Hello! With you Olga Strugovshchikova and the project "Mom's Career".

Today our guest is Anastasia Shashkova, a career consultant.

We will talk about that:

• how to return to the office after decree,
• how to build a career for a mother who has one or more children,
• we will 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 leaving,
• what if there is a big break in work,
• what if you want to change direction,
• let's take a look at one practice exercise to help you build your confidence and make it easy to 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 so long ago I had a baby, now he is already two years old. So the topic of decree and return from decree is relevant to me. I even had time to practice it once.

The path to your dream job - career counseling

Olga:Good! You are a career guy, but it wasn't always that way. 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 on the side of Western companies as a marketer. She made a good career, was a manager of a fairly high level, I had my own subordinates, my department, which I was in charge.

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

I took a break in my career and started looking for myself. I was invited to work for a recruiting and recruiting agency to participate in the process of attracting highly qualified personnel for Western companies. So I found a job for myself. I quickly managed to get comfortable in this area, since I already had experience in recruiting 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 now, having gone on maternity leave from a recruiting agency, I realized that now I do not want to return to the office. I want to focus on the family, but my experience and knowledge can be useful to other mothers. So I started career counseling and it helped me a lot, Olya, your program that we went through together.

I have identified for myself a priority area that interests me, inspires me and gives me strength and the opportunity for self-realization. And in doing so, I really do benefit moms. Until recently, in my marketing career, I didn't feel like I was being useful. It seemed to me that yes, I have an interesting job in general and a high position, but this is not the job that I dreamed of.

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

Home counseling formats

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

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

For example, today I had a consultation with my mother from Voronezh. It would be inconvenient for her to come to me personally for a meeting, and so we discussed all the most pressing issues for her and developed a strategy for further behavior in search of work on Skype.

Hottest Career Counseling Topics

Olga: Great! And what are the hottest and most relevant topics with which mothers come to you?

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 have already forgotten everything,” or “yes, everything has changed there and this is a different company, where can I go ?! "

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

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

There is an opportunity to hedge in advance.

First, start teaching the child in advance that he will be left without a mother for some time.

Secondly, find in advance so that it does not work out such a situation that you go out tomorrow, but you do not have a nanny and the baby should stay with a stranger unexpectedly for him.

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

I recommend this strategy for moms: if they go to work and plan to make a career, then you 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 employee image. Now I'm not talking about a situation where a mother leaves to work for six months or a year and then go on maternity leave again.

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

The policy of compromise and mom's life hacks works here.

Life hacks for moms choosing a career

Olga:Maybe you have some life hacks, can you share? They usually say that the most difficult situation is for mothers who say that I have no grandparents and what should I do? There is no one to leave the child with. And nannies are expensive. And what if not at all?

Anastasia:

You know, Olya, I had a moment in my life when I myself faced such a situation. I then made an unambiguous conclusion for myself that, of course, nannies are quite expensive, but even if you give the nanny 80% of your salary, you do not waste 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 higher salary, get a more interesting job. Here, the percentage that you give to the nanny will be less. With this, mom gains such a precious experience. It's no secret that the longer you stay at home, the harder it will be to come back. Moreover, to a worthy position.

At some point, the mother may be faced with a situation that once she was 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 ... It is psychologically difficult to return to such a situation. How to obey someone in whom you do not see a leader?

So my advice when it comes to nannies is to think about prospects. Think that you are going out not only to earn money, but that you will still be realized and grow. And as you grow, the nanny issue 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 to go to kindergarten normally or goes to school, the nanny will cost you less. It will be possible to take a nanny for some part of the day, you can look for a nanny in the nearest house, a neighbor who will be on your side for some interesting money for you. She will not sit with your child all day, but several hours and only when the child is sick or if you need to go on a business trip.

Moms are the most interesting candidates for an employer

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

Anastasia: Absolutely, Olya. I believe that a mother who is leaving the decree is one of the most interesting candidates for an employer. Firstly, mom is usually insanely motivated to work and does it very effectively. They no longer have time to drink teas, chat with friends during working hours. They just take and do their job efficiently and on time. They understand that a baby is waiting at home, they cannot linger. Mothers who left the decree are people who have learned how 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 does more than she did before the decree. 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 does not need to be ashamed, on the contrary, the decree is an experience that taught a lot.

