Returning to work after maternity leave. Secrets of success

Hi all! Olga Strugovshchikova and the “Mom’s Career” project are with you.

Today our guest is Anastasia Shashkova, a career consultant.

We will talk about the topic:

• how to return to the office after maternity leave,
• how to build a career for a mother who has one child or several children,
• Let's understand the issues that relate to a career in the office, in a regular job.
• about issues related to delicate issues - about sick leave, about maternity leave and about care,
• what to do if there is a long break from work,
• what to do if you want to change direction,
• Let's look at one practical exercise that will help you increase your confidence and easily pass the interview.

Text version of the interview

Olga: Nastia hello!

Anastasia: Hi, Olya!

My name is Anastasia Shashkova, I am also a mother and I have two children. Not long ago I had a baby, he is now two years old. So the topic of maternity leave and returning from maternity leave is relevant to me. I even managed to practice this once.

The path to your dream job - career counseling

Olga:Fine! You are a career person, but this was not always the case. Please tell us how you came to this profession and a little about yourself.

Anastasia:

For a long time - more than 10 years - I worked for Western companies as a marketer. I made a good career, was a fairly high-level manager, I had my own subordinates, my own department, which I led.

At some point, I realized that life for the sake of a career was no longer interesting and I forgot about myself and the most important thing for me - family and children, and my dreams remained unfulfilled.

I took a break from my career and started looking for myself. I was invited to work for a recruitment and search agency to participate in the process of attracting highly qualified personnel for Western companies. So I found something I liked. I quickly managed to get used to this area, since I already had experience in selecting people for my team. And I worked in Western companies, i.e. I understood what format of specialists was needed, how to interest these people, how to motivate them, etc.

At some point, I managed to realize my old dream; I had a second baby. And when I left the recruitment agency on maternity leave, I realized that now I don’t want to return to the office. I want to focus on my family, but my experience and knowledge may be useful to other mothers. So I started career counseling and Olya, your program that we went through together helped me a lot.

I have identified a priority direction for myself that interests me, inspires me and gives me strength and the opportunity for self-realization. And at the same time I really benefit mothers. Until recently, in my career as a marketer, I didn't feel like I was adding value. It seemed to me that yes, I had an overall interesting job and a high position, but this was not the job I dreamed of.

Now, thanks to your help, I have finally come to the job of my dreams.

Consulting formats from home

Olga:Tell me, now in what format do you consult: in person, in absentia? How do people contact you?

Anastasia: I have several work formats. If the conversation is about working with a client to prepare for an interview, or working through some issues in more depth, then personal meetings are better here. I prefer to conduct introductory meetings and work with technical issues, for example, preparing a good selling resume or discussing a career strategy via Skype. In addition, there are clients who are in other cities, all work with them is carried out via Skype, of course.

For example, today I had a consultation with a mother from Voronezh. It would have been inconvenient for her to come to meet me in person, but we discussed all the most pressing issues for her and developed a strategy for further behavior in her search for work via Skype.

The Hottest Topics in Career Counseling

Olga:Great! What are the hottest and most relevant topics that mothers come to you with?

Anastasia:

Very often, mothers on maternity leave, who understand that it is time to go to work, have fears. The top 3 fears that are relevant for almost all mothers are the thought “no one is waiting for me in the old place”, or “I’ve already forgotten everything”, or “yes, everything has changed there and this is a different company, where should I go?! ”

Of course, all these issues need to be dealt with separately. Often mothers overthink themselves and create unnecessary stress. Exiting maternity leave is a large block of questions that can be divided into small steps and each of these steps can be worked out in advance, which is not so difficult.

For example, “How will the baby be without me, it will be very difficult for him?”

Here you have the opportunity to insure yourself in advance.

Firstly, begin to accustom the child in advance to the fact that he will remain without his mother for some time.

Secondly, find out in advance so that you don’t end up in a situation where you go out tomorrow and you don’t have a nanny and the baby has to stay with a stranger unexpectedly.

And the third point, if the baby goes to kindergarten, nevertheless think about who will be with the baby if he gets sick in kindergarten. How long can you always be with him?

I recommend this strategy to mothers: if they go to work and plan to build a career, then they need to accept the fact that constantly being on sick leave is, first of all, unprofitable for the mother herself. She loses both money and the image of the employee. Now I’m not talking about a situation where a mother goes out to work for six months or a year and then goes on maternity leave again.

Usually the first three days are the hardest and, of course, it is better for the mother to spend them with the baby. Next you need to think about who will help mom. Who will stay with the baby while he remains at home for some time to finally recover. Here someone can replace the mother, and the mother can return to work.

The politics of compromise and mom life hacks works here.

Lifehacks for moms choosing a career

Olga:Maybe you have some life hacks that you can share? They usually say that in the most difficult situation are mothers who say that I don’t have grandparents and what should I do? There is no one to leave the child with. And babysitters are expensive. And what to do if nothing at all?

