If you’re a mother, a future mother, or have a motherly figure, you are probably aware that parenting is a full-time job. Many maternal characteristics can be applied in the workplace. Here are four transferable parenting skills that can help with your job interview, resume, and daily workflow. (more…)
Mother knows best Whether it’s swooping in to brush a child’s stray hair out of place, reminding the kids to shut the refrigerator door, or dispensing some of her legendary advice, mom helps to keep the world keep turning. That’s why we just celebrated Mother’s Day, after all. But what would mom say about your approach to the job search if she were an expert recruiter? Here are some of our favorite Mom-isms, as applied to finding a job.
Regardless of whether you’re in the office or at home, being a mom is tough. Stay-at-home moms have to deal with subordinates that are more likely to fling food on the ground than turn in a project on time. And at least in the office, Shelly from IT won’t throw a temper tantrum or draw on the walls. Hopefully. She’s not two, right?
Working moms, on the other hand, face an entirely different, yet no less difficult set of problems. Does that new job come with a nice daycare nearby? What do you do when the daycare calls saying little Timmy bit his best friend when you have a conference call in five minutes? Do you present at the national conference or go to Lisa’s school play? It’s her debut as Tree Number Two, after all.
The life of a working mom is a constant balancing act full of challenges. We want to (once again) recognize those challenges in celebration of Mother’s Day.
A working mom has two full-time jobs constantly competing for her attention. She has to balance parent meetings, child performances, school awards, and other activities with office deadlines, conferences, and company trips. And often Dad’s doing another balancing act with his own complicated schedule.
How does a working mom manage the her work and life? Unfortunately, most of it comes down to situations she can’t control—the company culture and her boss’ managerial style. All she can do is communicate, let her boss know the situation, and convey how important the event is to her kids. But even with constant communication, odds are she will not be able to make every single event.
So what can a mom do to avoid becoming overwhelmed? She can get the school calendar for the year and combine it with her work schedule. That way, parent-teacher conferences and school plays won’t appear without warning. She could even ask if certain parent-teacher meetings could take place over the phone. Communication with any other caregivers is important—coordinating schedules is a colossal effort, but worth it if one of them can make it to the event in the end.
Any given workday is full of decisions that have to be made between children and career. Choosing one over the other can make working moms feel guilty. Congrats for clinching that promotion, but now you have to explain to your son why you have to go on a business trip rather than attend his little league game. Not to mention how difficult it is to arrange childcare for business travel.
Missing a week of work for a sick kid is another source of guilt. A working mom knows that she has to be home to take care of her child, but somebody else at the office has to pick up the slack while she’s gone.
In the mid-1900s, raising a family and taking care of the home were typically seen as a mother’s career path. A married woman was expected to stay at home. Although times have changed, working moms still receive occasional flak for not continuing this tradition. Other moms at the elementary school might gossip about her store-bought cake, or criticize her for not showing up to the monthly PTA meeting.
Judgement can also come from co-workers, particularly those who don’t have any children of their own. Some (although by no means all) just don’t understand what it takes to nurture both a kid and a career. When they see moms taking “too much” time off to care for their kids, it looks like an abuse of vacation time. When in reality it’s anything but a “vacation.” It’s either paid leave, sick leave, or it’s unpaid—it’s not a favor or perk.
Being a mom makes the job search even more complex. Finding the time to look for a job is a chore in and of itself. Interviews are even worse. If it’s an in-person interview or a longer phone interview childcare has to be arranged. That could mean paying for a chance at a job.
When it actually comes down to accepting a position, a mom has to think about not only location and salary, but also hours, benefits, whether or not there is a good daycare nearby, any childcare incentives, the company culture, maternity leave, and any policies concerning flexibility. If there’s a job available at her dream company but the pay doesn’t outweigh the costs of childcare, she may have to find something else.
During the day, she’s working at the office. After work, she cares for the kids. That doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for a personal life, much less any sort of networking. Building connections is nearly impossible when you don’t have the time to commit to them. A mom can’t really make the weekly happy hour because it means sacrificing time from her family. If her boss stops by to socialize right before 5 o’clock, a working mom can’t sit to chat. If a mom is late to pick up the kids, the daycare charges overtime.
It depends on the mom. Some have been working their whole adult lives—why should they stop now? Working gives them a sense of fulfillment. Many of them invested money in a college, post-secondary, or other education, and they want to keep using it.
