What's the best way to approach your boss about flextime or job sharing?
"If you're currently working and want to move toward a different working arrangement, the best thing to do is to put together a proposal in writing specifying the arrangement you seek and how you will manage to fulfill the obligations of your job.
Remember, your boss is going to want to know how the arrangement will benefit, or at least not hurt, the company. So that's what you need to focus on. If you're seeking to return to work in a flexible or job-share arrangement, don't just look at jobs that are billed as 'part time.'
Pursue fulltime jobs. Once a company is interested in you, ask whether you might be able to work 4 days per week or work one day from home or whatever "flexibility" you want.
To secure a job share, you're more likely to be successful if you have a job share partner already identified. Don't expect an employer to find you a job share partner."
6) Resources?
"In addition to our book Back on the Career Track (www.backonthecareertrack.com) and our company iRelaunch, for mid-career professionals on career break (www.iRelaunch.com), we recommend Women for Hire www.womenforhire.com, 85 Broads www.85broads.com, www.mommytrackd.com and www.workitmom.com . Those interested in entrepreneurship, check Ladies Who Launch www.ladieswholaunch.com and Moms For Profit www.momsforprofit.com."
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