Returning to Work with Confidence

CareerMums is Australia’s leading careers centre and jobs board for working parents and parents returning to work. We are dedicated to helping mums return to the workforce with confidence. 
 
How do you start building that confidence?  With the best information.
 
Every day, CareerMums receives emails and phone calls from mums around Australia who are facing a range of career challenges.  CareerMums provides the answers to the key career concerns and questions working mums need resolved so you too can start thriving again at work.

Contact us if you have a question.

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Game plan - What to ask your manager before going on parental leave

Why Plan?

Parents who have taken parental leave will tell you that being prepared for your departure and potential return to work in advance makes the whole experience much less stressful for everyone involved - baby included! “I wish I had thought more about this before I went on leave” is a common response from working parents.

The benefit of planning in advance means that you can gradually hand-over work commitments, enjoy a safe pregnancy at work, explore possible return to work options, and review your career aspirations to factor in family and maintaining personal balance.

It is also a great opportunity to plan for and negotiate a more flexible role. The workforce is facing a skills shortage because of Australia's ageing population. In addition, women now account for close to 50% of Australia's workforce, and over 50% of tertiary education graduates are women.

What Do I Need to Plan For?

Some of the immediate questions that may spring to mind include:

• When will I finish work?
• Who will look after my workload?
• How will my work and career plans be impacted? 
• How will my needs be accommodated post-baby?
• Should I be planning my return to work now? 
• When will I return and in what capacity?

Discussion tips:

You need to understand your rights and obligations, in addition to your employer's policies and procedures when it comes to going on parental leave.

Questions to ask yourself -

• How do you feel about your career right now? Are you where you want to be?
• What does flexibility mean to you? How will this work with your current role? Your flexiiblity requirements may change post-baby, but start thinking about it now.
• Are you interested in doing something else? What else would you like to do? Parental leave may be a good opportunity to explore another career path.

Questions for your HR representative -

• If you haven't already, request a copy of the Flexible Work Policy, Parental Leave Policy and the Telecommuting Policy. If they have all three, you are in good hands.

• Ask if there are any working parents programs or flexible work programs you should know about.

• Do they have a parental leave program to ensure you will stay in touch with work?

• Are parental leavers given internet access to access your intranet and emails?

• Is there a register that your name should be on so you don't miss out on company annoucements or mailouts to all staff? Give HR your preferred contact information.

Questions for your manager -

• Talk to your manager about flexible work options. All parents with children under 5 years of age have the right to request flexible work arrangements.

• If you are interested in doing ad-hoc project based work after a while, find out if your manager would be interested in using you as a resource when you are ready.

• How do you intend to stay in touch with your team? Talk about attending team meetings occasionally. What team emails will you continue to be copied in on? Ask you manager about other ideas to stay in touch.

If your manager or HR representative has shown no interest in any of your questions above, you may need to start looking for a more flexible employer.

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Self confidence

CareerMums conducts research periodically to understand the barriers parents face when returning to work. A lack of self confidence is consistently featured in the top 3 barriers; the other common barriers include difficulty in finding flexible and part time jobs and the cost of child care.

Many mums often experience a lack of self confidence when it comes to their career and the prospect of returning to work. It is so common, and happens simply because you are removed from the workplace for a period of time. Complete a personal self-confidence test now.

Consider the following suggestions to re-build your self confidence:

• Review your career aspirations. What do you want to do?
• Create a mind map that covers what you are good at, what you want to do, and steps you will take to make it happen. Make sure you have a glass of wine in your hand to let the creative juices flow!
• Research suitable job ads and see the skills that employers are looking for. You may be pleasantly surprised. If you need to improve your skills, look at doing a short course.
• Get in touch with a career / life coach. 
• Consider doing some volunteer or charity work to prepare you for the paid workforce.

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Keeping your skills up to date while on leave

During parental leave, many women often experience a lack of self confidence when it comes to their career and the prospect of returning to work. It is so common, and happens simply because you are removed from the workplace for a period of time. Experience has shown that women who have returned to work are pleasantly surprised at how quickly they fit back into work, and how much knowledge they have actually retained and gained.

