5 tips for young mothers returning to workforce

Kristin Callahan, director of Human Resources and Training and Staff Development for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, offers the following tips to mothers who are preparing to re-enter the workforce:

1. PLAN, PLAN, PLAN.With time at a premium, do as much as possible the night before so that the morning is not such a rush job. “Do as much as you can at night by making sure your work clothes are ready and the lunches are made for the next day,” Callahan said. “Try to have your kids’ things as ready as possible the night before.”

2. Try to negotiate a flexible schedule up front. Many businesses these days are willing to work with employees on flexible scheduling, especially if the employee has value to the company. “You can try to have flex hours that would allow you to pick up the kids when they get off of school,” Callahan said. “Maybe you can even talk about telecommuting or working one day a week from home. These are times when we can be connected to the workplace 100 percent of the time through iPhones or a laptop or voice mail. There’s a lot of ability for people to stay connected, even if they are not physically in the office.”

3. Don’t be afraid to explain the “gaps” in your employment history. “It’s important to overcome an employer’s potential objections to gaps in your employment,” Callahan said. “I would suggest doing a slightly non-traditional kind of resume called a functional resume. That would not list your work history chronologically, but it would include a list of your skills or functions instead.”

4. Be proud of your volunteer work. “It’s not like moms have been twiddling their thumbs,” Callahan said. “They have been gaining transferable skills and taking advantage of volunteer opportunities at their church or school or preschool. Maybe they’ve taken some online training or a computer class.”

5. Brush up on your skills. “Either while you are out of the workforce or when you first return, you should make sure you improve your technical skills,” Callahan said. “You can do that just about anywhere right now online. Microsoft has a Web site that offers free online training in things like Word and Excel. You can also attend professional workshops in the community.”