Happy Birthday! Parents Pivot is turning 3!!!!!
A Beautiful Beginning
Three years ago, Anna McKay, mom of two strong and clever daughters, decided to pursue her passion for helping parents find career success. In June, 2019, she launched Parents Pivot, an online resource hub that focuses on helping people who have paused their career for parenthood reconnect with their professional selves and return to paid, meaningful work that they love!
Learn more about Anna in the video below.
Moms Who Successfully Returned To Paid Work
To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’re celebrating the moms we serve. The handful of moms below decided to return to paid work after a career pause and are a shining example of how all moms can be successful balancing paid work and motherhood.
Megan P
Megan was taking part-time jobs on and off for 17 years before deciding to return to the workforce full time. Previously she was focused on digital marketing and decided to switch gears. After working with Parents Pivot through 1:1 coaching, she is now a Performance & Transition coach for athletes! When asked what skills she honed during her career pause that benefitted her return, she responded with skills she learned while raising her kids and volunteering at their schools: project management, clear communication, multi-tasking, relationship building, digital marketing, and leading a team.
Megan’s advice to returners:
“Hiring a coach is extremely helpful in career transitions. A coach helps you gain clarity around what you truly want. It's also nice to have someone by your side to act as a sounding board as you explore ideas and when making important decisions around your transition. A coach keeps you motivated and accountable, especially when things get tough or you are afraid to take the next steps. Anna did all these things for me when I was looking to return to work. I found Anna's coaching so powerful, that she inspired me to become a life coach for athletes, and I am so grateful!”
Claudia V
How many years were you away from paid work?
Claudia V was a Freelance Graphic Designer before she stepped away from paid work for 12 years to focus on her family. Like all moms, she never stopped sharpening her skills. She shared that during her career pause she would volunteer to create event marketing materials for her son’s school and practiced prioritization in the home. After completing the THRIVE program with Parents Pivot in 2020, she landed a Branding and Marketing Coordinator position.
Claudia’s advice to returners:
Be patient. Start somewhere. My first job as a returner was very basic, but I pushed myself to do more so that I could add skills to my resume.
Anne D
A teacher and project manager in her life before motherhood, Anne stepped away from paid work for 12 years. After securing a Customer Care Representative for a large distributor in the science space following her participation in the THRIVE program in 2020, she reflects on her career pause by sharing that she “upskilled” during her career pause by managing people and schedules, networking with new people and groups, jumping into projects and taking charge, finding better solutions, and helping people work together more cohesively.
Anne’s advice to returners:
"Don't be afraid to start something new. We have truly upskilled during our career pauses and it's simply about reframing what we did into tangible, marketable skills."
Cynthia F
After a whopping 21 year career pause, Cynthia realized that she missed paid work and was ready to jump back into the workforce. She has shared that her pause greatly contributed to the next chapter of her life, in which she is now a Senior Affiliate Operations Manager, responsible for client relationships, profitability/billability, staffing, Salesforce client rosters, and more. Her volunteer time managing large projects, fundraisers, Galas and even a private school bus service during her pause translated into excellent organizational, managerial and multi-tasking skills in her current paid work.
Cynthia’s advice to returners:
Believe in yourself. Have confidence that you can have a successful career in paid work after your career pause. Think outside the box. Follow your passions and look for a job that brings you happiness and joy. I switched to a completely different career path. I never realized how much I missed paid work. I love my job and am so happy that I returned. There is never going to be a perfect time to return. Just do it!
Jessica W
Jessica was a teacher before she took a 2 year career pause. During her time away from paid work, motherhood helped her to develop empathy towards other parents and realize that she wanted to step away from teaching. She hired Parents Pivot for 1:1 coaching and is now an Instructional designer, creating training in corporate settings.
Jessica’s advice to returners:
You've got this! Your skills are just as valuable and in demand as everyone else's, and you're going to be great!
Melissa AR
Melissa R reached out to Parents Pivot after a 7 year career pause seeking 1:1 coaching for returning to the workforce. She now is a successful Marketing Strategist for her own business, and is the COO of her family’s Construction Company. Scheduling and community involvement is are practiced skills that built her confidence while taking her career pause
Melissa’s advice to returners:
“Seek guidance and do research. Also be open to where you land.”
Monika G
Monika returned to paid work after a 10 year career pause. She is currently an HR Business and Talent Acquisition Partner. Monika shared that during her career pause she “spent time with her family and young kids, volunteered at school and Girl Scouts and met people from all walks of life which helped her communicate clearly, be comfortable in her own skin, build self-confidence and be thankful for a healthy life.
Monika’s advice for returners:
“Persistence and keep working towards your goal whether it is a dream job or studying further to upgrade yourself. You have the will and the power and everything will fall into place eventually.”
Khyati M
As an expat, Khyati M. has been taking career breaks off and on for over 15 years. Trained in communications, her last job before her most recent career pause was as corporate communications manager at a leading business school in Singapore, NUS Business School. Currently, she is leading corporate communications for the energy transition team at Baker Hughes. Khyati shares the three skills that she felt were vital to sharpen during her career pause: Ability to be nimble and manage change, networking, and a hunger to learn.
Khyati’s advice for returners:
“This is really the best time to get back into the job market! The corporate world as we know it is undergoing massive transformation. Whether it's a great resignation or a great reset, companies are looking for employees that not only have the technical expertise, but the right work ethic to deliver on the job. Also, there is a shift happening in many traditional functions or roles, even hierarchies as we know it. Hence my advice to anyone looking for a job right now is to stop thinking about work as a job, but start viewing it as capabilities. What skills and capabilities do you bring to a role, and how can you go beyond? Also be clear and define how you prefer to work (remote, hybrid etc.) and be managed. Think in terms of how you can add value cross-functionally, not just unilaterally. And as I said before, be agile and nimble to learn and "always be on.”"
Let Parents Pivot Help Your Career Transition
Maybe you’ve been out of work for a while and you feel like you don’t know the latest news in your industry. Or you’re hesitant to set up your LinkedIn profile because how in the world can you explain that gap on your resume? Or maybe you’re just plain overwhelmed by the entire return to work process.
We know the struggles, and we’re here to help. Here at Parents Pivot, we have made it our mission to be the one-stop online shop for all your return-to-work needs, no matter where you are on your journey.