Make sure you stay active in your career even if you are not currently working. Consider the following activities to keep you connected to your professional career:

• Attend industry or association workshops and events
• Ask your HR team about staff courses available online
• Enrol in an evening course
• Stay up-to-date with industry reading
• Attend networking functions
• Attend a team meeting at work every month
• Participate in volunteer work

These types of activities will expand your social and business network, and keep you up to date on industry developments. Volunteer work is an ideal way to maintain work experience while on parental leave.

If you decide to stay at home for an extended period of time but wish to return to the workforce in the future, maintain your contacts, update your computer skills, study, and read industry magazines on a regular basis.

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The employment market – what you need to know

Ageing is the most noteworthy population change projected to occur internationally and in Australia over the next 50 years. Population ageing is the change in age structure where the population has an increasing proportion of older people (those aged 65 years and older) in comparison to the proportion of children (those aged 15 years and younger) and is a consequence of sustained low fertility and increasing life expectancy.

The number of people aged 65 years and over is projected to outnumber children aged 0-14 years in 2018. By 2050, 26% of the population is projected to be aged 65 years and over, in comparison to 15% of the population being aged 0-14 years.

(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)

What does this mean for you?

You have the opportunity now and into the future to negotiate flexible working arrangements that may include part time work and work from home arrangements because of the national skills shortage. Don’t be afraid to ask. Your family and your career are important so try to make it work for your situation.

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Your resume and the ‘parenting gap’

The biggest mistake you can make in your resume is to refer to the time you have spent at home as ‘stay-at-home mum’. Think about the unpaid activities you have been doing and turn these into ‘work speak’. For example, raising money for a charity involves communication, business development, and marketing skills. Tuck shop work involves money-handling, customer service, and the ability to work in a team.  Volunteer work is a wonderful way to build up your work experience so make sure you include this in your resume as well.

Your resume sells you so make sure you spend time on formatting, content, and grammar.

View more information on resumes and the 'parenting gap'

view our guide to resumes and cover letters

Send us you resume for a free resume appraisal

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How to find flexible employment

The question on every parent's lips!

If you are currently employed, ask your manager. Request your organisation's flexible workplace policy. If they don't have one, find out why! If you are not currently employed, we suggest you visit the following websites to locate flexible employers who have been recognised for implementing a flexible workplace:
- www.eowa.gov.au
- www.workplace.gov.au
- www.breastfeedingfriendly.com.au

If you see an employer you would like to work for, be proactive and call them. Good employees are in high demand so they may be relieved to hear from you.

Make sure you set up job alerts with CareerMums and post your profile so prospective employers can find you. These services are free.

If you are keen to contact recruiters, but have had a bad experience because they don't know how to deal with candidates seeking flexibility, contact one of the following – these recruiters specialise in flexible roles:
- www.priorities.com.au
- - www.nine2three.com.au
- www.seedrecruitment.com.au

Another great channel is your family and social network. Let them know what you are looking for. Great leads often come from people you know. Consider setting up yourself up as a freelancer or independent consultant/contractor where you can work from home and set up a part time job for yourself.  With good contacts, there can be an abundance of flexible work projects that employers can engage your services for on a short to medium term basis on a flexible arrangement. Many employers prefer this option as they only pay for your expertise and help on an as needs basis, therefore they are often more likely to meet your flexible needs. 

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How to choose flexible work arrangements that suit you and work

The following factors will impact on the choices you make in negotiating flexibility: 

• The cost of child care;
• The location of your child care;
• The logistics of drop-off and pick-up;
• The type of work you perform.

Talk to your human resources department about flexible workplace policies available to you. Examples of flexible arrangements include:

• Job sharing – is an arrangement where two or more people share one full time job, each working part time on a regular basis.
• Part time – is an arrangement where you work less hours than full time ordinary hours. For example, this may include a reduced number of days per week or more flexible hours (e.g. school hours) every day of the week. You are still entitled to employment entitlements such as sick leave and annual leave on a pro-rata basis unless you are working on a casual basis.
• Work from home arrangements – is an arrangement where you may be able to work from home for part of the working week depending on the nature of your work.

If you are considering the option of working from home, the following issues should be considered:

• Working from home does not take the place of child care.
• Working from home requires discipline, focus, and the ability to deflect distractions.
• There are significant health benefits when you work in an office such as social interaction and team work.
• Are you set up to work from home? Your home office should include a fax, computer, printer, telephone, desk and chair.

