Motherhood is a marketable skill

Most Mothers have at least some time away from paid work when their children arrive.

For some women, this is a long break and returning to work can be a huge step, especially if they don’t have a career to return to and a limited work history prior to having children.

These women can find it very difficult to prepare a resume and show confidence at interviews.

However, this does not need to be the case. There is no reason to consider your years at home with children to be a waste in terms of employment opportunities.

Think of the many roles you performed as a Mother, and think how they can be used in a work environment.

The catch phrase of the modern business world, multi-skilling or multi-tasking, simply means that each employee is likely to do a variety of tasks. Mothers are THE multi-tasking experts; have you seen a mother listen to a reader, sort the washing and supervise a toddler at the same time? Or heard a mother call herself the maid, cook, nurse, taxi-driver, tutor, playmate and entertainer of the family? Think about your own multitasking abilities …

Being organised in the work place is important if all tasks are to be successfully completed. As a Mother, few jobs could be left for another day so you had to be organised to keep up with the children.

If you managed to get children fed and dressed before arriving at kinder and school on time, you can organise other people to do anything. If you can keep in mind who has to be where and when, and have the relevant equipment and notices to hand, no work place will be beyond your organisational skills, either! Very few jobs will need you to carry out so many different tasks and keep track of them all at once.

As a mother, you may well have been responsible for budgeting food, clothes, entertainment, utilities, pocket money and more. This is likely to have developed your skills in being frugal, balancing accounts and prioritising. So, yes, you have budgeting experience!

Creativity doesn’t just mean being artistic and making beautiful things; the business world needs creative thinkers to solve problems and present things in interesting ways. Even women who consider themselves uncreative finds ways to distract children, entertain children and make things from odds and ends around the house. Why not think about some creative solutions you found as a Mother and how the same skills can be used in a job?

Being able to negotiate is a very valuable skill in business. Being able to talk a tired toddler into bed or a happy child to leave a park requires great negotiation skills! Then there’s the experience in negotiating child care arrangements with friends and partners and keeping the peace between siblings.

Don’t sell yourself short.

You may have a short list of jobs on your resume, but you have an impressive list of useful skills and abilities. Even if you don’t list these in the resume, you can use them to bolster your confidence in an interview.

Be proud of your time as a Stay at Home Mother and the skills you have developed during that time.

Article Source: http://www.therepozitory.com.au

Tash Hughes is a mother of two and co-owner of Save Time Online. Found at www.savetimeonline.com.au, this is an information portal for busy Australians. There is information, tips and links in categories such as business, parenting, health, gift buying and energy conservation.

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