I'm a Coach & This is My Top Advice for At-Home Moms Taking a Career break
Expert advice on embracing your career break and paving an easy path back to paid work when you’re ready.
Source: Daniel Thomas
Pressing pause on a career you’ve poured your heart and soul into can bring up a mix of emotions. On one hand, you’re filled with delight and eagerness to dedicate your days to your family. But on the other hand, there’s a persistent voice that begs the question, “Will I ever find work again after choosing to leave the paid workforce?”
The answer, of course, is yes. To help ease your mind—and your transition back to paid work when you’re ready—we asked career coaches for their best advice. What should at-home moms do during their career breaks to set themselves up for success in the future? Read on for simple, practical, and reassuring words of wisdom from expert career coaches across the country.
1. Own Your Career Break
“Career gaps used to be seen as taboo or frowned upon. However, more recently, companies have become more understanding of gaps in employment. Hiring managers understand that major life events take place—they get it.
Taking time off from your career to stay home with kids is more normalized than ever before. What's more important is being able to explain your career gap if/when you re-enter the workforce. You'll need to be able to speak about your time away from work in a job interview.
Be honest with hiring managers about your career gap—never lie about employment dates. Staying up-to-date on industry trends will also show potential employers that you're up to speed on what's going on in the industry.” — Kate Hutson, Shattered Glass Coaching
2. Don’t Discount Your Skills
“First, don't think for a second you're not gaining new skills or strengthening ones you already have. When Covid hit during my daughter's 1st grade year, I got really good at navigating school technology like Google Classroom, Canvas, Google Chrome Book as a hardware system, etc. Those were actually helpful in navigating new tech my company rolled out in support of remote work.
I'd have never tried to learn new tech otherwise, and now consider myself much more tech-savvy than I would have otherwise been. What are you helping your children or household with that improves your project management skills? Scheduling and organizing abilities? What new tools are you using? Do you find some joy in helping others use them or sharing those tools? That could be a training/facilitator opportunity for you!” — Ayanna E. Jackson, career coach
3. Network Weekly Even on a Career Break
“Make networking a weekly commitment. Identify the mentors, bosses, colleagues, and contacts that are a top priority for you to keep in touch with— and even before you leave the workforce, establish a quarterly point of contact with them.
This could be sharing articles with them that you're interested in, forwarding along webinars/free events of interest, or a catch-up coffee for those you're closer to. If you systemize your networking, the idea of getting back into the paid workforce feels much less daunting—because you've been in close contact with your network all along.” — Julia Lynch, Smarter in a Sec
4. Dream About Your Future Career
“Have compassion for yourself. Deciding to prioritize your family life is commendable. While you’re busy taking care of the family, be sure to take time for yourself to think about your future. You don’t have to take action today but knowing the dream helps you take baby steps on your terms while at home.
I wrote my first book while I was a stay-at-home mom. While you’re a stay-at-home mom, you can think through any relationships you want to make over time. And at your own pace, you can connect and build authentic relationships. Also, the people that you come cross as a stay-at-home mom, may be helpful with a career transition later on.” — Simone E. Morris, Simone Morris Enterprises
Take time to think about your future. You don’t have to take action today, but knowing the dream helps you take baby steps on your terms.
5. Set an Endpoint to Your Career Break
“Set a timeframe of when you plan to go back to work and then give yourself full permission to not think about work until that time. Too often, I work with clients who want to take a break but then have one foot in the stay-at-home-parent world and one foot constantly looking at or entertaining work possibilities. It's an added pressure on you if you don't give yourself full permission to enjoy the stay-at-home parent life, and it robs you of any joy, straddling both worlds.
Some factors to consider while calculating your timeframe would include knowing your financial runway, having a plan or some goals of how you'd like to fill your family time, and other factors including your job industry cycles, future childcare options, family values, and more.” —Bea Kim, Bea Kim Coaching
6. Embrace Change During the Pause
“If/when you decide to re-enter the workforce don’t try to jump back in as your old self. This can often lead to guilt, shame, and frustration. You are about to go through a major life event; things are going to be different. Instead, use the time to redefine your priorities and how you want your work to look and feel.
Be open to change and new motivations it brings, don’t try to fight it. Find a supportive community that has gone through or is going through the same thing as you are. Having a strong community is vital to ease the transition and help you feel not so alone.
Remember, taking a career break to have a child does not make you behind on your career goals. Any company, colleague, or friend that suggests otherwise is a person whose position in your life needs to be reevaluated.” — Arissan Nicole, Authentic Empowerment
Use the time to redefine your priorities and how you want your work to look and feel. Be open to change and the new motivations it brings.
7. Position Yourself as a Subject Matter Expert
“While on a career break, you could join sites that allow you to be a subject matter expert (SME) on the go. It's easy to share your expertise with others on sites such Terkel or Qwoted. You can share the experiences you've had previously and be seen as a SME while toting that cute baby around the neighborhood.
Your current title and company will suffice for what you do. Just share what you know. LinkedIn Collaborative Articles are a brand-new AI generated tool and another great way to share what you know and keep your name exposed to your network.” — Ayanna E. Jackson, career coach
8. Nurture Your Network
“Keep connections with colleagues, former bosses, and former employers. About 85% of jobs are found through networking and keeping these connections gives at-home moms an advantage, because these contacts have experience with them and can be a great reference.” — Sharyn Grose, SMG Consulting
9. Keep a Toe in the Door of Your Former Field
“Keep up with trends/research/certifications. This could be as simple as listening to relevant podcasts or taking continuing education classes in your field. Or it could be continuing to get new certifications as the field evolves, even if you don't use them right away.
Also, consider keeping just a toe in the door—not even a foot! Many volunteer roles can be a way of staying in touch with a career or building skills for another one. If possible, freelance or gig work can also keep you connected to your network, stay relevant and up to date in your field, and stay tuned-in to the part of yourself that enjoys work.” — Anne Welsh, PhD, CEC, executive & leadership coach
About 85% of jobs are found through networking, and keeping these connections gives at-home moms an advantage.
10. Choose Volunteer Roles Strategically
“Seek out volunteer roles that require business skills—writing the auction catalog, budgeting PTA funds, marketing the book fair. If you won’t be able to describe an activity in business terms on your resume, don’t give it any significant amount of time. The women who can show that they have continually developed their business skills are the ones who eventually get back into the workforce with ease.” — Kathryn Sollmann career coach and author of Ambition Redefined
11. Share Your Expertise
“Every field changes, and it is essential to keep up knowledge. Take classes, participate in webinars, attend virtual meetings and professional association conferences. Also, contribute by writing articles or virtually speaking at industry events… Consider doing some project or a gig work while you are at home. Perhaps your former employer could use a little extra help. Maybe contribute your skills to a nonprofit organization through a platform like Catch a Fire.” — Linda Greenfield, Essential Career Counseling
12. Enjoy Your Career Break!
“My best advice is to fully enjoy your time at home. Be present with your children, and also carve out time for yourself when you can. Work will always be there. Plus, you may end up going back to do something entirely different when you are ready to return to the workforce—you never know what the future holds!
It’s understandable that moms may experience some fear around leaving the workforce and how that may impact future career opportunities, but rest assured, you will find the right opportunity for you when you are ready to return. And, you might even be selective about how you return to work if your priorities have shifted (as they did for me). I returned to work as an independent contractor to fully own my schedule, and I have no regrets about that decision.” — Gillian Dunn, Gillian Dunn Coaching
