Mom Gap: Strategy for Mothers Re-entering The Workforce

Returning to the workforce after maternity leave is hard! Returning after a long absence to raise kid(s) is excruciatingly hard.

While the pandemic hit everyone in vrying degrees, mothers really suffered. As per the census bureau, about three fourths of a million mothers went out of the workforce in the last year alone!

So, if you are a mom returning to the work place or trying to get in, brace yourself. It is going to be tough, brutal and not for the faint of heart. But, with a little planning, awareness and courage, you can do it.

I know that for sure. Because I did it. About 4 years ago, I returned to the workforce after a gap of about 6 years. Phew!

I won’t gloss over all the different things I did, all the emotions I felt, all the times I got dinged by ATS, all the skepticism I faced and so on. Let’s just say they made me stronger.

This post is about one simple step that moms and dads (SAHDs, I know, also have to face crippling social ire and stigma, so sorry guys) re-entering the workforce can take to make that process easier.

You might note that it says easier and not easy. I knew you’d spot it. You’re not a parent for nothing. Noticing nuances are your forte.

Yep, it’s not the only step: but it is a step that makes it easier to transition to a working employee. I told you, I won’t gloss over anything.

And what is the step?

Complete a paid online course or MOOC.

The ones that come with a shareable certificate. Pay for a course in your intended field. Something that’s a refresher course- a slightly advanced/ current version of what you are hoping to do.

Yes, it has to be paid and it has to be online.

Here’s why:

• Because it’s paid, you will make it work and finish it .

• If it’s paid; you get a certificate that is shareable and can be added on LinkedIn, your resume etc.

• It’s online, so it will be easy to mesh into your current schedule. No issues with getting to a certain place or arranging for child care. Geographical independence means it works with your existing schedule.

• The flexibility of timing offers the advantage of learning in chunks of time (not just time of the day) that is manageable for you. Little ones allowing for only 5 minutes of work? Spend 4 such chunks every day, five days a Week and even with a little bit of switching penalty, you’re done with an hour of learning every week. If you put in a little more over the weekend or get your spouse to pitch in a little more , the possibilities are enormous. I don’t take it as a given though, because usually all the extra hours where you arrange for child care (spouse, parents, friends, babysitters, etc. ) is reserved for things like informational interviews, headshots, Resume tailoring, role searches, actual interviews , and the many other activities that are involved in a job hunt.

Now let’s move onto the benefits of the online course.

• You get a certificate. An accomplishment you can add to your resume , you can talk about. A tangible, shareable proof of the amazing employee you aspire to be. Given that parenting is hard work with not much of appreciation and all the negative feedback in the world, it’s awesome to get positive concrete feedback. And when it is of a skill not related to rearing the future of tomorrow, it’s so empowering. Re- entering the workforce takes courage and confidence and this works like a charm to boost your esteem.

• You actually have something to show potential employers as recent work. Online courses are not the same as a traditional degree but they are not easy either. Many prestigious universities offering online courses — edX, Coursera, etc. Recruiters and hiring managers are aware of these opportunities for professional development and the rigorous coursework and evaluation involved. (actually who isn't after 2020?) This definitely counts as recent professional development. It also shows that you are serious about your return to working.

• It acts as a talking point when you speak to others about your efforts to return to the workforce. Please do tell everyone. Referrals always work faster when you have absence from work. Actually referrals always work faster for everyone. E.g. at informational interviews, you can mention you did this course to upskill yourself. What else would be useful? To a friend: this is what you’ve done so far. Would they have ideas on a role you can start out with on its basis. Caring for children makes us creative and persuasive; so , put those skills to good use by nicely asking for ideas and help to improve your chances of landing that first role. (It’s the hardest)

In the course, head over to the discussion forums. Read as much as you can. Believe me, it will quickly make you acquainted with most of the relevant lingo and jargon of your field. Those nuances that place you as an insider and not someone trying to break into the sphere, you’ll start getting it. Little known but great benefit. (A career transitioner told me about this.)

• Another advantage is developing your employee voice. One of the things that I always felt sad about was my speaking. My communication had improved. Oh, it had become amazing. Negotiating with little angels who don’t really understand logic, consequences, social norms and the likes when upset, hungry, sleepy and so on is vastly improving for anyone’s communication skills. But my voice had changed- I felt I always had my Mommy voice. You know? Where you end in a slightly sing-song way. You speak in short sentences. The voice that seems like it will lapse into baby speak any second. Yep, that was me. It was awful because I actually speak very well and in four different languages. I am an extrovert and could then code pretty well in three different programming languages too. Sigh! Women usually have to guard against the lilting questioning tone at the end of our sentences. (Denotes uncertainty, lack of confidence and leadership). This double whammy of dominant mommy-ness was not helping either. Here, those same discussion forums helped me. Because posting is asynchronous, I could craft my responses. Real life does not give us second chances but online commenting is more forgiving. You can edit until you are ready to post. Brilliant right? Use it to develop that savvy employee voice .

• Related is the Meet and Greet channel. Either in the discussion forums or social media groups, introduce yourself. Most people merely add their name, place. That’s it. Isn’t it liberating? No dwelling on your lack of recent experience or anything, correct? It’s a baby step to getting used to introducing yourself. It makes you a little more ready for actually crafting your elevator pitch and all the ‘Tell me about Yourself’ questions.

• Another allied benefit of enrolling and competing the course is that it makes you more conscious of your time and tasks. I know I became more cognizant of my time wasting activities. (Facebook- am looking at you). I also devised more organizational hacks and streamlined my daily chores and duties. Batch cooking, setting up snack stations for the then LO and teaching her to help herself, always keeping a set of earphones in my bag for studying whenever I could. They seem absurdly simple and common sense but a lot of times, our efficient systems have simply not had time to evolve to be meaningful to our aspirational selves. This becomes an eye opener then.

As you might have realized, there is a lot of leg work to be done in this seemingly single helper step. But, then you’re a parent. You know that little packages are huge surprises, right?

You’ll rock this too!

All the very Best and Success!