Employers' attitude towards mothers with children

Olga:Tell me, you also interacted with representatives of employing companies. Your position is clear. I just think about it all the same and always talk about it. But do employers really think the same? Many do not believe this. Do you have examples when employers actively hire women and it doesn't matter to them from the decree or not? Or even prefer them?

Anastasia:

Yes, that's a very good question, Olga. First, there are different employers. Some employers are so blinkered that you shouldn't tell them, no matter what level a professional comes for an interview, they will still look for cons, dig around and ask uncomfortable questions for a long time. And then the mother herself needs to think about whether she needs such an employer. Because further, in work, it will also manifest itself and demotivate.

In a good company of a decent level, where mothers have good career prospects, they will look at this issue differently. First of all, they will appreciate the professional qualities. Often, mothers themselves spoil their image during the interview. Coming out of the decree, they are very tense about this and the whole interview is waiting for a question about children. And when they don't ask them, they themselves start talking 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 excuse doesn't sound very convincing. Moreover, by raising this issue, mothers themselves give the interviewer the opportunity to "dig" into 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. So what? The main thing is that you have everything under control, you organized this moment. Now, if your husband were asked such a question, would he be embarrassed? There are children, yes. This is normal.

Moreover, I know mothers who, with four children, became CEOs of large Western corporations. So children are not a hindrance to a career. The question, rather, is the attitude of the mother herself to this issue and how well the mother sells herself, how she presents herself and her dignity at the interview.

If such questions are asked, a short and clear answer should be prepared. And go straight to the next topics related to your professional activity.

How moms answer questions about babies in interviews

Olga:What is this answer?

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

Olga:Excellent!

Anastasia: No extra details are needed here.

How to behave in an interview after a long maternity leave

Olga: This is your life hack for moms, thanks! And if the decree was big. For example, there were two or three children in a row and the girl sat on maternity leave for 7-8 years. How to be here? It is clear that there is good education, good experience, maybe they have not even been fired yet, since according to the law everything is done correctly, but how to be here? How and what to tell to feel the most confidence? How can this be reflected in the resume? How to get out and present yourself well during an interview? What advice would you give?

Anastasia:

The most important advice that I give to all mothers is calmness and only calmness! This is definitely not a hopeless situation. In my practice, there are examples when girls, after two consecutive decrees, go for promotion to another company. So there is a question of the correct approach to job search and problem setting.

First, you need to prepare in advance for the exit from the decree. Six months - a year before your expected release, start reading articles on your professional topic in order to understand what has changed in your field of application of knowledge. Start meeting with your former work colleagues so that they tell you what is happening in the company, what is the situation in the industry in general. So that you are in the correct information field. Then you will not come to a meeting with your future boss as a mother, who has all the thoughts and knowledge about children, the health and well-being of the family, but as a professional who is 100% ready to return to duty.

The next point is to contact your department in advance if you plan to go to your previous place of work and inform them about the expected exit dates. This will give them the opportunity to also prepare, 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 can 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 take exactly the position from which she left. But, it often happens, let's not be honest that that position, for a number of reasons, is no longer available. The structure of the department has changed or your department has been disbanded, etc. In such a situation, I recommend that you be more loyal to what the employer offers you.

In general, my recommendation for moms is to return to their previous job. Even if everything is not the way you would like. Anyway, they are waiting for you there, according to the law you are obliged to accept. And they will be more loyal to the fact that you have children. In the new company, they will expect achievements and career breakthroughs from the very beginning, they will not give you time to adapt to a new post-secret life. This is additional stress, rather, this option is less comfortable for both the mother herself and the whole family.

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

And if you do decide to look for a new job, then you need to look at what is on the labor market now. Look carefully at all job search sites. What are the vacancies, what are the salaries. Who are the people who are applying for these jobs and with whom you will have to compete in your job search, look closely at the resumes of your potential competitors. 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 crusts, you still have an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat industry-relevant skills and abilities you have. Including you will be able to "speak the language" familiar to your future colleagues.

