Moms Head Back to School

Sept. 8, 2006 — -- Women who leave their jobs to start families have long had difficulty reentering the work force once their children are grown. But a new wave of business programs is training moms to get back into the office without the familiar perils of pay cuts and demotions.

These days, more and more women take breaks from high-powered careers to raise kids. The growing demographic of women leaving the work force even has its own vocabulary: taking time off is known as "off-ramping," "opting out" or "sequencing."

Many women expect career breaks to be temporary but are surprised to discover that getting back into the corporate world can be a challenge. According to a survey by the Center for Work-Life Policy, 93 percent of professional women who take time off want to return to work, but only 74 percent succeed in getting jobs. Those who do re-enter the work force often have to take a step back: The survey found that women who take three or more years off earn 37 percent less on average than women who haven't taken time off.

But now top business schools like Harvard and Dartmouth have jumped in to help, with training programs to get these "MBA Moms" up to speed before they head back into the job market.

In October, Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business launches a new program called "Back in Business: Invest in Your Return." The intensive, 11-day program will be held in New York City and at Dartmouth's campus in Hanover, N.H. The pilot class of around 35 participants is made up mostly of women returning to work after raising children.

In an interview with ABC News, Anant Sundaram, the program's faculty director and a professor, said the vast majority of the participants have MBAs but that "we have some outstanding admittees who have majors in literature, majors in political science, [and] who have gone on to excellent corporate careers."

Monica Samuels had one of those corporate careers. She worked as an attorney for 12 years when she left work to raise her two small children. Initially, she felt isolated, but then she started running into lots of law school classmates at the toy store or the grocery store with their children. Most of them wanted to return to work eventually, but none of them had a plan. This inspired Monica to co-write the book "Comeback Moms: How to Leave Work, Raise Children, and Jumpstart Your Career Even If You Haven't Had a Job in Years."

Samuels said it's important for women to stay connected while they're out of the corporate world.

"A lot of times when women leave the work force, they leave completely," she said.

She suggested that moms stay up to date on developments in their industries, and keep in touch with their former colleagues.

Staying up With the Times

Sundaram said the emphasis on new industry developments is part of what makes "Back in Business" different from the typical executive education program.

Another difference is the emphasis on job-seeking strategies, like how to address the "baby gap" on a resume. Sundaram and Samuels agree that moms need to highlight the considerable experience they've had outside the formal workplace.

"If you were in charge of a $2 million dollar project at your child's school, put that on your resume!" Samuels said.

Sundaram emphasized that "many of these women have contributed tremendously in the nonprofit sector."

Getting women ready to return to work is only part of the equation. Sundaram said it's equally important for corporations to recognize the growing need to help these talented women get back to work, especially as millions of baby boomers prepare to retire.

"Organizations are just beginning to come up to speed with recognizing this phenomenon," he said.

Most business school programs are small, selective and expensive. Dartmouth's program costs $6,000, including meals and lodging.

But Samuels believes that even if the hefty fee prevents some from enrolling, women shouldn't be discouraged. She said the transition back to work is tough but not impossible.

"It absolutely can be done. It's just a matter of staying connected and staying focused on your desire to go back to work."