Return to Work

Never say never. That’s an adage that’s been front and center as I’ve spoken to non-working women for the past decade. I’ve observed that even the most steadfast volunteers eventually find their way back to some kind of paid work. Add in all the volunteers who clearly state they someday do want to return to…

How do I get back into the workforce after so many years?  That’s a question I’ve been asked hundreds of times over the last decade.  It’s also a question that is perennially asked in the fall, when children go back to school and mothers have the time to think about major life changes.    Recently…

The work/don’t work rift between women who do and don’t work for a paycheck widened a bit more with the over-played Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer controversy and the by now dog-eared Atlantic article about “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All”.  I’m not going to debate whether Marissa is hurting women by taking a short…

It’s no easy feat to return to the workforce after a hiatus of 10 years or more. Senior-level resumes, top educational credentials and diverse life experiences don’t magically reopen doors—they just start what can often be frustrating and difficult conversations.  For 10 years I helped women return to the workforce—and I found that those who…

Though I helped many women successfully return to the workforce in my recruiting days, there were quite a few who said they were ready for the transition—but they really were not.  That caused a lot of frustrating starts and stops and 11th hour change of hearts.  It’s just a reality that some women have to…

Women who can’t decide whether to return to the workforce on even a very part-time basis might find some wisdom in this story. One day I was at my daughter’s swim meet where both boys and girls were competing.  It was an informal practice meet, so the children were just getting the hang of procedures. …

Your resume has to sell in 6 seconds. That’s the amount of time Ladders, the online job placement service, reports that recruiters spend with your resume.  I don’t know how they reached that conclusion, but it sounds about right for the “average” recruiter.    If it’s six seconds, sixty seconds or six minutes, you don’t…

Stay at home or sell your soul to the world of work?  That’s the black and white decision many women think they’re facing.  In reality there are many (non X-rated) shades of grey.    After a decade’s focus on finding women flexible work, I know that part-time jobs—outside of retail stores—are very hard to find. …

You’re finally ready to go back to work—in one of the worst job markets in American history.  Well yes…but it’s no reason to hide. It’s a sober fact that unemployment numbers are high, but the only people that should have an obsession with those numbers are the presidential candidates who want to spin them their…

Though there are millions of users worldwide, Linkedin is still a mystery for many professionals.  What are the real benefits?  Many.  How does it actually advance your career or job search?  A lot.  How do I know?  I asked Donna Sweidan, a career coach and Linkedin pro to answer the questions I know you’re wondering…