For Mom
Full-time Rewards From Part-time Work
By Tracy Mayor
New moms who want to -- or must -- maintain their careers have long
turned to part-time positions as the best way to keep working while
still spending as much time as possible with their new family. But
often, there is a nagging sense of compromise, the feeling that
part-time work is merely a placeholder or a temporary tradeoff, not a
valid long-term career choice. Not so, insist career experts and
veteran part-timers. Done right, they say, part-time work can serve a
dual purpose: nurture a young mother's family life and simultaneously
enrich and forward her career.
Indeed, 25 percent of the total 68 million employed women work part
time, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, with nearly six in 10
mothers with young children working part time last year. Sociologists
say those working moms gain not just a paycheck, but self-esteem as
well. Part-time work allows mothers to keep their minds stimulated and
their professional contacts fresh, even as they're bonding with their
babies and adjusting to life with little ones at home.
As more and more employers realize every day (tell them if you need
to!), mothers who toil part time make excellent workers. They're
typically dedicated, organized team players who are highly motivated to
make their situation successful, says Beverly Kaye, a career counselor
and co-author of Love It, Don't Leave It: 26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work.
Working moms are more willing to take work home and less likely to jump
ship for a better job than their full-time counterparts, Kaye points
out -- all pluses in the employer's eye. If you are interviewing for a
new position, make these points clear to a potential employer.
For their part, back-to-work moms are discovering that part-time
work can be an excellent chance to get ahead -- not just get by -- in
their careers. Employers are often so pleased by the productivity of a
three-day-a-week working mother that when new higher-paying positions
become available, they are likely to offer them to the moms -- and even
entertain the idea of flexible job-share situations for more senior
jobs.
Because part-time positions require less of a financial commitment
from the company, hiring managers are often willing to try out new
ideas first with a part-time worker. So if you hear groundbreaking new
proposals being discussed, offer to take the first stab at putting the
idea into play. Use opportunities such as those to break out of your
professional mold, urges Kaye. "A part-time position frees you up a
little bit to try something new or different. Ask to work in another
area of the company or ask for a specific project to manage," she
advises. "If you can, make casual offers such as, 'Hey, I could work on
that at home.'"
If and when it comes time to go back to work full time, don't make
excuses for your part-time stint, says Kaye. Instead, take the time to
enunciate how part time has added to your skill set. Are you better at
delegating? Prioritizing? Time management? Collaboration? If so, say
so, and say it proudly.
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About The Author
Tracy Mayor writes frequently on parenting and cultural topics. She lives north of Boston with her husband and two sons.