Anastasia:

You know, Olya, there was a moment in my life when I myself was faced with such a situation. I then made a clear conclusion for myself that, of course, nannies are quite expensive, but even if you give the nanny 80% of your salary, you do not lose a minute. You gain valuable experience. You went to work and you have the opportunity to take the next career step, get a promotion, get a bigger salary, get a more interesting job. Here the percentage you give to the nanny will be less. In this case, the mother gains such precious experience. It's no secret that the longer you stay at home, the harder it will be to return. Moreover, in a worthy position.

At some point, a mother may be faced with the situation that she was once in a high position, a person with good experience, a respected employee of the company, and now years have passed and people who were once assistants, assistants, secretaries have taken her position . It is psychologically difficult to return in such a situation. How to obey someone in whom you do not see a leader?

Therefore, my advice when it comes to nannies is to think ahead. Think about the fact that you are going out not only to earn money, but that you will also be realized and grow. And as you grow, the issue of a nanny will become less and less painful for you. And plus the child is growing. At some point, he will no longer need a nanny for a lot of money. As soon as he starts going to kindergarten or going to school normally, the nanny will cost you less. It will be possible to hire a nanny for some part of the day, you can look for a nanny in the nearest house, a neighbor who will be there for you for some interesting money for you. She will not sit with your child all day long, but for a few hours and only when the child is sick or if you need to go on a business trip.

Mothers are the most interesting candidates for employers

Olga:I sit there nodding because yes, I agree with everything. It is important not to see hopelessness in this situation, but to understand that something can be done.

Anastasia:Absolutely exactly, Olya. I believe that a mother who is returning from maternity leave is one of the most interesting candidates for an employer. Firstly, mom is usually incredibly motivated to work and does it very efficiently. They no longer have time to drink tea or chat with friends during working hours. They just take it and do their work efficiently and on time. They understand that the baby is waiting at home, they can’t linger. Mothers who have returned from maternity leave are people who have learned to effectively cope with a huge amount of stress and several tasks in one minute. A mother like the many-armed Shiva comes to the office and accomplishes more than she did before maternity leave. Here I see only a plus for the employer. At the same time, my mother already knows how to find a common language with very difficult clients. Mom doesn’t need to be shy; on the contrary, maternity leave is an experience that taught me a lot.

Employers' attitude towards mothers with children

Olga: Tell me, you also interacted with representatives of the employing companies. Your position is clear. I think about it all in exactly the same way and always talk about it. But do employers really think the same? Many people don't believe this. Do you have any examples where employers actively hire women and it doesn’t matter to them whether they are on maternity leave or not? Or even prefer them?

Anastasia:

Yes, this is a very good question, Olga. Firstly, there are different employers. Some employers are so blinkered that even if you don’t tell them, no matter what level of professional comes for an interview, they will still look for disadvantages, dig around and ask awkward questions for a long time. And here the mother herself needs to think about whether she needs such an employer. Because later, in work, this will also manifest itself and demotivate.

In a good company of a decent level, where there are good prospects for career growth, mothers will look at this issue differently. They will appreciate, first of all, professional qualities. Often mothers themselves spoil their image during an interview. Coming back from maternity leave, they are very stressed about this and spend the entire interview waiting for the question about the children. And when they are not asked it, they themselves begin to talk about it. They begin to make excuses, explain themselves and say something like: “Well, excuse me, I have children, but believe me, I never...”.

This justification doesn't sound very convincing. Moreover, by raising this question, mothers themselves give the opportunity for the person conducting the interview to “undermine” them. In my opinion, there is no need to focus on this issue. You need to perceive yourself as a professional. Do you have children. And what? The main thing is that you have everything under control, you organized this moment. Now, if your husband was asked such a question, would he be embarrassed? There are children, yes. This is fine.

Moreover, I know mothers who, even with four children, became general directors of large Western corporations. So children are not a hindrance to your career. The question, rather, is about the mother’s attitude to this issue and how correctly the mother sells herself, how she presents herself and her strengths at the interview.

If such questions are asked, you need to prepare a short and clear answer. And immediately move on to the next topics related to your professional activities.

How mothers can answer questions about children at interviews

Olga:What is this answer?

Anastasia:You can, for example, say this: “Yes, I have someone to look after the children. This issue has been resolved."

Olga: Great!

Anastasia:There is no need for unnecessary details here.

How to behave at an interview after a long maternity leave

Olga:This is your life hack for moms, thank you! And if the maternity leave was long. For example, there were two or three children in a row and the girl was on maternity leave for 7-8 years. How to be here? It’s clear that you have good education and experience, maybe you haven’t even fired them yet, since everything was done correctly by law, but what can you do here? How and what to tell in order to feel confident? How to reflect this on a resume? How to get out of an interview and present yourself well? What advice do you have?

Anastasia:

The most important advice I give to all mothers is calm and only calm! This is definitely not a hopeless situation. In my practice, there are examples when girls, after two consecutive maternity leave, are promoted to another company. So it’s a question of the right approach to job search and task setting.

Firstly, you need to prepare in advance for leaving maternity leave. Six months to a year before your expected release, start reading articles on your professional topics to understand what has changed in your field of application of knowledge. Start meeting with your former work colleagues so that they can tell you what is happening in the company, what the situation is in the industry as a whole. So that you are in the right information field. Then you will come to a meeting with your future boss no longer as a mother, who has all the thoughts and knowledge about children, the health and well-being of the family, but as a professional, ready to return to work 100% of the time.