The next step is to assess your duties, tasks and responsibilities. By working flexibly, will some aspects of your job be neglected? Where are the gaps? Do you have any solutions? Will your team be happy with your proposal to work flexibly? Will some members of your team have to take on more work?

The key to negotiating flexibility is to be considerate of all parties that will be impacted. You will need to consider the implications on the business, your customers, and your team. If you acknowledge these implications and propose a solution, your business case will be more credible and well received.

Ask your human resources department for a business case template so you address all relevant issues. Also, sit down with your manager and discuss your options to work flexibly. Ideally you should seek agreement before returning to work.

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Negotiating flexibility

Organisations are acknowledging that many employees have a greater need for flexibility to enable them to balance lifestyle and meet other personal and family commitments. Access is a high priority for many parents.

Flexibility is often a misused term. Essentially it means any alternative working arrangement to working in the office during core business hours for 5 days each week. So a full time role can be flexible as some hours you may work from home depending on the type of work you do. Otherwise, reduced hours or days will provide you with a part time job.

The steps below will assist you in negotiating flexible working arrangements with your employer:

Step 1: Know the facts - Request a copy of your organisation's Flexible Work Arrangements Policy. Speak to other employees who are working flexibly. Find out how they negotiated their working arrangements.

Step 2: Negotiating flexibility - Whether it is your current employer or a new employer that you need to approach to discuss a flexible working arrangement, it is important that you feel confident and prepared about negotiating a deal that will work for you. Let your manager know that you would like to organise a meeting to discuss a flexible working arrangement. Then ensure that you have researched your options by preparing a business case proposal, and considered issues for your team and manager. If you are applying for a new job, be very clear on your flexibility requirements upfront. Many employers will consider flexibility requests if your skills and experience are strong.

Step 3: Business Case Proposal - Write a Business Case Proposal. A proposal provides formality to an arrangement and can be filed for review at a later date. Use the following questions as a guide to include in your Business Case Proposal to work flexibly:

• Why do you need to work flexibly?
• What type of flexible work arrangement are you proposing? So job share, part time, work from home arrangements etc.  (give at least 2 variations in work patterns)
• What would be the impact on your job responsibilities and tasks?
• Can you recommend any solutions?
• What will be the impact on your stakeholders i.e. customers, colleagues, etc.
• What aspects of your role could be done from home?
• Are there any costs or cost savings associated with this flexible work arrangement?
• Why do you think you can work flexibly in an effective manner?
• What measurement criteria can you propose to measure the success of the flexible work arrangement you are proposing?

Step 4: Making Flexibility Work - When your flexible work arrangement has been approved, consider the following tips:

• Determine what work will be done differently as a result of the flexible work arrangement and communicate how it will work with your team, clients and other stakeholders.
• Agree to a regular meeting with your manager to monitor the flexible work arrangement.
• Keep a diary note of how things are going for the first 3-6 months. Identify what is working and what could be improved.
• Resolve and tweak changes to the arrangement as you go.

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Interview skills

A CareerMums user recently asked me about how to approach a job interview. She was looking to re-enter the workplace and was very nervous, so needed a few tips and hints. I gave her some tips, and without knowing the outcome of the interview yet, she was really pleased with her interview performance and felt very confident.

This is what it is all about - developing the confidence again to handle interviews regardless of the outcome. An interview is about 2 things: how well suited you are to the role based on your experience, and whether you are suited to the culture of the organisation and vice versa. You are who you are, and sometimes your personality may not suit the role you are going for.

These are the tips I provided:

• Ask for information on the interview before it happens. What is the structure of the interview? Are there standard questions you will be required to answer?
• Be prepared. Stick to how your skills will benefit the job you are going for.  If you can back up your skills with previous experience, be ready to do so – both paid and non-paid work!
• Do not talk about your family circumstances unless it is raised in general conversation during the interview. You are being interviewed to see if your skills and experience match the advertised job – nothing else.
• Gauge the interviewer. Get a sense of what he/she is like. Do they prefer short answers or do they want you to elaborate? React to this as the job interview is just as much about finding the right style of person who will fit the organisation as well as tapping into your core skills set.
• Make sure you look good! If you feel good, you will radiate confidence. Ensure your outfit is chosen at least 24 hours before!
• Shake off being nervous – it is another experience and if you don’t succeed, review what you need to do next time and move on to the next challenge.

view our guide to resumes and cover letters

Send us you resume for a free resume appraisal

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Money and finance

Child Care
Know your entitlements - are you receiving the Australian Government's Child Care Tax Rebate of 50% for your out-of-pocket child care costs? This is not income tested. You should also find out if you are eligible for other child care assistance. Visit www.mychild.gov.au to find out more.

