Moms face challenges when returning to work
Re-entering the work force after an extended time away is daunting under any set of circumstances, but for stay-at-home mothers the obstacles can often seem overwhelming.While there are no exact figures showing the number of mothers attempting to return to work, an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data conducted by Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that in 2005 more than half (58 percent) of the nearly 1.9 million re- entrants age 20 or older were women. Liz Norwood is founder and vice president of marketing of the Denver-based 10 til 2, a job placement service that was founded by four mothers. She said that mothers returning to work want to know that they can put their children on the school bus in the morning and be able to pick them up in the afternoon. Our clients sign a contract that they have to give time off for family responsibilities such as soccer games - which is unheard of in corporate world, Norwood said. Many mothers may feel the need to justify their absences from the career field, but Norwood said it is OK to have blanks on a resume.
Stay-at-home mothers often volunteer for several organizations, and even lead them, so Norwood recommends that they place an emphasis on volunteer work. She also suggests returning workers get back up to speed on new software by taking a computer course at a community college.
Lack of confidence was a big obstacle for Pam Alexander when she re-entered the work force. For 20 years she worked as a stay-at- home mom. With two girls - a junior in high school and one in college - and a husband returning to school for his third graduate degree, it was her turn to provide the income. Despite the fact that balancing a schedule and multi-tasking are second nature to her, she felt ill-equipped.
I didn't have a resume that looked like others, I couldn't make it stand out, she said. I have two years of college with no degree. I sat down with my college daughter and she helped me construct a resume based on volunteer hours. After her resume finally caught the eye of someone who knew someone who knew someone, she landed a clerical job at Re/Max Connections Inc., and has been there for six weeks.
I found out that the skills I had as a stay-at-home mom actually translated into things they were looking for, she said. I have a strong work ethic and I've never had a sick day. Her part-time job has been a good start, but she has decided to look for something in education, since she worked with the school system when her children were younger. After taking tests provided through the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, she has reached a second interview at School District 11 for a job with the educational support system.
Alexander said that mothers who are returning to the work force should be confident and not sell themselves short. She also said it's important to find something you love doing and take advantage of resources such as the PPWFC.
Wade Gore, Alexander's employer at Re/Max Connections, said that there's not a track record to go by when hiring someone who has been out of the work force for a long time and the employer is taking a chance.
He said two things that employers should consider are how much a candidate has worked with computers and how she handles a stressful pace. The El Paso County Department of Human Services has an employment placement department, which is overseen by Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs.
Goodwill Industries Career Development Center provides assistance and referral services, skills training, job programs and vocational rehabilitation to people with barriers to employment.
Sharon McGee entered the doors of the DHS as a single mother of three. She came from what she called a family of generational welfare.
With welfare, you are so terrified to leave it and be back on the streets that you just keep going back to it, she said. She said DHS encouraged her to return to college, and after taking a money management class she was able to buy a house. All it takes is someone believing in you, McGee said.
DHS offered her a job as a receptionist, and she also did case management for five years. McGee is a quality support technician and has been with Goodwill Industries for 10 years.
While some moms face fears of getting a job, other moms are going to school full time and working multiple jobs - hoping that their children will someday understand. It may take Carmen Encarnacion, a student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, seven years to finish her education degree, which she said she's pursuing because it will allow her to spend time with her children.
She said being a school teacher will allow her to spend holidays with her kids and provide them with resources in the future.
She has two daughters in daycare, the oldest in first grade, and admitted daily life is somewhat chaotic.
It's a juggling act - organizational wise, she said.
Advice for re-entering the work force
Women searching for a position who lack work-for-pay experience should not despair, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which offered the following advice to stay-at-home mothers who want to reenter the work force:
-Take a personal inventory of experiences gathered away from the working world. Employers look at all practical experience. An applicant with two years as a PTA president, for example, is going to have managerial and organizational skills that apply to business environments. Write a self-appraisal, which will provide a snapshot of your gifts, talents and accomplishments, which will help develop a clear picture of the type of job you want (but remain as open as possible without prejudgment).
-Identify your core functions so you can generate new ways to travel your functions to a variety of industries. You may have been an account executive at an advertising agency before leaving the workplace, but that does not mean you have to enter the same position upon your re-entry. Boil your skills down to the fundamental roots - project management, logistics, copy writing, accounting, etc. Such skills are needed in a wide variety of industries, which gives the job seeker a wider net to cast.
-Use your friends and other acquaintances to network. Through the years, you may have befriended other parents at the park, library or on a parent committee at your child's school. Use this social network to help generate leads. Tell everyone you know and meet that you are returning to the work force. One of these individuals may have a spouse in a position to hire or may know someone who is hiring. -Consider part-time as a means to full-time position. As a job seeker with a long absence from the workplace, you may want to offer employers the opportunity to hire you on a part-time basis, giving you the opportunity to prove your full-time worthiness.
-Do not become over-reliant on the Internet. If you have been out of the job market for a decade or more, a lot has changed. One of the biggest changes has been the growth of the Internet as a job search tool. However, many people rely too heavily on the Internet, spending their days searching for job listings and sending electronic resumes instead of getting out and meeting people. -Do not focus the interview on your commitment to being a mother. Obviously, one's commitment to being a parent does not end once the decision is made to return to work. However, refrain from telling the interviewer that you will expect to leave work early occasionally to take a child to band practice. Focus only on the things that make you the best candidate for the job. After you get the job, work out scheduling arrangements with your new supervisor.
- Colorado Springs Business Journal, Joan Johnson