The next point is to contact your department in advance if you plan to return to your previous place of work and inform them of the expected release dates. This will give them the opportunity to also prepare and take you into account when forming a plan for the movement of employees and opening new positions in the company. Thanks to them, you can understand when a position suitable for your level will open, and what options they will be able to offer you, provided that you are ready to consider other positions too.

In general, the law is on the mother’s side in this situation and the woman has the right to return to exactly the position from which she left. But it often happens, let’s not pretend, that that position is no longer available for a number of reasons. The department structure has changed or your department has been disbanded, etc. In such a situation, I recommend being more loyal to what the employer offers you.

In general, my recommendation to mothers is to return to their previous place of work. Even if everything is not the way you would like. They are waiting for you there anyway; by law they are required to accept you. And they will be more accepting of the fact that you have children. In a new company, they will expect achievements and career breakthroughs from you from the very beginning, and will not give you time to adapt to your new post-maternity life. This is additional stress; rather, this option is less comfortable for both the mother and the whole family.

Having returned to your old place of work, you will quickly get used to such a familiar, but still new role for you, you will quickly feel comfortable among your colleagues, and you will understand what is currently happening in your professional field. And then you can decide whether to stay in this company or look for other opportunities.

And if you still decide to look for a new job, then you need to look at what is now on the labor market. Carefully go through all job search sites. What vacancies are there, what are the salaries? Who are the people who are applying for these vacancies and with whom you will have to compete in search of work, look at the resumes of your potential competitors carefully. Do you know the same programs, foreign languages, or maybe it makes sense to take training courses, go to conferences or listen to seminars? Even if you don’t get the crust, you will still have an idea of ​​what industry-relevant skills and abilities you have. You will also be able to “speak the language” familiar to your future colleagues.

If I were a mother, I wouldn’t pay much attention during an interview to what they don’t know or can’t do. On the contrary, I advise you to focus on what you managed to do during your work, what results you achieved, what skills you acquired, even if it was a long time ago.

Yes, perhaps a mother who has been at home for 8 years should agree to a less ambitious position, while understanding that this step will help her return to work. Your life experience, your work experience are your trump cards. Thanks to them, you will make your career much faster than a beginner who still needs to learn everything.

Who should a young mother contact to write a competent resume?

Olga:Very valuable recommendations! So I’m listening to you and I understand that, probably, to some this will seem like a complicated, voluminous, scary task. Why scary? Because reading other people’s resumes, in which they fountainly describe how great people are, is difficult and can damage your self-esteem. Tell me, where can a mother like this go for help with writing a resume and preparing for an interview? Surely, someone has already made similar assessments and reviewed resumes; maybe it can help to correct them and prepare them for an interview? What tools and what help can I recommend using?

Anastasia:

Now the infrastructure is quite developed in terms of helping mothers in this direction. There is such a direction as career consultants, for example. In particular, this is exactly what I am doing.

I help you create a selling resume. I help my mother tell her story, talk about herself correctly, practice before the interview so that at the decisive moment she does not make mistakes, feels confident and presents herself in the best light.

Often people cannot find a good job just because they present themselves incorrectly. I have many clients who talk about themselves in such a chaotic, unclear and unsure way that it is difficult to isolate from the flow of information what their strengths and professionalism are.

Passing an interview is a skill like playing tennis or riding a bike. If you train all the time, you begin to do it well. It’s the same with passing a job search interview—you just need to practice. This is where a career consultant can help you a lot.

There are basic things that you can work out on your own. You can try to find a good recruitment agency, go for an interview with them and then ask them for honest feedback. Perhaps this will already help you a lot and open your eyes to something.

Individual assistance, individual counseling, is always more effective than such free trips. But they can also help.

Why you should contact a career consultant

Olga:As I understand it, another good thing about a career consultant is that he is independent. Because agencies, one way or another, are interested in selecting employees for a company and this is their bread. If you go to some company, they are not inclined to help employees and their customer is the owner of the company.

Anastasia: Yes. And often many things remain unspoken. In my practice, for example, there were situations where people occupying fairly high positions never heard truthful feedback about how they were doing in the interview. Several meetings with a career consultant help in such a situation to take a fresh look at yourself and strengthen your self-presentation.

What is an interview? It's a game in some way. You need to know the rules and learn to play. Here, of course, individual work with a person who works for your success gives good results.

State programs to help mothers

Olga:Do you know anything about such help for mothers, for example, from Employment Centers or some kind of government support? I have not heard about that?

Anastasia:

I can tell you about what I encountered. Yes, there are certain programs to help moms get back to work. But here we are talking more about courses that can be taken at the expense of the state, career guidance, and additional help in terms of skills.

My experience shows that for moms, the issue is not the presence or absence of knowledge, but rather self-confidence, confidence in what they know. Here, unfortunately, career guidance or labor exchanges will not be of much help. Here you need to work specifically on your mother’s own perception of the situation. My experience and scientific research confirm the fact that of two people, the one who will be better interviewed and get the job is not the one who is stronger as a professional, but the one who is prettier and more correct in talking about himself. And this is the prose of life, unfortunately.

