This Mamma's going back to work

It has been the best 3 years, but...

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share

Hello corporate world! I'm back and looking forward to burning the Midnight Oil to close deals, increase shareholder equity, create jobs, and make money. It is official. My days as a stay at home mom are numbered.

How does a former career executive turned SAHM get back to work?

There is no how-to manual (yet). Learn as I go is the path I am taking. I have been hemming and hawing for almost a year about going back.  What do I want to do? Do I want to go Full time? Should I jump into full career mode or job mode? How will this affect my daughter emotionally? How will I handle not being within 15 feet of her at all times?

The Logistics

Before the first resume was sent, the logistics of this life change had to be ironed out.

Priority One: my daughter. I am blessed to have in-laws close by. The logistic of childcare is taken care of.

Priority Two: the dogs. They cannot be left home alone all day for 5 days a week. For this I have a plan.

Priority Three: my salary. Anything more than $0 is awesome, but factoring the outside costs of a career creates a bottom line that my salary cannot go below.

Priority Four: location. The vicinity of my job search is fixed to a 20 mile radius from my in-laws. Fortunately, they live smack-dab center of the suburban industrial corridor, so I anticipate a shorter commute.

The Resume

THREE YEAR GAP! I have elected to leave off what I have been doing these past 3 years. My hands are in a couple at-home businesses, blogging, and homeschooling, to list just a few. It hurts that I cannot put my proudest accomplishment of being Bianca's Mom full-time on the paper that is the diary of my life success.

My at-home businesses are not listed, as of today, to avoid pre-screening purges by generalist recruiters. Listing an at-home business MAY (wrongly) throw up a red flag that I am not 100% committed to a new career. So, not only am I a mother BUT I may have an entrepreneurial desire to be my own boss (which does not bode well when searching for a boss). SEND UP THE WARNING FLARES!

The Interviews

"Why have you been out of work for 3 years?" This is the pre-screen interview question I want to answer straightaway. After going on many forums with women asking how to answer, it appears the best reply is "I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to stay home while my child was young."  

If I were the interviewer, my follow-up question would be "Why are you wanting to get back into a career?" while I have illegal interview questions pursing through my mind:
"Since you have kids, will you be calling in sick all the time?"
"Are you planning on having more children?"
"Are you pregnant now and not showing?"
"So, how will your past mommy & me playdates be of any help to us?"
"Are there still soap operas on TV during the day?"

A Numbers Game

At the end of the day, it's all about statistical probability. I went there, yes. Sending out resumes is a numbers game. What hampers the process is the time and detail it takes for each cover letter, application, and resume being sent out. I'm talking hours for each position! Cutting out 4-6 hours a day for my career search is tight. I am not willing to take away from my current responsibilities (aka my good work ethic) so sleep looks like the department I will have to make cuts in.

The Journey Begins

I have just started this new journey and of course I plan on documenting it all as I go. Stay tuned for the next installment...

If you have any helpful suggestions, corporate connections, or are looking to hire, leave a comment or email me!