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Moms at Work

Is Returning to Work Right for You?

By Mary Dixon Weidler

Focusing on your objective is the best first step to creating one of the most important tools in your job search: your resume. Think of your resume as a marketing tool, telling the employer why you are qualified for the position, despite your time away from the workforce.

Although it's traditional, a chronological resume – one in which you detail your work history, starting with your most recent job – may make your absence from the workforce obvious. Instead, moms returning to work may choose to create a functional resume, in which skills and accomplishments are emphasized. In this way, you can make sure the employer notices your abilities and skills – even those learned or used while away from the workplace – before he sees the timeline of your employment history. Sell him on your skills, not your past.

Once your skills are competitive and your resume reflects that, you need to establish a network. Think of your network as your safety net – a group of people who will be looking out for you and your employment goals. Remember that old shampoo commercial, where one person tells two friends, and then they tell two friends and so on and so on until everyone is using Fabreg? Well, that's basically how networking works. You should tell everyone you know about your work search, then ask them to refer you to others or to tell everyone they know. This is the "secret path" around numerous employment obstacles, because you'll be receiving a lot of "inside tips" about job openings.

Want to see more?

• A Maternity Leave Primer: Why Expectant Moms Need to Plan Ahead
• Staying on Top While You're Waiting to Pop: The Working Woman's Guide to Pregnancy and Maternity Leave
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!
• Maternity Leave During Hard Times: Layoffs, Your Rights and Tips to Keep Your Job Safe

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