I'm a Stay-at-Home Mom Who Wants to Work Part-Time. Where Do I Start?
10 expert-backed tips for stay-at-home moms looking to go back to work part-time.
Source: Karolina Grabowska
When I first heard the term ‘side hustle,’ I was still very much working on my main hustle as a full-time journalist. To me, it seemed like a word that could be interchangeable with ‘hobby.’
Then I left full-time work and my main hustle became preschool drop-offs, afternoons at the playground, and washing bottles. And more bottles. The bottle washing never ends. I started consulting, journalism became my ‘side hustle,’ and suddenly that term started to carry so much more weight with me.
I wanted to be a full-time mom with a part-time career. Everyone I talked to before I made this transition said, ‘the work will come’ ‘you’d be perfecting for consulting.’
And while the work did eventually come…there was a lot of second-guessing, cold-emailing, and LinkedIn stalking along the way. Making the decision to find part-time work is a liberating (and scary) first step. But then what….? Actually having the conversations, finding the right work, and figuring out the childcare can be daunting.
Here are 10 things you should do if you’re a stay-at-home mom who’s looking to work part-time.
Meet the Expert
Anna McKay: Career Transition and Leadership Coach, and the Founder of Parents Pivot, a company supporting parents as they re-enter the paid workforce.
A 10-Step Guide to Finding Part-Time Work After a Career Pause
Start With the End In Mind
Take ten minutes to yourself to write down what you hope to be doing in your career in six months. Think about your ideal role, title, and reason for wanting to find paid work. Put it on a post-it note on your desk or your computer where you can see it every day and make it your north star during your job search. You might not find exactly what you were looking for on exactly the timeline you wanted…but having this note will help remind you why the job search started in the first place.
Familiarize Yourself with the Job Market
Whether you have been away from paid work for one week, one year, or ten years, the job market is constantly changing. There could be professions and options that you didn’t even know existed, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the flexible jobs available.
Especially in a post-Covid job market, there are so many different opportunities for flexible work. According to one report, almost 22 percent of the entire workforce will be working remotely by 2025. If you start by knowing and understanding your options in the market, it will make narrowing your search that much easier.
If you start by knowing and understanding your options in the market, it will make narrowing your search that much easier.
Take Stock of Your Skills
Write down a list of everything you bring to the table. And not just the skills from your previous roles, but also new skills you’ve gained while pausing your career. “You have an advantage over those who have been continuously working in that you don’t have the inertia of your current job pushing you down a path. Use this time to reflect and reassess. Don’t just hop back into the first job that comes your way,” says Anna McKay. She’s the founder of ‘Parents Pivot’–a career coaching company that focuses on parents returning to work after a pause. “You are a different person than you were when you started your career and when you left your last paid work experience. Take some time to be intentional about what you want for yourself in your return,” she adds.
Figure Out What Type of Flexibility You Want
Do you want to work two days a week? Hourly? As a contractor or freelance? You don’t need to have the exact answer, but it’s helpful to go into the job search (and any interview) with a preference for what type of flexibility will work best for you and your family. McKay reminds clients that they (not their future employers) are in control of what they’re going to get out of a future job. Ask yourself, “Are you looking to increase finances, make an impact in your community, be a role model for your kids, gain financial independence, or some combination? Spend some time reconnecting to your motivations, skills, strengths, and values and it will help you weed out what roles you will say yes to and what roles you will say no to.”
Update Your Resume
I remember sitting down in front of my old resume feeling like I was reading someone else’s list of accomplishments. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your career gap is something to hide. “Own it, claim it, add it to your resume,” says McKay. “Research has shown, and from our client’s experience we agree, that people who share the reason why they took a pause are more likely to get called back for an interview. I would also recommend adding in any relevant experience whether it was paid or unpaid. If you have volunteered or been involved in your community, include that experience.”
…people who share the reason why they took a pause are more likely to get called back for an interview.
LinkedIn has an option to add a ‘career break’ to your resume. Add it proudly with whatever title you feel best explains your break—caregiver, mother, etc. And then add bullets about what skills you gained during your time away. Time management, budgeting, communication, organization, adaptability, multi-tasking—they’re all skills that you’re building and honing as a mother. If you’ve ever had a toddler, don’t forget to add ‘intense negotiation.’
Designate a Period of Time for Research
Once your resume is ready, take a set period of time to search and research instead of immediately applying to jobs. “Take a look at the work that you chose to do in your volunteer or unpaid roles. How did you choose to spend your time? Look to that for inspiration about what you might do in your return to paid work in addition to uncovering what skills might be transferable,” says McKay. If you find something you like, save it and come back to it when you’re done with a first sweep of what’s out there.
Reach Out (and Reconnect With) Your Network
The carpool line has more former, and future, CEOs than you might think. Start by emailing old colleagues, bosses, or direct reports…but don’t be afraid to reach out to other moms or friends who work in industries that you don’t have traditional experience in. Think about it as putting out a PSA that you’re available for a part-time role – If you don’t tell your network that you’re looking, they won’t know to send opportunities your way. Your network is full of circles…and as each circle gets larger there are more people you know (and people they know) that could help you find a role or just help you better understand the skills you can bring to a new job.
The carpool line has more former, and future, CEOs than you might think.
Learn How to Talk About Your Career Pause
And then practice talking about it so it’s second nature and just another part of your story. “People tend to feel ashamed about their career pause when it comes to getting back into the workforce. I always encourage my clients to flip their narrative and understand how this is a benefit. Being out of the workforce, returners are typically eager to get back to paid work and bring a fresh energy, excitement, and gratitude for being in the workplace. This is a huge asset to a team and organization,” says McKay.
Negotiate. Yes, You.
Just because you’re coming off a career pause doesn’t mean you have to accept any role or rate that’s offered to you. Your time is just as valuable as anyone else’s. “Connect to the value that you bring, do your research on market rates, and don’t negotiate yourself down in pay before your employer has an opportunity to. If you get to the negotiation stage with a company, they see the value that you bring and they want you to join their team or they wouldn’t have asked. Find strength in that.” You’ll never get it if you don’t ask. And advocating for yourself in a compensation conversation (in a professional and respectful way) should never be seen as too forward.
And lastly, remind yourself that nothing is permanent. Your career pause doesn’t mean you have to be permanently out of the workforce. And if you start working part-time and realize it’s not right for you or your family, it doesn’t mean your re-entry was a failure. Just like motherhood is a journey with lots of ups and downs, the story of your career is a long journey and this period of searching for part-time work is just one short, and meaningful, chapter.
