Parenting might just be the best preparation for any career, you just need to know how to use those natural parenting skills to your advantage.
So, you had kids, and stayed home for a while to give them the very best of your love and attention in those early days but now you are thinking about going back to work.
Scary isn’t it! On the one hand you love your little ones, you treasure the time you have together and blimey don’t they grow up fast! On the flip side, an adult conversation might be nice once in a while and perhaps the opportunity to pee uninterrupted isn’t too much to ask, not to mention the glimmer of independence that some extra income would provide.
It’s such a difficult decision, to work or not to work, especially when it feels as though you have been away from a job for a lifetime; What if you don’t have any of the skills they need? What if all of the other people, who are interviewing for the position, don’t have kids? Will a boss really choose someone who has a potentially poorly and unpredictably grouchy child at home distracting them from work over a free-spirited single pringle?
What job would you even do? What job could you do to be more precise? Well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls I am here to tell you that you are perfectly qualified for a whole heap of jobs, and you are actually the ideal candidate for many roles because you are a parent!
Really, I mean it, if you can balance a toddler on your hip, cook dinner, answer the phone, and remember to let the dog out, while ordering the food shopping and making a cup of tea then what job could there possibly be that you can’t do?
I know you are worrying just a little bit about being brave enough to put yourself out there, but all I can say is that if you can handle a 3-year-old who is jacked-up on sugar and 3 years of sleep deprivation I would like to bet you could handle just about anyone so don’t sell yourself short.
You are already working in the most stressful, undervalued and underpaid position out there but while doing it, and without even knowing it you have found within yourself some valuable skills that are absolutely applicable to work, all you need to know is how to deliver them.
Let’s take a look at a few of the day-to-day things you do that are taken for granted and how we can flip them into personal attributes.
- Six consecutive weeks of sleepless nights and night feeds = Perseverance and Stamina
- Pacifying screaming child who cannot fathom out why playing with the toilet water is not okay = Strong leadership skills
- Singing “baby shark” 54 times in a row to distract child from the boring car journey to the supermarket = fun and outgoing
- Agree to disagree with co-parent on the necessity of a football kit for a new born baby girl = flexible
- Always having a bag of chocolate buttons and a pack of baby wipes handy = Organised and forward-thinking
- Walking round the block for the 10th time to get the baby to sleep = self-motivated
- Bringing new life form into existence = team player
That was easy right! Now let’s take all of the above and summarise it into a personal statement.
You are a fun and outgoing individual who thrives in a busy atmosphere. You approach your work with perseverance and stamina going above and beyond to see a job done well. You are flexible, organised and a real forward-thinker who is self-motivated but also happy to work as part of a team, taking the lead when a task calls for it.
See what I mean, damn I would hire you, you sound awesome!
If you take a look at the key attributes on the job descriptions that are out there you will see most, if not all of these traits are listed as desirable, this means, just like that and without even trying you are a great fit for so many more jobs than you thought you were, all you have to do now is choose the one that is the best fit for you.
To give you one last little boost and push in the right direction, here is a little insider info from someone in the know, if you are thinking about returning to work click here to go through my ‘secret people in the know portal’ to see all the available opportunities.
