Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work - Hallie Crawford

Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work I was honored to be featured in a recent Tampa Bay Times article about moms going back to the work force. Several of my friends have gone through this situation of a career transition and how to re-enter the workforce, so its near and dear to my heart! Plus, I’ll be undergoing my own transition into balancing motherhood and career coach early next year. In the next few posts are excerpts from this article I hope it’s helpful to you. Problem: Said Buckham, “Some mornings I am lucky to make it out the door without someone else’s fluid on me, whether’s that’s spit, spit-up, snot.” Solution: Invest in some new suits, and hit up the MAC counter for something to cover those bags under your eyes. You deserve to look and feel like the professional you are. And these things are worth it. Not only will they make a better impression on your prospective employer, you will feel better and more confident. Purchase things that make you feel great. As my mom always says, dress for the job you want, not the job you have. The money you invest in these items will pay off tenfold. Go here to read the rest of the article. Visit my Free Career Articles page to find other tips, tools and how-to’s for your career search. Work/Life Balance Coach Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work I was honored to be featured in a recent Tampa Bay Times article about moms going back to the work force. Several of my friends have gone through this situation of a career transition and how to re-enter the workforce, so its near and dear to my heart! Plus, I’ll be undergoing my own transition into balancing motherhood and career coach early next year. In the next few posts are excerpts from this article I hope it’s helpful to you. Problem: The house is a wreck. Solution: Prioritize. “I have a laundry basket full of clothes in the middle of my living room right now,” Buckham said with a laugh. “There’s no way that I can do it all, and if I tried to do it all and if I was successful at doing it all, then something else is going to be lacking in my opinion, because it’s physically impossible for me to be able to accomplish all those things.” She said her husband has had to pitch in more around the house, and most nights the two eat dinner in shifts. According to Crawford, if you talk to your spouse ahead of time about the new division of labor, he’ll be less likely to resent the changes. Sit down and discuss what you’ll need help with. If you need to hire someone to come in to keep things tidy, so be it. Come up with a solution that works for both of you. Communicating about it beforehand is key. Go here to read the rest of the article. Visit my Free Career Articles page to find other tips, tools and how-to’s for your career search. Atlanta Career Coach Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work I was honored to be featured in a recent Tampa Bay Times article about moms going back to the work force. Several of my friends have gone through this situation of a career transition and how to re-enter the workforce, so its near and dear to my heart! Plus, I’ll be undergoing my own transition into balancing motherhood and career coach early next year. In the next few posts are excerpts from this article I hope it’s helpful to you. Problem: You’ve been out of the job market for years. If this is the case you may feel less confident than you used to about your skills and abilities. Know that’s natural â€" and it’s not true that you’ve lost the talents before you stayed at home. They are still there! Just because you’ve been working as a mom at home doesn’t mean you’ve completely lost touch with your business side. It’s just a mater of tapping into that part of your brain again and getting back into the workforce to brush up on your skills. Plus, you’ve probably used these skills while you were staying at home. Solution: 1. Review your previous accomplishments and consider taking a class in your field to get up to date. 2. Take a moment to think about what strengths you have that you’ve used with your kids. Organizational skills? Managing projects? Make a list of them. 3. Get out there and do something to boost your confidence. Volunteer or do some consulting work. “If you don’t have the confidence, the employer won’t have confidence in you, either.” Go here to read the rest of the article. Visit my Free Career Articles page to find other tips, tools and how-to’s for your career search. Certified Career Coach Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work I was honored to be featured in a recent Tampa Bay Times article about moms going back to the work force. Several of my friends have gone through this situation of a career transition and how to re-enter the workforce, so its near and dear to my heart! Plus, I’ll be undergoing my own transition into balancing motherhood and career coach early next year. In the next few posts are excerpts from this article I hope it’s helpful to you. Problem: You’re afraid the job will take away all your family time. If you let this happen, it will. If you don’t and make conscious deliberate choices, you can manage your time so you can still have the time you want with your family. It’s up to you. Solution: 1. Give some thought to what you’re agreeing to before you make your decision. 2. Decide what your boundaries are and stick to them Set firm boundaries â€" say, on Mondays you must leave the office by 7 p.m. so the fam can watch Dancing with the Stars together. Know your scheduling options, which may include working part-time, flexing your time to work the same hours your kids are in school, telecommuting and job sharing. “Don’t hesitate to ask. The worst they can say is no,” Crawford said. When my baby arrives, I plan to take four to six weeks maternity leave, then work Mondays through Thursdays while the baby is in day care. I’ll take Fridays off from coaching. Go here to read the rest of the article. Visit my Free Career Articles page to find other tips, tools and how-to’s for your career search. Certified Career Coach Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work I was honored to be featured in a recent Tampa Bay Times article about moms going back to the work force. Several of my friends have gone through this situation of a career transition and how to re-enter the workforce, so its near and dear to my heart! Plus, I’ll be undergoing my own transition into balancing motherhood and career coach early next year. This is the last excerpt from this article I hope you have found them to be helpful. Problem: “Nobody wants to hear 24-7 about my crying children, although that seems to be my world,” Buckham said. I’ve been aware of this myself during my pregnancy â€" not talking too much about my pregnancy, kids, etc. My husband and I have made a pact that we’ll be aware of this after our little one arrives. We’ll see how it goes of course, but we both want to hang onto our current identities as working professionals, and balance that with being parents. Solution: Develop your own interests and keep up with current events so you can hold your own around the watercooler. If your colleagues roll their eyes at the mention of the word “onesie,” then it’s time to change the subject. Keep up to date on what’s going on with your friends, co-workers, your company and current events. Watch the news at night, read the paper when you can, get your news off the internet if that’s the easiest way to get it. Make sure your interests don’t complete fall off the radar not only for your workplace conversation, but also for your sanity and personal fulfillment! Go here to read the rest of the article. Visit my Free Career Articles page to find other tips, tools and how-to’s for your career search. Certified Career Coach Career Corner When Mom goes back to paying work I was honored to be featured in a recent Tampa Bay Times article about moms going back to the work force. Several of my friends have gone through this situation of a career transition and how to re-enter the workforce, so its near and dear to my heart! Plus, I’ll be undergoing my own transition into balancing motherhood and career coach early next year. In the next few posts are excerpts from this article I hope it’s helpful to you. Problem: You feel guilty for leaving your kids. I can’t relate to this yet, but I’ve heard and understand this is difficult. It’s probably much harder at the beginning and part of it is getting over that hump. Once you realize that your kids are ok in their childcare situation, and you are doing something that fulfills you, the guilt should subside. Solution: Rearrange your schedule to address whatever’s causing the guilt trip. For instance, call your kids on a lunch break to help with homework, or ask your boss for flex time so you never miss a soccer game. You have to find a balance that works for you. Some of my friends love being back at work full-time, some would rather have a part-time gig. Get to the root of what’s causing you to feel guilty and address the problem. Go here to read the rest of the article. Visit my Free Career Articles page to find other tips, tools and how-to’s for your career search. Career Coach