Moreover, I would not recommend that mothers rush into some and urgently study there. Because, in my opinion, it makes sense to first go to work, and then understand what exactly needs to be studied. And perhaps this training will be free from your company. The company is interested in your effectiveness. She will invest resources in you. For example, during working hours it will give you the opportunity to undergo some training programs. It is absolutely not necessary to spend a lot of time and effort on this before you go to work.

Olga:Yes, I agree. In the Employment Centers there are courses for positions working with personnel, basic ones, some paperwork.

Anastasia: Yes, basic and paperwork. Some courses will only be relevant if the mother has decided to find a new area of ​​application for herself. Then it makes sense to go study. In most cases, the things that a mother needs to master, she will very quickly master in practice, having already started working.

If you've never been an accountant, why should you go to school to become an accountant? Why retrain if you already worked and you liked it, you were promoted and you have a good base of knowledge?

It’s another matter when some mothers, during maternity leave, realize that they are no longer interested in what they did before and need to look for a new thing they like. Here all the questions, Olya, are for you! Your help will help them.

Olga: Yes, here I would also say that first you need to find something you like, and then go to study, and not just because or because it’s free, let’s say. Because all this “free” stuff is still included in the price of your time and effort on these lessons. You will need to place your children somewhere and so on.

Olga: Nastya, you are very detailed and detailed, very cool and valuable! Tell me, what advice can you give in conclusion to those who are listening to us? Some of your recommendations, wishes from you, as a two-time mother and as an expert in these matters.

Anastasia:

If you decide to go to work, then first enlist the support of your loved ones. Think very carefully about how your child will spend time without you, what will happen if he gets sick? Of course, make a good resume and practice talking about yourself. Try to return to your previous job. And if something doesn’t work out there, confidently go looking for a new one. There is nothing shameful here. People leave and return to work for various reasons. Someone had health problems, someone tried themselves in a new profession and decided to return, someone could leave for family reasons to another country and return... There is nothing terrible in the very fact of a break in work!

You are a valuable candidate, a valuable employee for the company. So you need to think about yourself and just clean your feathers a little.

Olga:Love, value yourself and tell everyone about it!

Anastasia:Yes, and tell everyone about it!

How to contact Anastasia for advice

Olga:Anastasia, thank you! I think that we will leave your contacts for this interview so that the girls can contact you.

You know, there is a joke: I read my resume and almost burst into tears - I felt sorry for giving myself to this company.

So I wish your resume to evoke just such emotions. And I know how self-confidence is undermined during maternity leave. But there is the experience of millions of mothers who went to work with children, and somehow work and achieve success. You just need to adopt it and believe in yourself! This is my parting word.

An exercise that will boost your self-esteem and help you pass an interview easier

Anastasia: Absolutely! There is also a tool that you, Olya, gave us during classes, and I tried it in my work. He is very good at helping moms set themselves up for success. You need to write down your forty achievements that you had during the time you worked.

While you write these 40 achievements, you will once again remember how valuable an employee you are and your self-confidence will definitely increase! And if suddenly at an interview you are asked to give examples of your successes, then you will already know what to talk about.

Olga: Achievement #38!

Anastasia: Yes!

Olga:Great! At the end we still have such practical value with the task. Highly recommend! If you think that you do not have forty achievements, then you are wrong! They exist, they just need to be dug up, and maybe not in one day.

Let's say goodbye! Many thanks to all our listeners and readers of the site! Ask your questions, and Anastasia and I will be happy to answer them.

Anastasia, thank you so much for your answers!

Anastasia:Thanks for the good, interesting conversation!

Olga: Bye!

Anastasia: Bye everyone and have a successful career!

Interviewed by:
Olga Strugovshchikova - author of the project "Mom's Career"

Our guest:
Anastasia Shashkova - career consultant
Skype: anastasia.shashkova
Mail: [email protected]

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Returning to work after maternity leave. Secrets of success

Returning to work after maternity leave is a pressing and exciting issue for many mothers. How, after such a long break from work, not to lose your touch and be interesting to employers?

Indeed, today, most employers are wary of hiring women on maternity leave, fearing frequent sick leave and a long understanding of the work process. Everything is much simpler if you return to your previous place, but what if you decide to look for a new job? How to draw the employer's attention to your strengths, how to position yourself correctly at an interview or in an old team? What should be included in your resume and what should you do to get the coveted “Yes!”? We will look at the answer to these questions here.

1. Decide “Where to sail?”
Before, it is important to decide for yourself what to do after maternity leave: return to your previous job or look for a new one?
If you decide to significantly change your profile, think about what area interests you, where and who you see yourself in the next year or two. Perhaps during your maternity leave you have mastered new areas in which you want to grow professionally. Formulate a goal for yourself and your employer.

2. Making a resume
The general form of a resume for a specialist planning to return from maternity leave does not differ significantly from generally accepted standards. In the same way, indicate all the main blocks: education, work experience, responsibilities, achievements, etc. With the exception of two points. Firstly, you should not indicate that you are on maternity leave; interest the employer as a professional. In your resume, focus on your achievements and well-described duties performed. And if your professional experience attracts attention, half the work is done! Secondly, do not hide the fact of having children and marital status. For example, write: married, have a child born in 2012. An employer who cares about this status will pay attention to this and if a question arises, he will ask you.

