I
know many moms that choose to stay home during the early stages of
their children’s lives. Many of them were professional women first, and
moms second. I made that decision when my children were starting
elementary school. I wanted to
be there when my kids were learning how to feel secure in multiple
environments; home, school, camps, sporting endeavors, friend’s houses,
etc. I will never regret the choice I made to be home with my most
precious assets.
Now
that my children are in middle school and high school I’ve returned to
the workforce. It has been an eye opening experience. There is a
six year block of time that my professional development came to a screeching halt and
employers recognize
this. I’m now competing with younger, more flexible and focused people
for jobs.
I
was making a high salary, and moving up in the company I was in when I
decided to scale down and be at home, again a decision I don’t regret. I
had 14 years of professional experience in Marketing, PR, and Graphic
Design under my belt. And
the longer I was in a position the more diverse my skills became.
Fast
forward ten years, the changes in
technology and marketing are great. Although I freelanced to keep at least my Graphic Design
skills fresh and I was active with social media, I now compete with 20-something candidates that will accept a lower wage
and have few commitments outside of their own
lives. The fact of the matter is, the skills I do have are valuable,
and being a mother has added to that value.
Mothers learn the following to be successful:
- Multi-tasking
- Time Management
- Negotiation
- Communication
- Event Planning
- Psychology
- Teaching
- Coaching
- First Aid
- Networking
- Social Media
- Sleep Deprivation
- Tolerance
- Short-order Cooking
- Team work
- Budgeting
- Flexibility
- And so much more...
So
when asked, why I am qualified to take on a Marketing, Graphic Design,
and Public Relations position, I shouldn’t hand them my old resume from
my time in a corporate environment, I should hand them my mom resume
which would certainly say,
I can do just about anything handed to me.
