Moms at Work

Is Returning to Work Right for You?

By Mary Dixon Weidler

The decision to reenter the workforce is never an easy one for a mother. Still, U.S. Department of Labor statistics show that the majority of mothers a full 72 percent of us are members of the workforce in some capacity.

A single mom, Nichole Calautti of Pittsfield, Mass., always knew she'd have to work to support herself and her young son. "Like everyone, I had bills, and I had a child to take care of," she says. "I took the state-allowed maternity leave, then went back to work."

Other moms take time off before returning to employment. "I had a full year off after the birth of my second son," says Ann Murray of Williamstown, N.J. "It made it a little harder to go back, because I was a full year away from the experience and network I had before."

It doesn't matter if working is a financial necessity or a personal preference. What does matter is that once the decision is made the mom must re-evaluate herself as a potential employee. Are you still marketable?

You're only as marketable as the skills you've acquired, so the first thing to do before beginning a work search is to create a "skills inventory" a laundry list of your work experience, volunteer experience, education and skills. Then honestly evaluate what you have to offer an employer. Your skills may have become rusty while you were at home (for example, Murray says it took months before she returned to her pre-maternity leave typing speed of 70 words a minute).

Your skills may be topnotch, but obsolete. "I used to know all the computer programs involved with my work," says Shana Hitchcock, a Philadelphia, Pa., loan servicer. "But after taking five years off to raise my daughter, I learned it was a whole new world. The employers were talking Microsoft and scanners, while I was still thinking WordStar and punch cards. I found it essential that I get up to speed before I could compete for a job."

Want to see more?

• Back to Work: Returning After Maternity Leave
• To Work or Not to Work: The Mother's Dilemma
• Stay-At-Home Moms Discussion Board
• Work-From-Home Moms Discussion Board
• Working Moms Discussion Board