I would not, in the place of mothers, pay much attention to what they do not know or cannot do during the interview. On the contrary, I advise you to focus on what you managed to do during your work, what results to achieve, what skills to get, even if it was a long time ago.

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

Who to contact a young mother to draw up a competent resume

Olga:Very valuable advice! So I am listening to you and I understand that, probably, to someone it will seem difficult, voluminous, scary somewhere. Why scary? Because reading other people's resumes, in which a fountain describes what kind of people are great, is difficult and can beat on your self-esteem. Tell me where a mom like that can turn for help with resume writing and interview preparation? Surely, someone has already made such assessments and reviewed the resume, maybe helps to correct them and prepare them for the interview? What tools, what help can you recommend to use?

Anastasia:

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

I help to make a selling resume. I help my mother tell her story, tell her story correctly, practice before the interview in order not to make mistakes at the decisive moment, feel confident and present herself in the best possible light.

Oftentimes, people cannot find a good job just because they misrepresent themselves. I have many clients who talk about themselves in such a messy, incomprehensible and uncertain way that it is difficult to isolate from the flow of information what their merits and professionalism are.

Interviewing is as much a skill as playing tennis or cycling. If you train all the time, then you start to do it perfectly. Likewise, going through a job search interview - you just need to practice. And 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 recruiting agency, go to them for an interview, and then ask them for honest feedback. Perhaps this will help you a lot, it will open your eyes to something.

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

Why you need to contact a career consultant

Olga:As far as I understand, a career consultant is also good at being independent. Because the agencies, one way or another, are interested in finding employees for a certain company and this is their bread. If you go to some company, then they are not tuned in 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 have been situations when people occupying high enough positions have never heard true feedback about how they are being interviewed. Several meetings with a career counselor help in such a situation to look at yourself in a new way and strengthen your self-presentation.

What is an interview? It's kind of a game. 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 assistance to mothers, for example, from Employment Centers or some 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, vocational guidance, additional assistance in terms of skills.

My experience shows that the mother's question is not about the presence or absence of knowledge, but rather about self-confidence, confidence that they know. Here, unfortunately, vocational guidance or job exchanges will not help much. Here you need to work on your own perception of the situation by the mother. My experience and scientific research confirm the fact that out of two people the best interviewer will pass and not the one who is stronger as a professional will get a job, but the one who is more beautiful and more correct in telling about himself. And this is the prose of life, unfortunately.

Moreover, I would not recommend mothers to rush to some and urgently study there. Because, in my opinion, it makes sense to first go to work, and then understand what specifically needs to be studied. And perhaps this training will be free of charge from your company. The company is interested in your efficiency. She will invest resources in you. For example, during working hours it will give you the opportunity to take some kind of training programs. You don't have to spend a lot of time and energy for this before you go to work.

Olga: Yes, I agree. In the Employment Centers, courses for the position of work with personnel, basic, some kind of paperwork.

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

If you've never been an accountant, why would you want to study to be an accountant? Why retrain, if you have already worked and you liked it, you were promoted and you have a good store of knowledge?

It's another matter when some mothers during the decree understand that they are no longer interested in what they did before and need to look for a new business to their liking. Here are all the questions, Olya, to you! Your help will help them.

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

Olga:Nastya, you are telling in great detail and in detail, very cool and valuable! Tell me, so that you can advise in conclusion to those who listen to us? Some of your recommendations, wishes from you, as twice a mother and as an expert in these matters.

Anastasia:

If you decide to go to work, then first, enlist the support of loved ones. Think very well how your child will spend time without you, what if he gets sick? Of course, make a good resume and practice talking about yourself. Try to get back to your previous job. And if something did not work out there, confidently go to look for a new one. There is nothing to be ashamed of. People leave and return to work for a variety of reasons. Someone had health problems, someone tried their hand at a new profession and decided to come back, 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 brush the feathers a little.

