momgoesback.com

Today I attended the Career Relaunch Forum at the Lake Forest School of Management.  On hand were hiring managers and recruiters from consulting firms Accenture and McKinsey & Company; Aquent, a marketing and creative placement firm; and the School of Management’s hiring manager.  All spoke about efforts they are making to actively recruit women returning to work. 

 Some highlights from their panel discussion include:

Do emphasize your skills and accomplishments regardless of how long you have been out ot the workforce. 

Don’t emphasize or ignore your career break but highlight any volunteer work experience or part-time work done during this period that is relevant to the job.

Don’t undersell yourself.

Make sure you have updated your skill set, especially with your technological and computer skills.

Each panel member emphasized that career breaks are more common and accepted than they were ten years ago and that employers want to see that you have the skills to do the job.  They know that you did not lose your capabilities just because you took some time away from your career. 

I was able to meet several women who are in various stages of going back to work and some that are back in school like myself. We will be forming an informal group to discuss our back-to-work experiences and to offer feedback and support.

It was soooo nice to meet with other women going through this same transition and receive validation from employers that the talent pool of stay-at-home moms is in demand.