Transferable Momma Skill: Strategic Thinking

Summer is coming quickly and that means that our momma brains are already starting to kick into overdrive. School being out for the summer means we have to prepare for rearranging daily schedules for new extracurriculars, summer camps, and vacations. Even during a pandemic, things change from season to season and I’m guessing you are already in your planner looking at the months and days!

Whether you realize it or not, summer time takes a lot of strategic thinking, planning, and adaptability on your part. And I’m guessing you are knocking it out of the park!

By taking care of all of those logistics for your family, you are using skills that are valued and sought out in the workplace. If you are thinking about returning to work after a career pause, don’t underestimate these important skills that you are developing as a mother. You are likely using strategic thinking every single day inside your home and not even realizing it. 

Hiring Managers and Recruiters will take notice of these skills listed on a resume and cover letter. And once you land an interview, don’t shy away from explaining how your hard work at home will translate into proactive strategic thinking that will benefit their short and long term plans for growth, team building, and collaboration.

Positioning Strategic Thinking As Valuable In The Workplace

It’s not always easy to know how to communicate your mom skills into workplace transferable skills. It’s all about the confidence in knowing what employers are looking for and why you are the perfect person to fill their vacant role.

Here are a few ways you can position motherhood’s strategic thinking as a transferable skill in a way that employers will notice.

It will be rare that important tasks or possible issues will slip by your radar. 

Think of all the things that need to get done on a day-to-day basis around your home. You adapt to ever-changing situations, routines, and schedules and yet little slips passed your mom radar. That sixth-sense won’t just go away when you are at work – it’s not built into your DNA as a soon-to-be working mom. When problems arise or the unexpected happens, you’ll keep moving and catching the balls as they (try to) drop.

You can factor in the interests and tastes of their “target market.” 

It’s rare to have a family where everyone’s interests always align. Maybe your daughter loves outdoor ninja warrior obstacle courses and your son would rather play video games all day. Yet, you somehow find ways to choose family activities that everyone enjoys – or at least mediate compromises and negotiations that keep the peace. As businesses target audiences, decisions will never be made that please everyone. That’s where you come in. You can find the common threads that tie everything together to form a cohesive, streamlined message, keeping in mind what’s important to your “target audience”,  and plan to move forward. Especially if it means getting a little creative! 

You will excel at lining up the team’s moving parts for optimal performance. You are a pro at managing a team (AKA your family) at home. And everyone on your team has different priorities, schedules, needs, and goals. You can line up all of these moving parts to ensure your home is operating like a well oiled machine, placing everyone and everything exactly where they need to be for the best possible outcome.

You aren’t just talk. You can execute the plan. 

When it comes to finding great workers, a key thing that hiring managers look for is whether or not they think you can get the job done. They don’t want someone who talks a good game but then can execute the plan. You, momma, can do both. And do both well. You organize your families schedules, while also making sure your home isn’t in complete disarray. You ensure everyone is well fed, healthy, and active. You plan, execute, and then you adapt when things change. 

Planning For Your Future Career Without Sacrificing Summer Fun

You have more transferable skills than just strategic thinking! When preparing your resume, cover letter, and interview talking points, consider your communication and organization skills too. And as you plan your summer, you can plan for your future career too – without sacrificing fun! 

Need A Support Pivoting To The Workplace?

If you’d like some support from like-minded mommas, Parents Pivot also offers one-on-one and group coaching to set you up for success. Contact us today to start a partnership that will lead to pivoting back into the workplace and your dream job. 

5 Signs You Should Consider a Career Pivot

Finding a fulfilling career is not a life event, it’s a journey. For most people, it’s not even a linear process, but rather a series of twists and turns. That’s because what is ideal in one season of life may not be in another. Lifestyles change, priorities change, and physical and emotional needs change.

Knowing that, one of the most valuable insights you can develop on your career journey is understanding when it’s time to pivot. It’s important to know when the work you are currently doing no longer meets your needs and the needs of your family. To help guide you through that process, here are five signs that you should consider a career pivot.

5 Signs You Should Consider a Career Pivot

If you’re wondering whether the path you’re on may no longer be the right fit for you, ask yourself if you relate to the following descriptions:

• You're missing the flexibility to spend time with family. Once you become a parent, your priorities naturally and inevitably change. Your children need you, both physically and emotionally, and time with them is important. If your current career does not allow the flexibility you need to spend time with your family, that is a good sign you should consider a career pivot.

• Your life values have changed. Age, parenthood, and life experience all have a way of changing us. As a result, you likely have different life values now from when you first started your career. If so, and if your new values do not align with your current career, it may be time to seek a new one.

• You are often frustrated by your work instead of being fulfilled by it. If you dread going to work, you feel demoralized or undervalued, or you’re simply performing on autopilot, it might be time for a change. Everyone has days that require a little extra boost to get up and go to work, but when it’s every day, that signifies a deeper issue. If you find yourself frustrated and dissatisfied more days than not, you should consider pivoting to a career that better aligns with your passions.

• Your work is adversely affecting your personal life. Your work should challenge you, but it should not debilitate you. If you suffer from chronic exhaustion, regular headaches, loss of sleep, stress ulcers, or other physical symptoms, that’s your body’s cry for change. If your schedule is affecting your relationships, your loved ones have commented on your stress levels or irritability, or you notice you’re not the person you once were, those are also signs a career change may be in order.