Olga:Love, appreciate 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 girls can contact you.

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

So I wish that your resume evoked 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, 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 make your interview easier

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

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

Olga:Achievement # 38!

Anastasia:Yes!

Olga:Great! In the end, we still have such a practical value with a 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 site readers! Ask your questions, and Anastasia and I will be happy to answer them.

Anastasia, thank you so much for your answers!

Anastasia:Thank you for a good, interesting conversation!

Olga: While!

Anastasia: Good luck to everyone!

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

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

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If you want to find a job that will please you and bring the desired income, then. To get free access to the course, enter your name and e-mail in the form below.

Immediately tune in to the fact that current recruiters (employees of recruitment agencies) and competent managers will not directly ask you questions such as "Can you stay regularly?", "Who will sit with your child in case of his illness?" or "Have you been interested in what happens in your professional area during the decree?" Basically, they will be interested in how the process of your work was built (before the decree), and from your answers draw conclusions how deeply you understand your specialty, whether you updated your knowledge during parental leave. For example, a girl who worked in the accounting department of an insurance company for 3 years before the decree, and again gets a job in an insurance company, may be asked to tell: 1) In detail about the area of \u200b\u200bwork that she did. This is important to reflect on your resume, but you should be able to describe in detail how your workflow was built.

How to successfully pass an interview after maternity leave?

Before submitting your resume, think about your competitive advantages, for example, it can 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 still remember a bunch of proverbs to convey an important idea - be proactive in developing yourself and when looking for work. While on maternity leave, try to compensate for the break from work.

Read professional literature, magazines, communicate in communities, keep in touch with colleagues at work, if possible, take refresher courses. All this will help you to quickly join the workflow and keep abreast of events.
After the resume is drawn up, use the services of the Internet, periodicals to search for vacancies.

What you need to know about your post-maternity interview

Relieving stress To begin with, let's turn our attention to the very word "interview". You see, there is no root "interrogation" here, it is about a simple conversation.
You are about to get to know the employer, office space and, possibly, future colleagues. And you, first of all, you decide whether to start a new position.

Attention

The interview provides an excellent opportunity for applicants to assess the personal qualities of the boss, the atmosphere in the team, the convenience of the workplace, etc. Nobody forbids candidates to ask questions, on the contrary, many of them concerning the specifics of the company, work schedule, remuneration and contract conditions are simply necessary to voice.

Remembering all this, go to your "bride" without fear and look, as they say, "both". Preparing a speech Now about the preparation.

Mom goes to work: how to get an interview?

Try to find out the rules of the dress code of the future place of work. Or stick with neutral options. 3. Conversation.

Personnel officers are sure that poor self-presentation at the interview is the main reason for the applicant's failure. 4. Manners. Disconnect your phone. In 80% of cases, answering a mobile call during a conversation will be regarded as disrespectful.

Irritants also include absent gaze, obsessive movements, chewing gum, and even the timbre of the voice. You should not try to defuse the situation with anecdotes, jokes and examples from life.
5.

Info

Gestures. Do not cross your legs or arms during conversation. This pose is considered closed and demonstrates your isolation.

Also, do not lean back in a chair - it is better to keep your back straight, slightly tilting your body towards the interlocutor. 6. Questions. Note that the interviewer will probably ask why you left your previous company.
Answering “It's too personal” will not add to your points.

Top 7 Secrets of Successful Interviewing After Maternity Leave

Important

If after maternity leave you want to change your occupation or are just starting your career, then life hacks for passing an interview from Mikhail Pritula will help you. 3. Chat with those who have not left the profession If you are returning to your previous place of work, make an appointment with someone from the colleagues who worked all the time.

Find out about the news in the team and in the field in general. This information may not be useful for you in the interview, but the very understanding that you know everything will give you confidence in the interview. 4. Know the exact answers about the safety net A mandatory interview question, the answer to which you need to know thoroughly - who can hedge you and help you, when you urgently need to pick up the child from somewhere, when the child is sick and in any other situations that are difficult to predict, but decide you need to quickly.

