Resuming your career after motherhood

To be a stay-at-home mom or not? 

Looking for advice on whether to be a stay-at-home mom or go back to work? 

Well, just like no two babies are the same, no two moms (and jobs) are the same and no one rule can apply to all. 

When the time comes for you to decide what’s right for you, ignore the peer pressure and choose what works best for you & your family. 

There is no clear-cut evidence about the long-term disadvantages or benefits of being a stay-at-home/ working mom. 

The decision about going back to work depends on factors like availability and quality of external support, financial constraints, and your emotional readiness to either stay at home or work outside the house. By the end of the day, the decision should be yours and yours alone. 

Listed below are all the steps that can help you make the right decision and move further in the right direction. 

Figure out what you truly want 

A lot of moms start to love being a stay-at-home mom while others want to go back to their work as soon as they are sure everything can be in control at home. 

You need to find what makes you happy and what works the best for your family.

If you want to go back to work, then staying at home out of mom guilt will only leave you angry and that will not do children any good. It also won’t do much good if you go to work worrying about the home & kids and feeling guilty about it. 

 👉 Understand that it’s OK to stay at home if that’s what you want irrespective of societal pressure to be a working mom. If as parents you are comfortable with one source of income and that is what works for you, that is how it should be.

👉Similarly, it’s OK to resume a career if that’s what makes you happy even if there isn’t any need for extra financial income in the family. 

Choosing something that doesn’t do any good to either you or your family will only lead to problems in the future and strain relationships. 

Are you mentally / physically ready? 

Motherhood alone is quite overwhelming physically and emotionally. The stress and guilt of being at work might worsen your situation if you’re not ready. 

If your job is low-stress and your baby is easy, you may be able to juggle both. 

But a high-pressure job and a demanding new baby can be a pretty potent mix. 

So you need to ensure that your energy levels and emotional health are all in line. 

• Ask yourself if you’ll be okay multitasking and managing 10 things at a time— or does that sound like your idea of bliss?

Be realistic in your expectations of what you will be going through. 

• Will the idea of leaving your kid interfere with your ability to concentrate on your job? Will it upset you to miss your baby’s milestones or if they develop a strong bond with their caregiver?

Remember that you can always form a strong bond with your kid even when you’re working. But you also need to consider the fact that transitioning to work may be easier if you’re strong-headed and tend to focus on the bigger picture, however, if you are sensitive and tend to focus on little things, it might be wiser to go for remote /part-time opportunities. 

Another factor that you might want to consider is finance. 

Let’s admit it: Babies are expensive! 

If you’re young, it might be difficult for your partner to solely manage all the monthly expenses, and in such a scenario, the right thing would be to figure out an additional stream of income.

Note: However, that doesn’t mean that you have to be stuck with a job that stresses you out or takes a toll on your family and baby, just for the sake of income. 

Continue reading to learn about how to find earning opportunities that can help you without having to sacrifice your family & your health & happiness. 

Choosing the right job 

Self evaluation goes a long way in finding the right field of work for moms. It is a mix of what you need and what you have to offer.

Firstly, If finances are not your concern, but you want to try some new venture, here is how to figure out the right job for you :

1. Envision your future – 

Given that you don’t have any urgency to start earning, take time to step back and focus on your long-term goals. 

2. Assess your skills and interests

Work around things you feel inclined towards and are good at. 

• Make a list of domains where your interest and skills coincide. 
• Do your research. List out career opportunities and market trends in your specific domain. 
• Hone your skills. 

3. Get self-employed 

You may invest in a small business or work around your brand depending upon your support system. 

• Build a personal brand and create content around your expertise. 
• Start a small business with help of a business consultant. 
• Start freelancing in your area of expertise 
• Work as a coach/consultant /counsellor. 

Moving forward, if finances are your immediate concern and you need a steady flow of regular income, here is all that might help. 

The key to finding the right job profile is to find a balance between your skill/interest area, your financial needs, and the time availability /flexibility + compensation offered. 

Do a self-assessment – 

• Take note of all the job profiles you can apply for as per your educational background and previous work experience. 

However, if you don’t want to go back to the same job profile you were working on previously OR If you don’t have much experience & your educational background doesn’t give much job scope here is what you can do:

• List down high-demand skills that you can learn easily in a small time frame.
• List down your extracurricular skills that can be put to use. For instance – If you know crocheting, then a website /brand that deals with crocheted products or teaches handicrafts may hire you. 
• Do your research, stack up on skills and reach out to people with proof of your skill sets. ( For a content writer, it may be a blog, for a designer -one or two designs, for a teacher – it may be testimonials from previous parent clients, and so on) 

Note :  

Saw a well-paying, time-flexible job opportunity that you have the skills for, but don’t have relevant academic qualifications or experience? 

