Should Stay-at-home Parents make less when they return to the workforce? The short answer is “No,” but frequently they do. Not because they are worth less, or their skills have diminished, but because many Stay-at-Home Parents return to the workforce almost apologizing for being absent. They apply to lower positions than they held previously and they are unsure of how to market their skills with the absence.
You don’t have to apologize or apply to lesser positions!
You don’t have to make less because you took 1-10 years off!
But there are some things you can do to help reboot your career, and they probably aren’t what you are thinking:
1) Sit down and list all the skills you’ve learned as a parent.
I mean, this parenting thing is HARD. Talk about becoming an expert multi-tasker! Have you mastered your household budget? Have you read every book on parenting known to man? Maybe you’ve become an expert at meditating just to remain in a good head space so you don’t lose your mind? Maybe you are well-versed in how to handle any ailment with essential oils or homeopathic remedies.
List it. Write it down.
You don’t have to show anyone your list, but this will help bring the fact that you’ve been really doing something worthwhile to the forefront. You’ve been nurturing a valuable asset to the world and you should have pride in having done that. Keep that list near you when you are applying for jobs or being interviewed over the phone. It will help you keep your confidence high.
2) Decide how you will market your absence.
3) Take a refresher class.
If you are feeling your skills are outdated, enroll in some sort of refresher class at your local university or community college. It will help you feel confident and is a good chance to start networking to get your foot back in the door. If you can’t physically attend a class, start networking and brushing up on the latest news online to bring yourself up to speed.
4) Go inward.
The most important piece to determining your salary when you go back to work is YOU. You need to feel confident. Know the market and what it pays. Know your skills and why you should make the high end of any salary band. Then go for the high end every time. You’ve heard the expression “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Well, shoot for the moon.
The most common thing I’ve seen when people return to the workforce is this sense of feeling lost. As if they are coming out of a tunnel and don’t know where to go.
You want to be confident!
If you aren’t confident, your future employer won’t feel confident in you either.
I’ve seen the successes. I’ve personally known people who returned to work after 8 years off, completely confident and stepped right back into their former salary or higher. I’ve even seen them able to negotiate flexible schedules.
What you make when you return to work is largely in your hands!
And what you did while you were off did nothing to diminish your skills, it enhanced them instead. Right?
Let me know in the comments how you’ve handled or are handling returning to work after time off.
XOXO,