Going to work after maternity leave. secrets of success

If the employer is trying to find out your weaknesses, let him do it, but do not overdo it. For example, you shouldn't talk for 30 minutes about how difficult it is for you to sleep with a small child, and therefore you are always late in the morning ... It can be mentioned that occasionally you can be late for 5-10 minutes, but you are always ready to stay after the end of the working day and work being late / finishing work.

• Smile and be confident. A positive attitude helps a successful conversation. Remember, this is just a conversation, not a rigorous exam! Try to keep your meeting in a relaxed, relaxed atmosphere. Try to keep the interview as stress-free as possible for you and your employer. Of course, this does not mean that you need to laugh heartily and poison all known anecdotes.

What are the changes in legislation related to the work of your department over the past couple of years. It is better to read this not "at night" before the interview, as the depth of your knowledge will become clear after a few clarifying questions.

Remember, it is important for the employer how much you are "in the subject" of your position. 3) About the relationship in the previous team. Do not rush to remember everything and talk in colors about the intolerable chief accountant, it is better to briefly answer in 2-3 phrases that you were comfortable in the previous place, you still maintain relationships and, in general, the team is an important criterion for you in deciding on a new place of work, and you really appreciate the friendly atmosphere. 4) About that, and why, in fact, do you need a new job after maternity leave.

Post-maternity leave interview

It will not be superfluous to send your resume to recruiting agencies. After sending your resume for suitable vacancies, be proactive, find out the fate of your resume by calling the employer.

This can be a good reason to interest the employer over the phone with aspects of your bio. 4. They are greeted by clothes, seen off in mind! Before you go to an interview or go to your previous job - we recommend to put things in order in your own wardrobe.

Change your usual jeans and sweaters for a business suit and a pair of dresses. Go to a beauty salon, for a manicure, probably during maternity leave there was no time for this. When you come for an interview, you should impress not only with your appearance, but also interest the employer as a professional. Use a professional and business language.

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 merit. Tell us about the new professional knowledge and skills that you acquired on maternity leave, what books were you 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.

• Tell us what value you can provide to the company. Do you have a lot of fresh ideas, are you burning with enthusiasm and are you sure you can be a great employee? Interview - it's time to talk about it!
• Control the situation. Try to answer positively even to questions about your negative qualities.

Interview after maternity leave at the bank

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, being on maternity leave, try to spend as much time as possible with the 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 cease to meet the requirements of the constantly evolving modern world. Therefore, after a decree, it is difficult for a mother to return to her previous job, and even more so - to 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 professionals.

It is rare to find a woman who, while sitting at home with a child, has not lost confidence in herself and her business qualities. Well, unless she immediately went straight from the hospital to the meeting, which, you see, is still rare. Of course, the most painless option for a young mother is to go to an old job, where, if she is not expected with open arms, then she will certainly not be shown the door. But it often happens that while we are raising a baby, we break away from the daily office bustle and, as it were, soar over the situation. And it turns out that a familiar workplace has long ceased to stir up blood, does not arouse enthusiasm and does not promise much growth. In general, one thing is clear: you are ripe to conquer new heights. So go for it!

To be successful in interviews, of course, you need to prepare. So, let's imagine an ordinary recruiter. He is sure that a woman with a small child is distinguished by weak motivation (in her mind she is always at home or in kindergarten), abuses time off and sick leave (children often get sick or suddenly remain without nannies) - in general, she does not faint with happiness at our mere appearance on the doorstep (which, of course, is a pity ...). And ourselves? We are worried and nervous. And the more we like the proposed vacancy, the more we worry and get nervous.

So, below are 8 arguments that will help convince the harshest employer:

1. I know what I want

Everyone seems to know that the first impression is the most important. But they probably forget about it out of excitement. Your decisive look, calm, firm gaze - and the potential employer sees from the very beginning: this candidate knows what she wants, she is confident in herself. In order not to spoil that impression, ask yourself in advance the key questions that you know will come up in your interview. To do this, carefully read your resume, imagine what information might be of particular interest to this particular employer, think about your "weak points": how to explain breaks in work or gaps in education. Either way, you shouldn't be caught off guard in the interview. Practice with your husband or girlfriend clearly and confidently answering the following questions: why is this job important to me, can I refuse it, if I don’t like something, at what points am I ready to make reasonable concessions? Prepare arguments and counterarguments, keeping in mind that the interview should not feel like “close combat,” and you should not be on the defensive all the time: you should remain open to discussion.

