Tips for Moms Returning to Work Force

Aug. 6, 2003 -- If you are a mom returning to the work force, you're probably worried about how the business world has changed since you've been gone, and you may be wondering how to sell yourself to employers.

Steve Viscusi, host of the nationally syndicated radio show On the Job With Steve Viscusi and author of On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work (Crown: Three Rivers Press), has10 tips that he says every mother should know before returning to the work force.

1. Turn that fact that you have been "home raising a family" into an asset, not a liability. You will have a "fresh perspective" and "bring new ideas to the workplace." Tell employers that you will be "less jaded, with an optimistic attitude" as a result of being away from the office for a while.

2. Before the interview, be sure to practice, practice, practice. It's understandable that you will be nervous and maybe rusty with your interview skills. But you need to practice with your husband, mate, partner or children.

Also, here is a tip: Start by interviewing with "temp firms" even though you want a permanent job. Use these interviews for practice. Theses interviews will be less stressful, but will provide a good "dry run." Consider these "practice interviews."

3. There are no "pat answers" to interview questions. If you read something that says there are, rest assured, everyone knows the answer and no one wants to hear that answer. Be yourself. Yes, they will want to know things like strengths and weaknesses, and "What will your former boss tell me about you?" and "Where do you see yourself being in this company in five years?"

There are no right or wrong answers. It is all in "how" you answer the question. Which is why practicing is so important.

3. Dress for work, not the playground. Look professional. Get a sense of the dress code of the company and look like you are ready to go back to work. Do not wear too much jewelry or too many accessories. If you have a huge rock on your finger, take it off. Keep the mink at home. Don't wear anything that will distract the interviewer from concentrating on your skills. Visit the company's Web site to get a feel for what it is about.

4. Chemistry. It is all about chemistry. You can be the most qualified, but this one word, "chemistry," is what it is all about, whether you are returning to work or not, are qualified or not. Don't kid yourself. No chemistry, no job. Employers want to hire people that they like and want to work with. It is far more important then anything else.

5. Avoid talking about your children and your family. Again, don't distract from your skills and don't bore or scare a perspective employer by bring up something that may be of interest to you and your own family.

6. You may face questions about salary and money. If an employer asks, "Would you take less money then you were making before?," what should you say? Well, avoid this question like the plague! Stall, stall and stall some more. Use a reply like: "Oh, it is not about the money … it is about the opportunity." Keep stalling until they "fall in love" with you, and then establish the salary.

7.Take your kid's voice, baby talk and the Madonna song off your voice mail or answering machine. Keep your outgoing message simple and clear and call in frequently to check messages.

8. Where to apply? Where are the jobs? Well try your old employer first. (Remember them??) Even if there is no opening, they might surprise you and want you back. Also try "temp" agencies. "Temping" is a perfect way to work your way back in to the work force. Most temp jobs can lead to permanent ones.

9. Don't be preoccupied with the fact that you are returning to work and have a gap in your résumé. We all have mothers, and we all wanted them home, but some are just more fortunate then others and are able to take time off from the work force. When — and if — you decide to return to work, it is not a mystery as to what you were doing or why. Moms tend to make a bigger deal than prospective employers do about where they have been while away from the work force. Don't dwell on the issue.

10. Be sensitive to single — or shall I say childless? — managers you may be interviewing with. Hmmm … this is a tough one. It's easier to tell when someone has children than when someone doesn't. Point is, these "kid-less folk" may resent hearing all about the "joys of motherhood" and why you were home (people have even written books about these people), and everyone is entitled to their opinion. The point is, the less said, the better — especially if you don't know for sure that the person you are interviewing with has children.