Back to Work - Part 3

As I mentioned in my last post, I received an email through LinkedIn that appeared promising. It was from the managing director of an insurance and financial services company who wished to bring me in for an interview. Not only was a thrilled that I had secured an interview, but it felt great to know they were seeking me out, not the other way around.

I’ve always felt that I am a horrible interviewee. I’m nervous and tend to ramble on. After that first interview, which was for a position as a sales person, I came away with some homework. Then I went back for a second interview, left with additional homework, and scheduled my third interview. Each time, I left wondering if I had said something that would mess things up. That wasn’t my largest issue, though.

The more I learned about this position, the more I had to convince myself it would be a good thing. Aren’t insurance salespeople considered one rung up from used car salespeople? And unlike cars, don’t you have to convince people that they need insurance? Each time my husband and I spoke about this opportunity, I have to admit we had more questions than answers. After about four interviews, I decided this just wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.

Back to the drawing board. 

Back to Work - Part 2

This continues the discussion of my return to work: the trials (a lot of these) and the triumphs (not so many of these). You can read Part 1 here.

Back to Work – Part 2

Once I finally made the decision that I had to return to work, I thought it would be easy. Um…no. Part of me forgot a few things:

·        I had been out of the workforce for 11 years.

·        The economy stunk.

·        Full-time jobs were not as plentiful as they once were.

·        Finding work is much more complicated than it used to be.

It also has to be mentioned that I hadn’t put together a solid resume in years. Yes, I kept mine up to date, and even had a few versions of it depending upon what type of position I was applying for, but things had changed in the years I was home.

There are now employment websites like Monster.com and Indeed.com. Most companies expect you to apply online and they are only looking for job history going back ten years or less (most of my retail and financial industry experience was older than that). And don’t even get me started on trying to use certain keywords that need to get picked up by computers if your resume is ever going to make it in front of hiring personnel.

So, what did I do? I read. Unbeatable Resumes by Tony Beshara and This Is How You Get Your Next Job by Andrea Kay, to name a couple. More importantly, I began praying in earnest for a solution. I knew I would never be comfortable trying to balance my family life and career working outside the home. It was why I pushed off my return to work for so long.

I ended up with a couple of interviews based upon my freshly polished resume, but nothing panned out. That’s when I got contacted by someone through LinkedIn.

To be continued….

Back to Work - Part 1

The picture above pretty much captures my reaction when my husband told me I couldn't put off returning to work any longer. Though I had been working from home the past seven years, I sought a better balance between home life and career. More importantly, we needed the money.

My plan is to occasionally share my adventure in returning to work outside the home: the trials, the triumphs, and the little speed bumps along the way. Hope you enjoy it.

Back to Work - Part 1

The story of my return to work actually begins nearly eleven years ago when my husband and I decided it was time for me to leave Corporate America to stay home with our children; at the time our teenage son and two young daughters: John Boy, the Lil' Diva, and the Lil' Princess.

Our original plan was for me to stay home until the Lil' Princess entered kindergarten. Then I would find a part time job. That never happened. My work from home job was bringing in a fairly steady stream of income, and I wanted the chance to volunteer at school so I could be with my girls. 

In the years that followed, the money argument came up more than a few times between hubby and me. I simply couldn't figure out how we could manage my working outside the home and still dedicate time to the girls. Our son had moved out and gotten married, but the girls were still young. 

But as I watched the bills mount and the additional stress taking a toll on my husband, I knew I had to do what I could do help my family stay afloat. 

To be continued....

Diary of a Busy Mom - Back to Work

Well, I did it. I got myself a job. Starting next week, I’ll be training to manage an office for a local insurance agent. I need to get my certification to sell insurance policies, but other than that, I expect the transition of working from home to working outside the home to go smoothly.

So why do I feel so anxious? Part of it is that I haven’t really worked for anyone else in over nine years. Suddenly, I’ll have to prove myself all over again. But I think the largest anxiety is caused by the change it will be to my family.

I won’t be able to pick the Lil’ Diva up from the bus stop anymore. I won’t be home when the Lil’ Princess gets off the bus at the end of the cul-de-sac. I have to trust they won’t kill each other in the thirty-five minutes it takes me to get from the office to the house.

Knowing that I’ll have some flexibility with this job is a definite plus, but what about when the kids are sick? Will I feel like I have to send them to school anyway or risk losing my job? There will be no more meeting the Lil’ Princess for lunch at school. There will be no more volunteering at school because my shift is from 10 AM – 3 PM.

Then there’s me rushing home to make sure I get a quick bite to eat before taking the Lil’ Princess off to softball practice on Wednesdays and Friday afternoons and the fear that I’ll miss some of her games or have a hard time getting the Lil’ Diva to concert practice or cheerleading tryouts.

Many years ago, when I was a single parent, I didn’t worry so much about this stuff. It was only me, so I had to work. Now, it seems like I’m throwing everyone’s schedules up in the air just to make a few bucks.

I pray I made the right choice. It’s an exciting opportunity for me. I just hope we can all adjust to the change.