2. I'm ready to start right now

We have an advantage over a candidate for a position working elsewhere: we are ready to go to work immediately! But this readiness should concern not only the date of the contract, but also the daily work. A good answer to the question: "When are you ready to start work?" - sounds something like this: "I spent enough time with my child, recharged batteries and I'm ready to start working tomorrow." The interlocutor will see that in front of him is a person who misses work and is ready to take it right there. It remains to prove that you will be full of enthusiasm not only when applying for a job, but also in the future. Explain that you’re ready to take extra hours to get up to speed at first — the other person will immediately feel that you have thought through all the important questions in advance, and will be filled with trust.

3. I am mobile

Of course, the employer understands: we - young mothers and children need us. This means that it will be difficult to pull us to work on the weekend or send us on an urgent business trip. But this does not mean that everything is so bad (for the employer) and the issue of mobility should not be discussed at all. From the very beginning, you need to outline the conditions: I have to pick up the child from the kindergarten at 19 o'clock, I am ready to work in this mode; I won't be able to do more (say, go out on the weekend), but I will keep those promises. But it is imperative to touch upon force majeure situations that happen at any job. For example, like this: "But if something unexpected happens, I will find someone to leave the child with." Nothing will calm the recruiter more than the very fact of discussing this issue: he will understand that you have thought everything over and will be able to adapt.

4. I am open to negotiations

Basically, negotiations in our case happen when discussing the possibility of a freer schedule (apart from discussing salaries, of course). In France, for example, the 4/5 law was recently passed: if the employer agrees, a person can work only four days out of five, respectively, receiving a lower salary. But we do not have such a law, which means that you have to test the waters yourself: how necessary is your presence in the office at a strictly defined time, how the company treats lateness. Ideal if you can talk to some of the employees, even if they are ex. It doesn't have to be a close friend who will tell you everything without hiding - even a nodding acquaintance is enough to figure out the true work schedule. For example, one young mother, for example, was convinced at an interview that at 6 pm all the employees were quietly leaving for their homes, and the "intelligence" reported that anyone who dares to leave the office before seven or even eight in the evening is viewed as extremely unreliable. Your goal is to combine the desired and reality, as well as your interests and the interests of the employer.

5. I'm organized

What exactly distinguishes any mother of a family is organization. Significant bargaining chip in an interview, isn't it? Show that your organizational skills exceed your wildest expectations. Prove that, if necessary, you can not only delegate any responsibilities, but monitor their implementation. This is a very useful skill - both in professional life and in family life. Moreover, the working day, sometimes, drags on, and you need to think about everything: who will take care of the children in the evening, who will feed them and what. You, of course, have the answers ready: "I am planning the menu for the week right away"; "If I come back late, the nanny puts the children to bed herself." This is the way of life that will allow you not to drive yourself out. After describing a logical and clear scheme for "managing children", explain to the employer that you can easily apply the same principle of organization in the workplace - for even greater efficiency.

6. I'm ready to make concessions

Now that we are almost ready to rush into battle for a place in the sun, we will make a short stop. Yes, we must be confident, yes, we must negotiate all conditions and strive for the best. But. A firm position has a downside: if from the very beginning of the interview we are trying to agree on everything once and for all, fixing every detail in the contract, then the recruiter may have doubts: will you work "from call to call" without investing strength and time. Therefore, there is no need to go too far: a rush job is a rush job for all employees, and not only for the childless.

And let's not lose hope: it is quite possible that over time it will be possible to agree on a more flexible schedule. For example, you can prove to your boss that you can do the same amount of work in a little less time. Or try to arrange your schedule so that you can be free early, for example, due to your lunch break.

