Back on the Career Track, A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work

Being a stay-at-home mom is no easy task. For me, it just kind of happened. I was frustrated in my job, tired of dealing with illnesses my son continually had because of being in a daycare, and most of all, I despised the idea of someone else seeing all of his firsts. After six months of my own personal mommy madness, I decided to be an at-home mom. In the beginning, it was really tough having only one income and even only one car, but my husband and I did what we could to make it work.
Being at home with my son has had its ups and downs. I've enjoyed it thoroughly, but really miss the social interaction I used to have while working. I feel accomplished as a mom, but as an individual I know I will soon need something more. Something being at home can't necessarily give and eventually, I do want to go back to work. However, one fear I have about going back out into the workforce is the fact that I've been out of the rat race for a few years now, and I am rusty. I used to get every job I interviewed for, but now my confidence is kaput. I've gone from working with talented professionals to a talented preschooler. From working on hundred-thousand dollar budgets for government jobs to cleaning dried play dough from the rug. All of these changes weave into my psyche, making it that much harder to even decide if I really do want to go back to work.
For all of the moms out there who can relate to these issues, and have even slightly pondered upon the question of whether or not to return to work after being an at-home mom, there are two great women who've done a lot of legwork to guide the stay-at-home mom back into the workforce. Back on the Career Track, A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin is the perfect read for those interested in the idea of returning to work. Whether it's now or years from now, issues involved in everything from making the decision to return to work, to the actual process of relaunching a successful career are covered from A to Z in this handy guide.
The introduction of the book says it all: "Our Journey from Playdough to Real Dough." It can't be put any simpler than that! When reading the introduction, I felt myself nodding and agreeing with the writers. We have a fulfilling job as a stay-at-home mom, but we itch to do something more. We miss the excitement and intellectual stimulus that comes with a career, regardless
of how we felt about our previous run on the career track, or how happy we are with our present situation. When we think about having to go back to work, it's almost physically painful to think about it. It's not just leaving our home and any of our children, but so much more. From regaining confidence in our ability to have a successful interview to actually finding a job we can enjoy. There are quite a few speed bumps on the road to success and Back on the Career Track provides the knowledge needed to plow through and get back to a successful career.
Cohen and Rabin worked with more than a hundred women who had worked in fields from law and medicine to customer service and teaching, and by doing so, they were able to come up with a workable strategy for "Relaunching Success." Part one of the book is designed as a seven step program to get back out in the workforce, and being happy about it. From learning confidence and accessing career options to getting out there and making a name for yourself under your own terms. It's a simple recipe for success especially for the career-bound mom.
Part two of the book continues with the idea of returning to work after being an at-home mom by focusing on what Cohen and Rabin have coined as the "Relaunch Movement and Beyond," covering the change we've seen in women who've gone back to their careers after staying home to raise children. Back on the Career Track then closes with the pondering upon the future and if "Relaunching Success" will become easier for women in generations to follow.
The simple fact of knowing that so many women before us have successfully returned to a career after being at home is in itself a great confidence builder. Whether I decide to do it next year or in the next five years, I know that what I've learned from Back on the Career Track will provide me with the information I need to be confident and successful in my future career pursuits.