Nevermind the GapReturning to Work After A Break with Rachael Ellison@reworkingparentRachaelellison.com

Presented bywww.flexjobs.com

“Forget about moving in a straight line.”-Herminia Ibarra, Working Identity

Change Your Mindset

Parenthood as Asset

• Surveyed 100s of working parents. Parenthood helps them:

• Minimize distractions • Manage staff and clients • Increase productivity & efficiency • Prioritize effectively • Creative Problem Solving

Write it down.

It’s a Journey Not a Job

Work-Life As We Know It

You are your last job title +/-

Network with old colleagues, industry contacts

Resume tells your past & can predict your career future

(RE)working Parenthood

Craft Experiments

Shift Connections

Make Sense

CRAFT EXPERIMENTS

In Practice: What’s important now?

Best possible position for you

Task• What do you

want/like to do?

Role • What role best suits

you strengths?

Context • What type of

organization will be the best match?

Flexibility • Working hours • Commute time • Coverage needed

Income • What do I need to

make for my family? • Cost benefit analysis?

CRAFT EXPERIMENTS

Include Past Experiments:• List consulting

gigs, volunteer opportunities and other projects

• Use the STAR method

(Situation, Task, Accomplishments, Results)

CRAFT EXPERIMENTS In Practice: Resume Tip

DARIA

Job Status: 4 years out of F/T, project work only, 4 yr old son

Background:

Journalism, Corporate Writing “old-world media skills in a new-media era”

Most common thought:

“Work is extremely important to my self-esteem.”

Experiment: Explore the digital domain/start up culture

Results: New position as Digital Content Director

Case Study CRAFT EXPERIMENTSCRAFT EXPERIMENTS

In Practice:SHIFT CONNECTIONS

Offline Networking:• Meet other parents• Join Meet-ups • Continuing

education• Take on local

projects • Find consulting

opportunities

Online Networking• Explore: Twitter,

LinkedIn Groups • Present: Linked In,

About Me• Connect:

Contactually

In Practice: SHIFT CONNECTIONS

In Practice:SHIFT CONNECTIONS

In Practice: “Resume” Tips

LinkedIn Essentials:• Headline • Summary

(Objective) • Skills &

Endorsements • Recommendations • Projects • Groups

SHIFT CONNECTIONS

Before: IRIS SARAH

Job Status: Laid off from start up, varied resume

Out of work for 9 years

Background: Reporter, Copy writer, Advertising

Education/Helped son with special needs

Most common thought:

“I don’t know what I want to be doing and have no confidence that I could get it.”

“I am unqualified for any job. Out of work so long, basically unemployable. “

Case Studies: A Tale of 2 Moms

SHIFT CONNECTIONS

Case Studies: A Tale of 2 Moms

SHIFT CONNECTIONS

After: IRIS SARAH

Actions Online presence based on interestMade online connections

Identified her key strengths: advocate & community builder Alerted network

Results Recruited for and obtained online Creative Director position at new agency Title and salary bump

Development officer for community private school

Make Sense

Make Sense

In Practice:Questions to Ask Yourself

• What motivates/excites me?

• What do I want to learn?

• What tasks, roles, contexts appeal?

• What strengths/skills am I most proud of?

• How does my total life experience give me a unique competitive advantage?

Make Sense

Make Sense

In Practice:Questions About Others

• What challenges are potential employers/colleagues facing?

• How can my background and experience help them to overcome their challenges?

• How can I deliver tremendous, measurable value to the people I want to work with?

• How can I speak directly to their concerns about the resume/skill gap?

In Practice: Story Telling

A compelling story can be woven together by connecting defining moments.

I’ll be the case study.

Make Sense

Case Study: Rachael

Organizational Development

Practitioner- Work-Life Research

•My background

Motherhood •Defining moment

Crafted Experiments•Work-life Coaching?

Shifted Connections •Reaching out to contacts (new & old)

Making Sense

•Career strategy for parents

•Work Life strategy for organizations.

Make Sense

• Do your research• Authentic/engaging

story • Don’t apologize for

gaps, talk about value add

• Connect the dots confidently

In Practice: Interview Tips

Make Sense

Conclusion

• Growth mindset vs Fixed • Parents have an advantage in the new

economy • Practice reinvention – Small steps and deep shifts in perspective

• Craft Experiments– Follow your interests in task, role, context

• Shift Connections-– Your best resources are pushing the next swing.

• Forget about straight line

Thank You! Questions?Learn more at Rachaelellison.com

and FlexJobs.com