Superannuation
It is estimated that by 2019, women will have on average half the amount of superannuation that men will have (source: The Office for Women). Given that women typically move in and out of the workforce while raising children, and that women tend to live longer than men, this means that women's financial security in retirement is at risk. The following strategies can provide you with long term benefits to ensure your financial security at retirement age:

1. The Federal Government's co-contribution scheme.

2. Salary sacrifice - If you are thinking about having children in the future, you may wish to consider allocating some of your pay to go into your superannuation fund before your pay is taxed. The extra payments you make now will make up for an extended period of leave from the workforce.

3. The spouse rebate - Your spouse is able to contribute superannuation in your name if you are not working or if you are earning less than $13,800 per year.

Always talk to your financial planner or accountant about these strategies, or refer to the Australian Taxation Office website – www.ato.gov.au - for more information.

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Starting your own business

Starting your own business can be the answer to your work and family balance. All it takes is a great idea. Something that you are really passionate about. Funding the business is the next hurdle. How much will it cost you to make your business idea a reality? Your business plan will help you to estimate the cost. You also need to think about the skills you don’t have. Talk to your friends, family and colleagues who do have the skills you are missing and tap into their brains. A business partner might be a good option for some people but you should be very careful about who you want to involve in your business and how much freedom you need. Starting your own business requires patience, determination, and an ability to get over short term hurdles and learn from them. And it can also give you the opportunity to work part time and work from home.

If you are investigating self employment opportunities, make sure you have full knowledge of what you are selling and the costs associated with it before you make any decisions. There are some great websites that will alert you to any scams or pyramid schemes currently circulating in the market. Visit the Australian Security and Investment Commission's website on scams at http://www.fido.gov.au/scams or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission scam watch website found at http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/

See more information on starting your own business.

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Career Change

Are you thinking about changing your career? Sometimes, having children can be a catalyst for a change in our careers.  You have time to think about what you want in life, and what your flexibility requirements are going to be while you are on maternity leave. Maternity leave might be a great opportunity to do some further study.

Read our latest career change story.

While the workplace catches up to the concept of flexibility, you may also consider starting your own business so you can create your own flexibility and part time hours. You may have the opportunity to become a niche consultant in your own industry. Or you might have a lightning flash about a new business concept that is worth pursuing after doing some research. Another opportunity is applying for a job that offers training. Always think about how you can transfer your existing skills – this is the key to changing your career.

Great resources to assist you with your career change include:

• MyFuture - An Australian Government website that guides you through activities to help you explore your career options.
• Free Assessments - You may wish to do a 'career motivation assessment' to identify your personal motivators and match yourself to a job that aligns with these.
• O*Net Online - A website listing thousands of occupations and provides a free description on each occupation's activities, skills required and more.
• FabJobs - FabJobs offer step by step guides on how to get into different types of roles such as 'become a yoga teacher' or 'learn to write children's books'.

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Returning to work and the challenges of childcare

It's quite simple really..... when a child starts going to childcare, he/she will most probably catch everything going around the centre. The upside is that in the process, they are building up their immune system.

This is not always comforting to know when you have work deadlines, limited sick days and unlimited guilt because you should be with your child but your pile of work is building up as well.

How can you take control of this situation? Firstly, it won't last forever. After a few months, the runny nose ceases and the ear infections go.
Approach this challenge in a practical manner. Consider the following tips:

• Talk to your manager. Pre-warn him/her that there will be a few more sick days taken over the next couple of months and talk about how you can organise your workload.
• Talk to your manager about easing yourself back into work. For example, you may work 2 days per week for 1-2 months. Then increasing your days to 3 days for 1-2 months then moving to 4 days.
• Save holiday leave for days you may not to take off.
• Utilise your sick days.
• Create the option to work from home when your child is sick.
• Share the load with your partner. Get your partner to pre-warn his/her workplace that childcare is about to start.

Use common sense to find solutions to your challenges. You now have the right to request flexibility if your child is under 5 years of age so ask. 

