You have five random ingredients in your pantry that you must use to figure out dinner for tonight.
Book fair orders are due Tuesday.
You have three places to be on Wednesday night, all overlapping in time.
Band fees and dance recital costume fees are due at the end of the month.
When you read this list, did it feel similar to your to-do list? Moms juggle so many things, it almost seems comical to write them down on a list like this. We balance our children’s schedule, keep track of their events and due dates, manage the household budget, get creative when we don’t have time to stop by the grocery store, and so much more.
As a return-to-work career coach for moms returning to paid work after a career pause, here is what I see when I read this list:
You have five random ingredients in your pantry that you must use to figure out dinner for tonight. [CREATIVITY, RESOURCEFULNESS, & ANTICIPATING PROBLEMS}
Book fair orders are due Tuesday. [DEADLINE MANAGEMENT]
You have three places to be on Wednesday night, all overlapping in time. [TIME MANAGEMENT]
Band fees and dance recital costume fees are due at the end of the month. [BUDGETING]
Your life as a mother IS project management lived out in real life, 24-hours a day. If you are considering going back to work after maternity leave, or after you have stayed home for years to raise your kids, you are not starting from scratch when it comes to experience and skills. You are a wealth of experience, knowledge, skills, and not to mention incredible stories. The key is knowing, and learning, how to position your real life experiences as a mother in terms that a hiring manager will understand and see the value you bring.
Translating Project Management Skills In The Home To The Workplace
Let’s look back at our list and break each one down into the skills you exercise when you complete each item, and how you can translate these skills into resume, cover letter, and interview gold. Each item may seem simple on the surface, but as any mom knows, nothing could be farther from the truth!
You have five random ingredients in your pantry that you must use to figure out dinner for tonight.
What’s really happening: The reason you only have 5 ingredients to work with for dinner is because something came up earlier in your day that required you to skip your grocery store run. You have a child at home that has a health issue, which means simply swinging by a fast food drive thru is out of the question. You now have to figure out a dinner that everyone in your family will eat using what is already in your pantry.
Workplace Translation: When circumstances change and put you into a tight spot, you use your creativity and resourcefulness to make things work. While it’s not ideal, you know how to change tactics when curveballs are thrown your way. You may have even anticipated that something like this might happen and have a back up plan in a pantry always stocked with a can of soup, sandwich bread, and cheese for last minute grilled cheese and tomato soup night. (Ask me how I know 😂) You will do what it takes to get to the end goal.
Book fair orders are due Tuesday.
What’s really happening: You decided to clean out your kids backpack because it was overflowing with papers. You found a crumpled up book fair flyer and order form with the due date written on it – Tuesday – which also happens to be tomorrow. Your schedule tonight is jam packed with extracurricular activities, but you know that your child will miss out (not to mention be devastated) if they miss getting to shop at the book fair tomorrow with her class. You need to consult your budget to figure out how much she can spend, load money onto her ewallet for safe and easy payment, and review the flyer with her so she knows what’s in her budget (and age-appropriate) to purchase.
Workplace Translation: You are no stranger to last minute deadlines and while you prefer to not operate in “fire drill” mode, it’s sometimes inevitable. You can manage a tight deadline by thinking through everything that must happen between now and then, and ensure nothing gets missed that would compromise the integrity of the project. You keep your cool when communicating direction to team members who may have dropped the ball (causing the fire drill in the first place), and respectfully work together to get the job done, on time.
You have three places to be on Wednesday night, all overlapping in time.
What’s really happening: You are a single parent. Your daughter has band practice from 6-7:30pm at the middle school building. Your son has dance practice from 6-7:15pm at the local studio down the street, and you signed up to volunteer in the community from 6:30-8:30pm. It’s humanly impossible for you to be all three places at once without making someone late, making someone wait to get picked up, or just plain not showing up. Your only option is to solicit help with pickup and drop off from a family-friend.
Workplace Translation: There are often busy, sprint weeks when managing a project requires full-stream-ahead dedication, focus, and grit. During those times, you aren’t afraid to ask for help to make sure everyone involved has what they need to get their job done, on time and without sacrificing someone else’s work. You also know that you would pitch in to help out another team member to collectively get the project over the finish line.
Band fees and dance recital costume fees are due at the end of the month.
What’s really happening: With busy, involved kids in school and a household to run, budget is always on your mind. Extra-curricular fees can get expensive when you add everything up, and you seem to have more expenses this month than usual. You take a look at your budget and find ways to cut back in other places, temporarily, so that the extra expenses don’t negatively impact your budget overall.
Workplace Translation: You understand that it sometimes takes an investment in order to achieve project success. Understanding how to balance expenses with income is key to ensuring a healthy bottom line overall.
Return To Paid Work In Project Management
All of these to-do list items on a moms list are packed with read-between-the-lines stories that can attract the attention of hiring managers looking for someone with project management skills. If you are considering returning to work after a career pause, consider all of the ways your mom skills are transferable to the workplace to position yourself at the top of the candidate pool. If you need help building your confidence, writing your resume, tailoring your cover letter, looking for a job, or practicing for an interview, Parents Pivot is here to help! With years of experience placing moms back in the workplace after a career pause, we are confident that you can transition to paid work with success.
Start here to learn more about the resources available to you!
