Returning to work
That time of year is here when we are packing up our kids, maybe for the first time, and sending them off to school for the better part of their days. Or maybe our chicks have left the nest, were lucky enough to catch the bookworm leaving Mama with a whole lot of extra straw to gather to keep that nest lined.
Many women are reentering the workforce after years staying home taking care of children. And with technology developing more quickly, it can seem like a daunting endeavor. Many ask themselves, “What can I do?”
Are you kidding me?
If the average housewife had a resume, it would read something like:
Smith Family Organization, 20 years. Management of budgeting and accounts payable and receivable. Chief procurement officer of items including necessities and occasional luxuries as well as lead decision maker as to which item constituted necessity and which luxury.
Overseer of all menu areas of menu and event planning within said budget. In charge of nearly all transportation needs until time arrived to train and supervise others in the area of transportation. Responsible for organizational calendar including but not limited to the recognition of special occasions for those in the corporation, the extended corporation, or close colleagues of the organization.
And I’m not even counting the cooking, cleaning, kissing boo-boos, shopping all over town for the purple suede boots your daughter just had to have. Or physically holding yourself back from comforting your son because he’s too old for that. But some little flirt broke his heart, and since you can’t take your boy in your arms you’d like to drive to her house and slap her mother. But that could just be me.
So you’ll have to take some adult education classes, depending on your interests. But all that account managing screams bookkeeping to me. The attention to detail? Assistant or office manager. I cannot say enough about how much I respect office managers. They are the grease that keeps the wheels turning in any organization. Our own office manager, Diane, was gone for a week. I think it might have taken a year off my editor’s life. Recognizing the potential of someone in a certain area is perfect for a career in job placement and can lead to a career in human resources. And when you’re sitting across the desk from someone with no confidence in his or her own abilities, nor any clear vision for the future, you’ll find a little of that counseling will come in handy too.
And if it’s counseling you enjoy, I was a weight-loss counselor for years. Other than motherhood, it was the most rewarding job I ever had. To help people become healthier and happier — it doesn’t get much better.
It can be frustrating. There are those who break the rules, those who won’t cooperate and lash out at their counselor when the numbers on the scale goes up. But those are few in comparison to the clients I saw transform from embarrassed, or hostile, unhappy with their bodies and themselves to cheerful, confident women. Hearing them tell me in excited tones about the compliments they received in the outfits they could have never worn before and how much more energy they had to play with their children made me more determined to get through to the uncooperative rule breakers.
Most weight-loss companies will train you on their program themselves. Or you can get a certified nutritionist degree online. This might take some investment in advertising and maybe even some personal networking. To start with, you could rent an inexpensive space to hang out your own shingle like, it’s on the tip of my tongue, the community center!
Arbitration? Management. It doesn’t matter what kind. It will be nearly all you do. Of course, rarely does one start in management. If you wanted to work in a restaurant, you’ll probably have to start as a waitress, and that’s not a bad gig. If you want to be at home with your family at night, find a place with a steady lunch business. The money is pretty good, and the hours are flexible, there are no benefits unless you go into management. And if you do, beware, the hours are long and hard. But if you love it, it won’t seem so.
Substitute teachers also have flexible hours. The state of Alabama requires a background check and a high school diploma. Open an in-home daycare. You will need a state-issued license, which is issued after an inspection. If you make jewelry, quilt, or are gifted with flower arranging, check the Internet for trade days and art shows.
For the more adventurous among you, private detectives make a very good living. And anyone who has raised kids has been a private detective at one time or another.
“Hmm, she said she’s been home all night, but the hood of her car is still warm. And why would she have her hair curled and her make-up on just to sit around the house? I’m checking her phone,” I am neither endorsing nor discouraging this as a career choice. I am only saying this.
You can do anything. You are a mom.