Get creative on how you can use your qualifications and experience to make them relevant. 

For instance : 

• Use your background in pharma and science with content writing skills and you can land a job as a medical writer. 
• Use your degree in psychology as an aide to land an opportunity to work on therapists’ social media accounts.

List of Skills in high demand :

• Data Analysis
• Coding 
• Software Developer 
• Content Writing 
• Social Media Management 
• Graphic Designing 
• Web Designing 
• Content Creation & Management 
• Project Management 
• Account Management
• SEO 
• Finance Management 

Course Websites You Can Learn Skills From 

Here are 5 websites that offer virtual courses ranging from programming marketing to fashion design and many more for free or low-cost minimal charges. 

The courses are created by experts and can be accessed /followed as per your timeline :

1. Hubspot (Free certification courses best for Marketing /Content Creation niche) 

      2. Udemy (Free/Paid courses from beginner to expert level) 

       3. Coursera ( Free/Paid Certificate Courses from top universities around the world) 

4. Linkedin (Free Courses to upgrade your skills and prepare for interviews as well) 

      5. Khan Academy ( 100%  Free courses for a variety of niches curated by experts.

2. Consider the financial aspect

You don’t want to get stuck in a job that doesn’t compensate you fairly for the effort and time you put in.

• As previously said, go for job profiles that are in demand right now. 
• Do your research: Talk to people in your network about what’s the average payment, working hours, and scope of work. 
• Stack up more than 3 skills to get better compensation. 
• Don’t be desperate. Wait for the best or at least a fair offer. 

3. Time Availability & Flexibility 

You need to take into consideration how you are planning to manage the baby & home after joining work. 

The best call for most moms is part-time remote jobs & internships as they have more flexible timing, the pressure is less and you /your family can transition smoothly to a new routine. 

5. Searching job

Once you have found what job profile you want to go for, now comes the task of job hunting. 

Start from your network :

Catch up on your peers, ex-colleagues, and batchmates to get an idea of available job openings. 

You can also ask your relatives and family members for referrals. If you’re looking to go into tutoring, you may start with kids around your home only. 

Go through these for freelance gigs and  job opportunities on these portals  ( Best for freshers to beginners) 

✅Linkedin 

✅Indeed 

✅Facebook Groups

✅Upwork

✅Freelance 

Consider Internships: Internships are a great way to transition to work life after motherhood. 

Especially if you don’t have much previous experience or starting in a new niche, a 3-6 internship will help you get better in your domain and later score a better salary & job amenities. 

There are several job programs started specifically for mothers resuming ttheircareersJoin communities around moms & ers to be updated on these opportunities. 

Here are some of them :

📌Microsoft YouthSpark: 16-week program, where women (with min. 4 yrs of experience) can relaunch their careers after a minimum 6-month break. 

📌Google DigiPivot: Around 18-22 weeks of virtual learning engagement program that will enable participants (Women Professionals on a career break with prior work experience of 3-18 years in sales/marketing & related fields) ) with digital marketing knowledge 

📌Second career by Tata: Specifically provided for women Resuming jobs after a gap, SCIP offers multiple career opportunities in both traditional & nontraditional formats in a variety of roles.

Landing the job! 

Once you have marked a few job listings, now comes the tough part of nailing your interview and preparation. 

Here are a few tips on how to land jobs & gigs. 

• Update your resume: A resume is the most important document you’ll create for your job search. Refresh yours with the help of a resume writer. 
• LinkedIn and other networking sites: Having a LinkedIn profile is essential for most job seekers. Update your social media and show off your skills. 
• Cover letter refresher: A good cover letter is essential for a good impression. 
• Prepare for the interview – Go through articles, and YouTube videos and prepare for the expected questionnaire.

Take note of the industry-specific questions as well.

Tips to take care of Baby :

• Organize your child care as early as possible
• Have a backup carer for your child in case their regular carer gets sick or is unavailable.
• Have a backup plan for when your child gets sick.
• Talking to your child’s carer regularly – not just when you have concerns – is another way to build a relationship with your child’s early childhood carers and educators and make it easier. 

Hope this article helps you! 

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