Marriage and the presence of children do not hide the fact that you were on maternity leave, but they also provide an opportunity to focus the employer’s attention on your professional component and work experience.

Then, during a telephone conversation or meeting, you can talk about the current state of affairs, interest- ing the employer in aspects of your professional biography and arguments positioning you from the business side. Before sending your resume, think about your competitive advantages, for example, these could be: higher motivation for work and self-realization or a guarantee that you will not go on maternity leave in the near future.

3. Initiate the process!
Inaction is equal to the force of opposition. A rolling stone gathers no moss. You can remember a bunch of proverbs to convey an important idea - be proactive in developing yourself and when looking for a job. While on maternity leave, try to compensate for the break in work. Read professional literature, magazines, communicate in communities, keep in touch with work colleagues, and if possible, take advanced training courses. All this will help you quickly integrate into the work process and keep abreast of events.

After you have compiled your resume, use the Internet and periodicals to search for vacancies. It would be a good idea to send your resume to recruitment agencies. After sending your resume to suitable vacancies, be proactive and find out the fate of your resume by calling the employer. This can be a good reason to interest the employer over the phone in aspects of your biography.

4. They greet you based on their clothes, they see you off based on their intelligence!
Before you go for an interview or return to your previous job, we recommend that you clean up your own wardrobe. Change your usual jeans and sweaters to a business suit and a couple of dresses. Go to a beauty salon for a manicure; you probably didn’t have time for this during maternity leave.

When you come to an interview, you must impress not only with your appearance, but also interest the employer as a professional. Speak in a professional and business-like manner. Don't show your anxiety and excitement, be confident in yourself! Your task is to make it clear to the employer that after such a long break, you have an irresistible desire for self-realization and work. High motivation is one of the key criteria for making a positive decision about a candidate.

Before the meeting, recall important aspects of your previous activities: duties performed, achievements, etc., so that during the interview you do not remember what happened 2-3 years ago. Answer questions quickly and concisely.

5. Questions about maternity leave
During the interview, the employer will not lose sight of questions about maternity leave and children, since there are certain risks and fears associated with hiring such an employee. Your task is to dispel these fears and reduce risks. When touching on the period of maternity leave, tell the employer about how you maintained your professional level during your leave, what you read, watched, and what courses you took. Try not to use answers to questions like: “It was a long time ago..”, “Unfortunately, I can’t remember..”. In addition, before the interview, think about how the issue will be resolved with the child in the event of his illness, whether you will involve a nanny or grandmother or take sick leave yourself. In this matter, it is necessary to reduce the employer's concerns.

There are entire groups of job seekers who find it difficult to find work: for example, young mothers who are returning from maternity leave. We decided to find out why employers are wary of them, and which companies, on the contrary, support them.

What are employers afraid of?

There is a stereotype that an employee with a small child is more trouble than good. The employer expects two potentially negative scenarios from a young mother:

1) That the employee will not be able to devote enough time to work.
There is an opinion that a young mother will disappear all the time: either she needs a sick leave, or a day off, or a children’s party, or to pick up the child from kindergarten early. You can’t send her on business trips and asking her to stay late to finish important work won’t work either. In addition, most companies have working hours until 18:00 or 19:00, and many kindergartens require that the child be picked up before 17:00.

2) That during maternity leave the employee lost her professional qualifications.
Skills that we don't use for a while weaken. This applies to everything: driving a car, the English language, and even ordinary communication with others. Employers think: if you were on maternity leave for two years, you only took care of the child, therefore, you didn’t read professional literature, forgot English and didn’t follow current trends in your field.

Your strengths

The main task of any candidate is to prove his usefulness to the employer. The same applies to young mothers. After talking with you, the employer should get the impression that he will finally be able to fill the vacancy, delegate tasks and go about his business. Therefore, during the interview, try to focus on your strengths.

You just really want to work

Your main trump card is burning eyes. Having spent enough time with children, women are eager to work, remember forgotten things, and use their business abilities. They don’t show up half a day late for work, don’t take frequent smoke breaks, and won’t leave for a “warmer place” after six months because they value stability. Women after maternity leave are happy to communicate with adults all day, have an hour for lunch and the opportunity to concentrate on work. Moreover, the longer the employee was on maternity leave, the more glad she was to return to work.

“A woman who has spent several months or years on maternity leave usually really wants to work,” Vasily Voropaev, founder of Rubrain.com, shares his experience. “She wants to take her mind off worries about the child and is ready to provide not only her own, but also his future, even if it’s only paying for a nanny or kindergarten. This is a big responsibility that forces an employee to think about her professional development.”

“After spending a couple of years at home on maternity leave, many active girls simply go crazy from the constant “Groundhog Day,” adds Valentina Ignatieva, leading HR manager at the integrated communications agency Comunica. - Therefore, they are very happy to return to the team and develop professionally. Experience shows that those who work productively remain the same after the birth of a child, so multitasking is not a problem for them. And young mothers have a much stronger sense of responsibility than their colleagues who don’t have children yet.”

