Back to work mums
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03/05/2019
KLC Recruitment is proud to have 5 amazing mums on our team, this blog article celebrates working mums as one of our team members shares their journey…
As a mother myself, the thought of returning to work after you’ve been on maternity leave can be daunting. Everyday there are hundreds of mothers returning to work having those same thoughts about whether they would last a full day of work without a nap, childcare options and how they will juggle mum life and work life.
Being afraid and overwhelmed is perfectly normal. The decision to go back to work can sometimes feel just as big as the decision to have a baby. Below are my top tips for returning to work.
Stage One: The decision
For many mothers the initial decision to go back to work is tough. There’s always going to be that pull between wanting to spend all day with your child and wanting to rediscover your ‘work self’. There is no right or wrong time to go back to work, however if you are starting to go crazy watching ABC kids every day – I think it’s time to take the next step!
Stage Two: Look for work
This stage is often considered the hardest, especially if you don’t have a role to go back to. Before you were a mum you had the luxury of working wherever you fancied. Now, you have to juggle the decisions of how many days you’ll be working, whether you can afford childcare for the time you’re at work, whether there’s any flexibility for the days your kids are ill and a thousand things.
For me, I felt that starting back in a temporary position would be ideal and this is where KLC Recruitment helped me out. With administration and reception experience up my sleeve, I reached out to a friendly KLC consultant where they placed me on their temporary receptionist roster. This gave me the flexibility to say “yes” or “no” to shifts when they came available depending on whether I could get a sitter. Being on the temporary receptionist roster also gave me time to find childcare that had available days and once this was locked in, KLC found me a permanent role – low and behold it was with them as their receptionist!
When you’re looking for jobs, be sure to look for roles that have a degree of flexibility; whether that’s allowing you to work compressed hours (you work the same hours over 3 or 4 days rather than a whole week), job share or a role that allows you to work from home.
It might sound demanding wanting so much when you’re returning to the workforce, but it’s key to making your life easier. My best advice since working in a recruitment agency is to be brave and ask for the flexibility that you need and make sure that it works both ways, be ready to give something back to your employer when you can and make sure you make a good business case for working flexibly.
Stage Three: Childcare
Childcare is both practical and necessary for re-entering the workforce. My three tips for tackling childcare are;
- Be ahead of the game. Once you have the urge to get back into the workforce, start looking and applying for childcare. The waiting list for some centres can be months or even years. Get your name down early!
- Find a centre close to home, there is nothing more stressful than your clinging child making you late for work. If you’re close by, you can manage this and if they are unwell or get bitten by another child, you can be there faster and yes this has happened before.
- Make sure you have a plan B in case all else fails with childcare or if your child is sick.
Stage Four: Finding your feet (and making things work)
So you’ve nailed a new role and a great childcare centre two minutes from home, now to ace your first week back at work. Your first day will feel odd – you’re going through a range of emotions, from the nerves of a new company to the fact you feel like an awful mother handing over your crying child to a stranger. You WILL get through it and you’ll soon remember what you loved about work in the first place and what it feels to have proper adult conversations!
How can KLC Help me?
With all of that said the joy of balancing mum life and work life has been an amazing experience for me over the past 2 years! If you are a mum looking to get back into the workforce, KLC can happily assist you, just like they did for me.
Give KLC Recruitment a call today and chat with a friendly consultant about the ideal role that works for you and your family.
Last but not least, Happy Mother’s Day to all those mummas out there – you rock, keep on going, you got this!