 

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Managing your career as a working parent

Managing your career becomes more challenging after you have children. Before children, all you had to worry about was your career, your social life and your personal relationships. Children add a whole new dimension of responsibility and selflessness to your life, and unashamedly to most people, they take priority to a career. In saying that, it does not mean that you want to give up your career. You have worked hard at attaining your qualifications and you have generated significant skills, experience and expertise that should not be wasted.

Consider the following ideas to manage your career as a working parent:

• Consider your work flexibility requirements on a regular basis. Flexibility requirements may change as your children grow older. You may choose to work more during some stages of your kids lives and be at home more for other stages. No one can define what the happy balance is because we are all different. To achieve your own successful balance, you have to be happy about the choices you make and ensure that family responsibilities are shared.
• Do a health check on your career. Are you where you want to be or do you feel like you are being left behind? If you have been doing the same job for a long period of time and you are unsatisfied, talk to your manager. Make sure you apply for suitable internal jobs that match your experience. If a full time person is required, build a case for job sharing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Also, make sure that your salary is in line with salaries being offered for similar roles in the job market. Refer to the online jobs boards, newspapers, or talk to a recruiter. If your salary is below average, put forward a case to your employer.
• Update your skills. Talk to your human resources department or manager about training and workshop options that may be available in-house to employees. Alternatively, your employer may have funds in their staff training budget for you to do an external course. Sometimes you may be able to participate in these workshops / courses / training during a working day.

• Attend networking events. Networking events are a great way to expand your contacts, gain exposure to new opportunities, and get up to date on industry trends. Many networking events are still held in the evening however networking lunches are becoming very common. Get in touch with an association in your industry and find out about their networking events. If you work for a large employer, there may be networking groups already in existence that you could tap in to.

• Organise your home life. If the home front is running smoothly (most of the time!), then you will have more time to focus on your career while you are at work. For example, if you have great child care arrangements (including drop-off and pick-up), a regular house cleaner, you have pre-cooked some meals, and you and your partner take turns in cooking dinner, you won’t be sitting at work spending your time worrying about your responsibilities at home.

• Be confident in your skills and abilities. Many parents are too ‘grateful’ for being given a chance to return to work or for being allowed to work flexibly. You are a skilled, experienced and responsible employee returning to work. If you have returned to work flexibly, you are being paid on a pro-rata basis so you are not getting more than you deserve. Do not work on your days off and do not answer your phone. These issues should have been addressed when you negotiated flexible working conditions. If they haven’t been, you should approach your manager and discuss any problems you are experiencing.

Balancing work and family tips

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Understanding your rights and obligations

The workforce is changing. Every day, I see examples of responsible employers making a difference to the workplace for pregnant employees and parents returning to work. The skills shortage has certainly provided impetus for employers to embrace attraction and retention strategies to keep good staff.

However, I still receive phone calls and emails from women who are being treated poorly by their employer. Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, has just completed a 'listening tour' around the country. One of many observations she made was that the experiences of pregnant women, and those who had recently given birth and were seeking to return to their jobs, was of particular concern. The Commissioner heard that women are vulnerable to bullying when they return after having a child, and that many are not aware of their rights.

If you are not aware of your rights, visit the following website for advice - http://www.humanrights.gov.au/complaints_information/infosheet_employment.html

In addition, ask to view the employment policies your employer offers. Ask for the parental leave policy and the flexible working arrangements policy - if they have them. If they don't, your question may prompt them to write some policies and procedures. Know your entitlements and the laws that protect you in the workplace. Knowledge is powerful.

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Strategies to get back to work and weather the economic downturn

Whether in the workforce or at home, here are CareerMums' 6 Strategies to help you and your family weather the economic downturn and generate additional sources of income:

• Consider volunteering work to build your skills and contacts. Use this experience to springboard into a paid role.
• Consider contract roles. Contract roles pay per hour so know what you are worth and add superannuation on top. Always be clear about your flexibility requirements and get an ABN if you don't have one.
• Become an entrepreneur and start your own business. Lay the foundations and start small. Gradually build a flexible business around your family.
• What have you always wanted to do? Use this year to complete a course or start a degree. Do something for yourself and open up opportunities to generate an income.
• What are your hobbies? Make some extra cash by making money from something you love doing. For example, if you love to cook, see if you land a casual job preparing food for the local child care centre or retirement village.
• Be proactive and target flexible employers in more recession-proof industries.