You have your own strong skills

These are time management, organization, the ability to multitask and much more. Employees with small children have a number of advantages over others, says Ksenia Andreeva, HR branch of the company 1C-Rarus. “They are much more diligent than their colleagues without children, they are attentive to detail and know how to manage time effectively,” she says. - In our experience, mothers who have just returned from maternity leave cope well with tasks that require constant monitoring (for example, this may be monitoring indicators). Such employees are responsible and focused.”

Another professional advantage of women who work while caring for a child is experience in time management and speed of decision-making, adds Vasily Voropaev: “Maternity leave taught them to instantly assess the situation, solve a problem and manage their time, not procrastinate. These are very important qualities for business.”

Another undeniable advantage of mothers with small children is loyalty, says Zulfiya Yupashevskaya, head of the HR services department at BDO Unicon Outsourcing. “A woman who has a balance between work and family is unlikely to want to change jobs in the foreseeable future,” she continues. - In addition, such employees usually give 100%. It is important for them, firstly, to keep their job, and secondly, to learn new things and catch up on lost knowledge (if the maternity leave was long). Another point in favor of young mothers is their time management and prioritization skills. Well, in my experience, maternity leave also develops flexibility and negotiation skills well, and this is a big plus for any employee.”

Are you ready to seek compromises?

And look for different possible ways to solve problems. For example, work remotely for some time if a child is sick, or choose an individual, convenient work schedule together with the employer. “You can change the work schedule, you can divide the work into parts, doing it at different times of the day,” says Rail Khismatullin, president of the Tentorium group of enterprises. - You can generally organize seasonal work, leaving yourself seasons of guaranteed vacation. The majority of our distributors are women, and often young mothers with children. Of course, they should not be put on assembly line work, but this does not mean that such women should not be considered as workers at all. Young mothers are often willing to do the impossible to gain a foothold, gain promotion, experience, recommendations and a good salary. And in this respect they are often superior to men.”

If your position does not require mandatory presence in the office, agree with management that you will work remotely for the first time after returning from maternity leave. This will help both you and your child get used to new life circumstances. Some companies are absolutely fine with such a multi-stage exit from maternity leave. “We started collaborating remotely with one young mother when she was still on maternity leave,” says Natalya Zasypina, director of the marketing department at Fogsoft. - The child was then less than one and a half years old. This employee and I communicated via Skype and email. I remember that during our Skype calls, baby babble was periodically heard in the microphone, but this did not bother anyone from our company, because it did not interfere with the work process. If a person is responsible, then nothing will stop him from doing his job efficiently. By the way, this employee will soon become a mother for the second time, and we will be happy to continue cooperation when she becomes comfortable combining caring for a child with solving our problems.”

Sometimes companies accommodate young mothers and decide to transfer an employee with a small child to remote work after returning from maternity leave. Both the employee and the company can benefit from such a solution. “A girl who had been at home with her child for two and a half years came to us for an interview,” says Svetlana Antonova, head of the HR department of the Arasar company. “She applied for the position of logistician, and this is a rather stressful job: it is necessary to organize and control the movement of special equipment and equipment for construction sites throughout the country. The applicant suited us in all respects; moreover, even while on maternity leave, she was aware of, for example, current regional tariffs for transportation by trawls. We invited her to work. At first everything went well - the man’s eyes sparkled, and the work was a joy. But after about six months, her child began to catch colds regularly. St. Petersburg autumn, kindergarten - there are many reasons. Mom began a series of forced days off. Considering that the employee is very competent and responsible, we decided to transfer her to remote work with a visit to the office in case of special need. We are already in our second year of such cooperation and we can say that this decision was the right one.”

1. Immediately draw the employer's attention to the fact that you have someone to look after the child. Indicate this on your resume in the “Marital status” section, say it in a telephone conversation, and repeat it at the interview. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a grandmother, a nanny or a kindergarten, the main thing is that you have planned who the child will stay with while you work. The employer should get the impression that you have reliable assistants and a clear plan. This will put you on par with childless candidates.

Of course, you need to prepare your child for this as early as possible before leaving maternity leave: decide who the baby will stay with during your absence, and begin to accustom him to this - for example, send him to kindergarten in advance.

Resolving any family issues is a matter of your self-organization, responsibility and desire, reminds Tatyana Konakova, director of sales development at the MICE company Upjet Travel Group. “Of course, sick leave to care for a child and the need to pick up children from kindergarten are problems that lie on the surface. Employees resolve this issue on their own, so the company doesn’t even notice these difficulties.”

2. Demonstrate that you are up to date with the latest trends in your professional field. Mention what books in your specialty you have recently read, what articles or blogs you have studied, what lectures or courses you have attended. And, of course, you should prepare for going to work in advance in order to have time to refresh your knowledge.

It is best when a woman, going on maternity leave, does not completely interrupt her career, but continues to work - remotely or as a freelancer, says Natalya Storozheva, General Director of the Perspective Business and Career Development Center and teacher at the Russian School of Management. “Then she doesn’t fall out of the work process and doesn’t lose her professional form,” explains Natalya. - Nowadays, women often go on two maternity leave in a row, and after 5-6 years spent at home, it is impossible to go back to work with the same level of income as before the maternity leave. In addition, over such a period of time, skills are lost, legislation, the taxation system, business patterns and market conditions change.

