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I am a stay-at-home mom of two sons, 12 and 10. I used to be an advertising manager. I love my new career and have thrown myself completely into it.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Re-entering the Workforce?

This is a question I've been pondering for the last couple of months.  I've been out of the workforce for about 10 years.  Our family has subsisted on one salary, even through my husband's employer going out of business, my husband's subsequent unemployment, then a new job with a substantial cut in salary.  Through careful planning on our part, slashing expenses and my husband eventually finding better work, we have hung in there.  But now it's getting much harder to continue living on one salary and having everything hinge on my husband's job.  He's in advertising, which is notoriously unstable, although many professions have become that way now.

So here I am now contemplating trying to re-enter the workforce after 10 years away and figuring out how to best do this.  I did try to stay in the workforce after my second son was born, but I wanted to work part-time and my employer would not agree to it.  At the time my sons were a 20-month old and a newborn.  So having them go to daycard would be very expensive and it would be very difficult to work full-time, especially in the advertising position I was in.  Both my husband and I were working in advertising and these are not 9-5 jobs - the hours can be very unpredictable.

Anyway, I'm contemplating re-entering the workforce during one of the most difficult periods for anyone to find work.  Will anyone want to hire me?  Employers are putting "unemployed need not apply" in their job listings, which by the way, I think is deplorable!  I have very good skills, am very organized, efficient, dependable, a skilled negotiator, creative thinker, problem-solver, etc.  I've volunteered at my sons' school for over 7 years and have headed a committee and managed the budgets and activities for my sons' classrooms.  My sons are now old enough that they don't need after-school care, although we have considered possibly hiring a babysitter to watch them during the "latch-key" hours.  That would depend on how responsible they show themselves to be.  Also, I would have to pretty much buy a new wardrobe since all of my current clothes are jeans, capri pants and wash-and-wear T-shirts.

So the questions are:
Can I find a job?
What type of work would an employer consider hiring me for?
How much money could I realistically make?
Would it be worth it in terms of increased costs of working and quality of life issues?
Can I find part-time work?  Is that even feasible?
If I don't get a job now, will it make it that much harder to find one later if I find myself in a situation where I need one?
If I go much more beyond the "10 years" of not being in the workplace, will I become permanently "unemployable"?

Are any of you grappling with these issues or have you in the past?  What have been your experiences and do you have any advice?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

5 comments:

  1. My sister would be a perfect person to talk to. She went back to work after 16 years of being a stay at home mom. She started off as a medical receptionist making $8 an hour and then is now a medical assistant making $12 an hour. She lives in PA where there is a ton of unemployment. You just need to have faith and put your toes in the water. You never know what will happen! I'm a new follower from the Monday Mingle blog hop. Good luck and keep us posted!

    Dayna
    http://www.greatbeautybuys.com

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  2. Thanks for the follow. I agree with Dayna you never know what will happen. Good luck with whatever path you choose. I will be sure to stick around to see were your journey takes you.

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  3. I struggle with this too. I've stayed home for 5 years. I need to decide if I want to re-enter my old career or choose a new one. It's a tough decision. Good luck, and hopefully you'll know it when you see it. P.s. I'm following you back from www.mama-press.com

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  4. Hiya newest follower here , popping over and following from monday mingle would love a follow back http://mummycanihave.blogspot.com/ , nicci

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  5. I had a friend who was a stay at home mom and had not worked in 18 years. Her husbands hours got cut and they could no longer live on 1 income. She still had 5 school age children at home and was struggling with wanting to be there for them, but yet needing to work. She had a VERY difficult just getting interviews. But thankfully she got a perfect job for her. She was able to be a teachers aid at her son's school. This way she was still with her family on the weekends and holidays and after school with them. And of course she loves kids. She is extremely happy with her job and the extra income helps.

    I am a new follower.

    I would love if you came and followed me back at Free eBooks Daily
    http://www.freeebooksdaily.com

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