In any case, it is easier to achieve any "relaxation of the regime" later, when you have already become your own in the team and got involved in the work.

7. I see perspective

At the end of the interview, we may come to an unexpected conclusion: we are not at all encouraged by what the employer has to offer. Let's be optimistic and look at things from a different angle: firstly, what seems uninteresting now may actually turn out to be much more exciting; and secondly, you can never predict how your status in the company will change. Much, you see, is in our hands! If we manage to show the bosses that we are full of ideas (and good ones!) And are ready to invest, it is quite possible that reality will "catch up" to our initial expectations. Of course, a lot depends on the traditions of the company and the system of rewards - but whoever does not take risks gets nothing!

8. I have the strength to start over

Sometimes we are looking for a new job not because we are eager to expand the horizon, but because we have lost the old one: anything, you see, happens. But this should not affect self-esteem. It is necessary to inspire the interlocutor that you have already done such work, which means that you have experience, and if you have to learn something in the process, you will definitely learn. This kind of confidence in yourself and in your abilities, plus the willingness to immediately start work will calm the recruiter, you can be sure. He will see that you were not discouraged by the loss of the previous place, and will be convinced of the ability to regenerate. So you need to turn the layoff into a positive experience - it should be the engine that relentlessly propels you to your dream job.

2 banned phrases

We already know what sentences should be said, but phrases that cannot be uttered even in private. There are, in fact, only two of them:

"I can not!"
You carried and gave birth to a baby, nursed and raised (at least, you are in the process) - and you can't do something? We don't believe!

"You can not do it this way!"
Can. You can build your life in any way - the main thing is that your family is comfortable.

3 pitfalls to avoid:

• Excessive self-confidence. You don't have to come to an interview, kick open the door and tell the recruiter, "Whatever you say, I want it to be like this and like this." Stay open, gentle, and follow the conversation closely.
• Excessive shyness. All phrases should be built in the present tense. By saying “I’ll try to be very organized,” we show the interlocutor that we are not ready to take over the work entirely - although we hope. Better to say: "I am an organized person, you can judge this for yourself."
• Excessive details of personal life. Regrettably, no one is interested in your children's hobbies and their favorite treats during the interview. This is not the place or time for such stories: we come to work, not to have small talk. We must remain restrained, and if asked a “personal” question, answer simply and briefly.

Post-maternity interviews are often more experiences than an ordinary interview. These unrest empty and unjustified, which is confirmed by the results research by Regus.

According to them, employers know that after the decree, female workers are responsible, in the period of their greatest productivity, they miss work and often do not need to be trained from scratch.

The thought continues by Ekaterina Kovalevskaya, director of a consulting agency"Prof-Consulting":

“We can say with confidence that after the decree, women become more effective. If only because they will not waste time on empty conversations and know why they need to leave work at 18:00 ".

A post-maternity interview is a little different from a regular one. But there are certain features. Ekaterina Kovalevskaya shares her advice on interviewing parents after the decree.

1. Omit stories about the child

Your child is definitely special and talented. But it's better not to overuse talking about your child at the interview, if you are not asked about it. If such a task is difficult for you a priori, then talk to someone before the interview.

2. Prepare well

You have probably dropped out of the work environment for a long time. To return to the profession and not feel like a black sheep, you need to thoroughly prepare. Take a few weeks to find and study information about significant events in your professional environment over the past six months, new products, trends.

If after maternity leave you want to change your occupation or are just starting your career, then they will help you.

3. Chat with those who have not left the profession

If you are returning to your previous place of work, make an appointment with someone from your colleagues who worked all the time. Find out about the news in the team and in the field in general. This information may not be useful for you at the interview, but the very understanding that you know everything will give you confidence in the interview.

4. Know the exact answers about safety net

A mandatory interview question, the answer to which you need to know thoroughly - who can insure you and help you, when you urgently need to pick up the child from somewhere, when the child is sick and in any other situations that are difficult to predict, but must be resolved promptly. Relatives, nannies, neighbors, spouses - whoever these people are, but define their role in advance and reassure the employer.