3. Ask questions: during the telephone interview, during the interview, and on the first working days. Be interested in the goals and objectives of the company, take an active position. Don't be afraid to show that you don't know something. Better follow the main rule of communication: “If you don’t know, ask.”

4. Keep quiet about personal things. Not everyone is interested in knowing the details of your child's development, so don't tell every colleague about it. This news is best left for family and friends.

5. Treat your maternity leave not as “ballast”, but as a huge valuable experience: experience in time management, planning, responsibility, maintaining balance, working with a very demanding client - your own child.

The Labor Code is on your side

Yes, there are employers who do not comply with the Labor Code. Nevertheless, there is still labor legislation in Russia, and it is precisely this that protects the interests of young mothers. For example, Article 64 tells us: “It is prohibited to refuse to conclude an employment contract to women for reasons related to pregnancy or the presence of children.” If your employer refuses you for this reason, demand a written refusal and go to court with him.

Article 259 of the Labor Code explicitly prohibits forcing pregnant women to work overtime. And if you are a woman with a child under 3 years old, then your employer can send you on a business trip or force you to work after official working hours only with your written consent.

The employer is obliged to hire back an employee who has gone on maternity leave, recalls Zulfiya Yupashevskaya, head of the HR services department at BDO Unicon Outsourcing. “We support business processes in the field of accounting. In Russia, traditionally more women work in this field. We regularly encounter the fact that some of our specialists go on maternity leave and return to work,” says Yupashevskaya. - Currently, for example, almost 20% of our total staff are on parental leave. For us, the question is not whether we will take these people back - we are obliged to do this by law. But it's not just about compliance with legal norms. It is beneficial for us to continue to cooperate with an experienced, proven person who is familiar with the team and the specifics of the business. Such an employee will not have to be trained from scratch.”

In modern and open companies, children are treated as a natural stage of employee development. Therefore, consider the “children” item on your resume as a way to show a potential employer that you can take responsibility, manage your time effectively, and stick to plans.

Unfortunately, our people do not know how to protect themselves. But it is impossible to explain on the pages of the site. If you want, let's talk. Good luck. My answer is your feedback. Lychagina Yana Dmitrievna (02/05/2016 at 11:13:37) According to Art. 256 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation At the request of a woman, she is granted leave to care for a child until he reaches the age of three years. The procedure and timing of payment of state social insurance benefits during the period of the specified leave are determined by federal laws. Parental leave can be used in full or in parts by the child’s father, grandmother, grandfather, other relative or guardian actually caring for the child.

How to successfully pass an interview after maternity leave?

If after maternity leave you want to change your occupation or are just starting your career path, then life hacks for passing an interview from Mikhail Pritula will help you. 3. Chat with those who did not leave the profession If you are returning to your previous place of work, make an appointment with one of your colleagues who worked all the time.
Find out about news in the team and in the field of activity in general. This information may not be useful to you at the interview, but the very understanding that you know everything will give you confidence in the interview.
4. Know exactly the answers about safety net. A mandatory question at an interview, the answer to which you need to know in detail - who can protect you and help you when you urgently need to pick up a child from somewhere, when a child is sick and in any other situations that are difficult to predict, but solved need it quickly.

What you need to know about an interview after maternity leave

If you are applying for a creative position, then it is better to avoid dry and standard phrases in your resume. After all, the employer will see your resume first, and the impression you make will determine whether you will be invited for an interview.

It is not at all necessary to indicate your marital status and presence of children in your resume. First, interest a potential employer in your professional experience.

You will tell us about the children when we meet. Be sure to write cover letters. An original cover letter will allow you to stand out from other applicants and often even obliges the recruiter to contact you (the phrase “I look forward to your call” works in 80% of cases).

• Search for information.
  Try to find out as much as possible about the organization you are planning to work for and its personnel requirements.

How to pass a job interview when returning from maternity leave

Grandmothers, nannies, husband, kindergarten - be sure to tell who your child will be with throughout your working day. Also prepare for the question of who will look after the child during illness. At the interview, it is important to be fully prepared - rested, healthy and convey a desire for speedy social integration.
Never get upset or give up. Each unsuccessful interview makes you more experienced, which means success is just around the corner! One of the mothers on the forum shares her own experience: “I went back to work after 3 years of maternity leave. To increase my chances of getting a job, I deliberately wrote the phrase in my resume: “There is no need for frequent sick leave, since the children are cared for by a nanny.”

Returning to work after maternity leave. secrets of success

Attention

How, after such a long break from work, not to lose your touch and be interesting to employers? Indeed, today, most employers are wary of hiring women on maternity leave, fearing frequent sick leave and a long understanding of the work process. Everything is much simpler if you return to your previous place, but what if you decide to look for a new job? How to draw the employer's attention to your strengths, how to position yourself correctly at an interview or in an old team? What should be included in your resume and what should you do to get the coveted “Yes!”? We will look at the answer to these questions here.