• You daydream about a different career. No job is perfect, and everyone has moments in their career when they question what they are doing. However, if you find yourself pouring over job boards, spending your breaks thinking about what you’d rather be doing, or fantasizing about giving your two weeks’ notice, it’s more than a passing mood. Regularly daydreaming about a different career is a good indication it may be time to pivot.

Even if your current career was once your dream job, life changes. There’s nothing wrong with acknowledging that the work you’re doing now is no longer the right fit for you. In fact, that’s the perfect next step in your journey of finding a fulfilling career.

If, after reading these five signs that point to a career pivot, you know you need to make a change, reach out to Parents Pivot. We would love to help you find the next career that’s right for you.

5 Ways To Prepare For Returning To Work After A Career Pause (and Post Coronavirus Pandemic)

Are you interested in returning to work sometime in the next year or so? Or maybe you are thinking that this will be your last year at home with the family before you return to work next year?  Whether you’ve taken a career pause because of the coronavirus pandemic or other family reasons – believe it or not, now is the perfect time to start preparing to return to work, even if it’s not in the next few months. It takes 8 months in normal, non-pandemic times for a continuously working person to find a job. That process takes even longer for people with a career pause on their resume. The good news is that there are things you can do now to make the process stress-free and successful! 

Subscribe the Parents Pivot newsletter and you’ll receive a free download of the Ultimate Return to Work Checklist to keep you organized and moving forward during your pivot. 

5 Things You Need To Do To Prepare To Return To Work

Preparing to return to work after a career pause or after the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Focus on these five tips and you’ll be making great progress towards landing a position you’ll love.

1. Maintain your network. Whether you like it or not, sometimes landing your dream job comes down to who you know. Getting your foot in the door through a connection often has a higher success rate than applying for a position without knowing anyone in the company.

2. Reflect. Take time to think about what you have enjoyed doing in past work, explore your values, and come up with your ideal vision for your next step. What do you really want to do in your next job? Having a clear focus on where you’ve been and where you want to go is a key to a successful career.

3. Pursue professional skills. You don’t have to be doing paid work to sharpen your skills! Volunteer with a local organization or take some courses online. Doing this now will add skills and experience to your resume that helps to fill the gap you have from taking a career pause. Coursera and General Assembly are great resources to enhance your skills from home.

4. Update your resume and LinkedIn. Yes, it’s not fun, but you have to do it. Working on your resume and LinkedIn in small chunks as you have time will be less daunting than trying to do it when you see a job opening that you want to apply for. If you have recently left a job during the COVID pandemic, now is the perfect time to update your resume for your most recent position. Contacting past employers for measurable results of your work while the work is still relatively fresh is also a good idea if your pause hasn’t been too long.

5. Be patient. This process can take awhile, even when you are doing everything right. Find your tribe to support you through the long haul! Understanding your “why” of returning to work can also help you get through the process. Learn how to find your “why”.

THRIVE is the perfect way to implement these five ways to prepare to return to work into your transition.

A Solution For Returning to Work After Career Pause: THRIVE

THRIVE is a supportive community of like minded returners going through the same thing that you are, returning to work after a career pause. THRIVE enables you to maintain a solid network, helps you to organize your thoughts about your career path, and helps you to update your job search resources - all while leaning on other women taking the same path.

Join us for this 3 month return to work program! Let THRIVE be the catalyst for you to move towards what’s next.

Join THRIVE today!

How To Build A Strategy For Returning To Work In The Fall

Are you planning a return to work after the kids start kindergarten, head to middle school, or go off to college? Or perhaps your maternity leave will be up soon and you’re starting to think about your game plan now that you are a first time mom. 

Summer is the perfect time to start preparations for your return to work in the fall. Building a strategy for returning to work after kids is never easy, so let the summer with for you and start now. 

Here are our tips for building a strategy for returning to work in the fall.

Plan the Logistics Of Your New Schedule 

Is your child young? Use the summer to vet daycare options. Visit several and find the best situation for you and your kiddo. This process can take longer than you might think, so start now and give yourself the extra time.

If your children are older and attend school during working hours, determine what time they need to be dropped off and picked up and how that will impact your schedule. As you start to have conversations with potential employers, be upfront about any flexibility needs you may have as you nail down the routine.

Secure a Backup

As moms, things happen beyond our control all the time. Think through what needs to happen when your kid gets sick or injured at school and needs to be picked up. Make sure you have a trusted family member or friend you can count on to help out in emergencies in case you can’t get there quickly. Check out your local babysitting services to find options for last minute sitters. Here in Houston, we are lucky to have The Motherhood Center that provides this service. Prepare now and have peace of mind later.

Sharpen Your Skills

If you took a significant amount of time off, you’ll likely need to brush up on some skills. Consider enrolling in “summer school,” and set some time aside to teach yourself what you need to know, or enroll in an online course or two. Set yourself up for success by assessing your skills and where they need to be to excel in your upcoming role. 

Update Your Professional Online Presence & Resume

Update your LinkedIn profile and resume with any new skills, certifications, and information about yourself. Check out our online workshops for these resources. That way you aren’t scrambled when you see the perfect job listing or interviews start rolling in!

Speak With a Career Coach

If you need guidance on setting up your strategy for returning to work, a career coach can equip you with the right tools at the right time in your career to succeed. Summer is the perfect time to schedule an appointment and setup a game plan with an expert. 

At Parents Pivot, we specialize in helping women return to work after having children. Will you be next? Contact us to learn more!