5. Tell us about work during maternity leave

Parental leave is also a job. The employer values \u200b\u200binformation about the skills acquired during the maternity leave. You can certainly talk about multitasking, focus on results, responsibility without a twinge of conscience.

If during the decree you still managed to allocate time for self-development or part-time work, be sure to tell about it. Finding time for something else in parallel with caring for a child is like a feat, and one should not hesitate to talk about such successes.

Wishing all candidates after a break in their work, self-confidence and successful interviews!

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9 comments

Tetyana Slesareva 05/12/2015, 21:25

i, as a mother, have 3 children and without a grandmother it will not be real ...

Gennady Maly 05/13/2015, 08:36

It was bad to think with your head and not ...

Elena Kachan 05/13/2015, 10:58

Gennady, perhaps Tatyana's children will eventually feed you, at their expense you will receive a pension.
What is your contribution to the social and demographic future of our country? Achievement of the sales plan of 120% for April? ;-)

Going to work after maternity leave. Success secrets

Going to work after maternity leave is an urgent and exciting issue for many mothers. How not to lose your grip and be interesting for employers after such a long break in work?

Indeed, today, most employers are wary of hiring maternity workers, fearing frequent sick leave and a long understanding of the work process. It's much easier if you go back to the same place, but what if you decide to look for a new job? How to draw the employer's attention to your merits, how to position yourself correctly in an interview or in an old team? What should be reflected in the resume and what should be done in order to be told the cherished "Yes!" Let's consider the answer to these questions here.

1. Decide "Where to sail?"
Before, it is important for yourself to decide 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, consider what area you are interested in, where and who you see yourself in the next year or two. Perhaps during the period of maternity leave you have mastered new areas in which you want to grow professionally. Formulate a goal for yourself and the employer.

2. Writing a resume
The general resume form of a specialist planning to withdraw from the decree does not significantly differ from generally accepted standards. In the same way, indicate all the main blocks: education, work experience, responsibilities, achievements, etc. Except for two points. Firstly, you should not indicate that you are on maternity leave, interest the employer as a professional. In your resume, rely on achievements, well-described responsibilities to be performed. And if your professional experience draws attention, half the work is done! Secondly, do not hide the fact of having children and marital status. For example, write: married, has a child born in 2012. An employer who is interested in 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 situation 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, already during a telephone conversation or at a meeting, you can talk about the current state of affairs, motivating the employer with aspects of your professional biography, arguments positioning you from the business side. Before submitting your resume, think about your competitive advantages, for example, it can 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 still 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 from work. Read professional literature, magazines, communicate in communities, keep in touch with colleagues at work, if possible, take refresher courses. All this will help you to quickly join the workflow and keep abreast of events.

After the resume is drawn up, use the services of the Internet, periodicals to search for vacancies. It will not be superfluous to send your resume to recruiting agencies. After sending your resume for suitable vacancies, be proactive, find out the fate of your resume by calling the employer. This can be a good reason to interest the employer over the phone with aspects of your bio.

4. They are greeted by clothes, seen off in mind!
Before heading out for an interview or returning to your previous job, we recommend you clean up your own wardrobe. Change your usual jeans and sweaters for a business suit and a pair of dresses. Go to a beauty salon, for a manicure, probably during maternity leave there was no time for this.

When you come for an interview, you should impress not only with your appearance, but also interest the employer as a professional. Use a professional and business language. 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 for work. High motivation is one of the key criteria for making a positive decision about a candidate.

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

5. Questions about the decree
At the interview, the employer will not lose sight of the questions about the decree and about the child, since there are certain risks and fears associated with hiring such an employee. Your job is to allay these concerns and reduce risks. Regarding the period of maternity leave, tell the employer how you maintained your professional level during the vacation, what you read, watched what courses you took. Try not to use answers to questions like: "It was a long time ago ..", "Unfortunately, I can't remember already ..". In addition, before the interview, think over how the issue with the child will be resolved in case of his illness, whether you will involve a nanny or a grandmother or take sick leave on your own. In this matter, it is necessary to reduce the concern of the employer.