Maternity leave is a fairly long period in the life of a young mother. The first years are the most important for a child. This is a time of active development and establishing an emotional connection with family. Therefore, all mothers, while on maternity leave, try to spend as much time as possible with their child. In addition, it is quite difficult to combine professional activities and breastfeeding. Alas, often a woman loses her qualifications during this period, and her skills and knowledge no longer meet the requirements of the constantly developing modern world. Therefore, after maternity leave, it can be difficult for a mother to return to her previous job, much less find a new one.

The oversaturation of the personnel market with young specialists makes the task even more difficult.

The situation may seem hopeless to you, but mothers also have some advantages over other specialists.

Often, bosses are afraid that young employees will soon go on maternity leave. But, since you have a small child, it is unlikely that you will be going on maternity leave again in the near future. In addition, young mothers who have devoted a year or several years to raising a child miss work. They enjoy learning, are goal-oriented, organized, hard-working, and readily take on new things.

Always remember - every rule has its exceptions. An employer is always interested in an effective employee. If you can convince him of your effectiveness, then your dream job will definitely be in your pocket.

Fair elimination of competition

To get the right position, you need to convince the employer that this is a truly valuable future employee.

1. Write a good resume and cover letter. If you are applying for a creative position, then it is better to avoid dry and standard phrases in your resume. After all, the employer will see your resume first, and the impression you make will determine whether you will be invited for an interview. It is not at all necessary to indicate your marital status and presence of children in your resume. First, interest a potential employer in your professional experience. You will tell us about the children when we meet. Be sure to write cover letters. An original cover letter will allow you to stand out from other applicants and often even obliges the recruiter to contact you (the phrase “I look forward to your call” works in 80% of cases).
2. Search for information. Try to find out as much as possible about the organization you are planning to work for and its personnel requirements. You must be able to explain why you are interested in working for this particular company.
3. Prepare answers to the questions that are most often asked during an interview. You can plan a short one-minute story about yourself in advance, as employers often ask. Tell us about your education, previous place of work and hobbies.
4. Focus on your potential. After all, you were probably an excellent specialist before maternity leave, and now you only need a little practice to refresh your forgotten skills. But if you want to compensate for gaps in knowledge and “get your teeth into” again, it’s not a problem at all! It is important to demonstrate that, despite the troubles at home, you have not lost interest in the profession and career growth. No matter how angry or biased the personnel department employees may seem to you at first glance, believe me, it is important for them to fill the vacancy. They worry no less than you and really want to find the most worthy employee. Therefore, try to perceive the interview as a useful and mutually beneficial communication. Try to focus the interviewer's attention on your professional strengths. Tell us about the new professional knowledge and skills you acquired while on maternity leave, and what books you were inspired by. It is important to show that, despite a lot of household chores, you have not lost interest in the profession and are ready to devote time to a potential employer.
5. Tell us what value you can provide to the company. Do you have a lot of fresh ideas, are you enthusiastic and confident that you can become a great employee? The interview is the time to talk about it!
6. Take control of the situation. Try to answer positively even to questions about your negative qualities. If an employer is trying to find out your weak points, allow him to do so, but do not overdo it. For example, you shouldn’t spend 30 minutes talking about how it’s difficult for you to get enough sleep with a small child, and that’s why you’re always late in the morning... You can mention that occasionally you can be late for 5-10 minutes, but you’re always ready to stay after the end of the working day and work being late / finishing work.
7. Smile and act confident. A positive attitude helps the conversation flow smoothly. Remember that this is a conversation, not a strict exam! Try to ensure that your meeting takes place in a calm, relaxed atmosphere. Try to make the interview stress-free for both you and the employer. Of course, this does not mean that you need to laugh heartily and tell all the known jokes. But a confident look and a smile will definitely help you get the desired place.
8. Pay attention to your appearance before going to an interview. A strict hairstyle and clothes (for example, a suit or blouse with a classic skirt), discreet makeup will allow you to look like a business woman. However, you should not overdo it, so as not to scare away potential superiors with excessive severity.
9. Tell the truth. Try not to go too far, showing your best side. In the end, every lie will be revealed. You can slightly embellish the reality, but you shouldn’t deceive. It is better to firmly decide how much time you are willing to devote to work (full or part-time) and provide yourself with the support of your family. If you have confidence that your loved ones will always help you with your child if necessary, then it will not be difficult to convince the employer of this. Grandmothers, nannies, husband, kindergarten - be sure to tell who your child will be with throughout your working day. Also prepare for the question of who will look after the child during illness.

At the interview, it is important to be fully prepared - rested, healthy and convey the desire for speedy social integration. Never get upset or give up. Each unsuccessful interview makes you more experienced, which means success is just around the corner!

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

One of the mothers on the forum shares her own experience: “I went back to work after 3 years of maternity leave. To increase my chances of getting a job, I deliberately wrote the phrase in my resume: “There is no need for frequent sick leave, since the children are cared for by a nanny.” Because I got the impression that women with babies are less willing to be hired, fearing that they will always be at home on sick leave...” You may find this advice useful, but only if you are really sure that children will not get sick too often or have someone to help you.