Others would like to stay at home, but there just isn’t enough room in the budget. So they work, sometimes at multiple jobs, to put food on the table. They may not be with their kids in every moment, but their kids are why they work.
Still others just can’t see themselves as a stay-at-home mom. They love their kids, and will work to provide for them, but they desire to achieve goals and learn at the same time. They want to work their way up the corporate ladder so that they can provide a variety of opportunities for their children.
But every mom is different, with her own reasons for working. It would take thousands of blogs to cover every working mom’s unique situation. So hopefully this salute is enough. Thanks working moms, for doing all that you do!
Are you a working mom? Why do you love it? Let us know in the comments below!
Mother’s Day will be celebrated this Sunday, May 8. In light of the annual celebration, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the influence of mothers not only at home, but also in the workplace. We’ll take a look at the dual roles women play, recap results from a survey of working moms, and cover some basic statistics around this topic.
A Shift in the Workplace
Currently about 70% of women with children under the age of 18 participate in the workforce in the United States, according to the United States Department of Labor. Additionally, Ancestry.com suggests this is an enormous 800% increase since 1860, when only 7.5% of mothers were in the workforce. The shift in working mom numbers really started happening in the 1940s, and especially the 1960s with the women’s rights movement.
Working Moms Surveyed
Express Employment Professionals recently released a survey revealing the attitudes of working moms. When mothers were asked if they would work even if they didn’t have to, a resounding 62% said “yes.” For some, working isn’t a choice, but rather a necessity. And, as this survey found, this reality has prompted more businesses to offer benefits to working parents. For example, two-thirds of those surveyed said they permit working moms and dads to take advantage of flexible hours.
A Wearer of Many Hats
As the number of moms in the workforce continues to rise, working mothers balance work and family every single day, becoming masters of multitasking. Whether it’s running errands, attending meetings, or carting their kids to events all over town, working moms often go nonstop to take care of their families and succeed in their careers. Managing a hectic schedule and making the most of time at home, working moms are an inspiration and example of determination, ambition, and balance for many.
Here at Movin’ On Up, we salute our associates who are working mothers and wish all of them a happy Mother’s Day!
Are you a working mother? Do you have tips for other working moms? Let us know in the comments section below!
Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10, in the United States, and it’s a great day to honor the moms and motherly figures in our lives. We’d like to recognize all working moms by sharing interesting facts, gift ideas, and an in-depth look at the women who make both Mother’s Day and the workplace something to celebrate.
Moms In the Workforce
Finding a job and maintaining a positive work-life balance can be tough. For working moms, it can be even more difficult. Fifty years ago, it wasn’t very common for mothers to be a part of the workforce, but that’s a trend that has changed today. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that 70% of women with children under 18 participate in the labor force. This equates to roughly 31 million working American mothers.
When comparing the years 1961-1965 with years 2006-2008, this change in the labor force becomes even clearer. In the 1960s, only 44% of first-time mothers worked during their pregnancy, while 66% of first-time moms worked during their pregnancies in the 2000s. Additionally, only 17% of women returned to work within a year of their first baby’s birth in the 1960s, compared to 64% who returned to work in the 2000s.
Furthermore, in the 1960s, only 11% of working mothers were the sole or primary breadwinner for their families, compared to 40% of women today.
The Value of Mom’s Time
Many mothers take care of household tasks while also maintaining full- or part-time jobs. These tasks include cooking, cleaning, managing family finances, chauffeuring, and shopping. According to the Insure.com 2014 Mother’s Day Index, tasks that moms perform at home would be worth nearly $63,000 a year in the professional world.
Saying Thank You
According to CNN, 141 million Mother’s Day cards are exchanged every year in the United States, and more people purchase fresh flowers and plants on this day than any other holiday, except for Christmas. In fact, Mother’s Day accounts for one-fourth of all holiday sales of flowers and plants.
According to Insure.com, a card or flowers will be appreciated on Mother’s Day. But, what do moms really want? A 2014 survey of mothers revealed that the top picks for Mother’s Day gifts include a day at the spa, a family getaway, a nice dinner, chocolates, breakfast in bed, and handmade gifts from their children.
Here at Movin’ On Up, we salute our associates who are working mothers and wish all of them a happy Mother’s Day!
Are you a working mother? How do you find a balance between your work and home life? Share your tips in the comments section below!
Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.
