Carol Fishman Cohen - Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work

Copyright 2007 by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Business Plus

Hachette Book Group USA

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New York, NY 10017

Visit our Web site at www.HachetteBookGroupUSA.com.

Book design by Fearn Cutler de Vicq

First eBook Edition: August 2008

ISBN 978-0-446-53805-3

Photo of Carol Fishman Cohen by Lynn Wayne Photography

Photo of Vivian Steir Rabin by Sandra Nissen Photography

Praise for BACK ON THE CAREER TRACK

Practical help... a soup-to-nuts guidebook. Dont miss the tales of high-profile relaunchers such as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor.

Boston Globe

Comprehensive... step-by-step... Real-life examples of success stories combined with a multitude of practical advice make this book a unique resource.

Constance E. Helfat, professor, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

Provide[s] guidance in updating skills, networking, and even getting the family on board with the idea of Mom going back to work.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A wonderful and practical road map to on ramping back into the workforce.

Anne Erni, chief diversity officer, Lehman Brothers

Candid, constructive, compelling... realistic yet optimistic advice with examples on how to relaunch a career successfully.

W. Stanton Smith, national director, Next Generation Initiatives/Human Resources, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP

Perfect for any woman too filled with fear to figure out how to get back in the game because the game has changed so much and she has changed so much... Smart, sensible, and truly helpful.

Laura Zigman, author of Piece of Work and Animal Husbandry

A guide to the practical strategies of what they call relaunching and to psychological factors at work in making a successful transition.

Seattle Times

Will help you plan the step-by-step campaign that will get you back into the job market no matter how much time you have taken off.

Lisa Endlich, author of Goldman Sachs: The Culture of Success

A terrific compendium of the issues, trade-offsand opportunitiesthat Serious Moms recommitting to Serious Professional life will encounter.

Mary Lindley Burton, president, Burton Strategies, and coauthor of In Transition: From the Harvard Business School Club of New Yorks Career Management Seminar

A must-read for the authors intimate understanding of the process. They know how it feels and what it takes to make your efforts a success. Well- written, inspiring, and above all, practical. Dont relaunch without it.

Juliet Schor, professor of sociology, Boston College, and author of The Overworked American

Practical tools and an emotional road map for navigating the challenges of relaunching. Cohen and Rabin not only address the how-tos of networking and rsums, but also the subtler personal issues, such as lack of confidence, guilt, and negotiating in marriage. Refreshingly matter-of-fact, Cohen and Rabin are supportive and trustworthy guides.

Daphne de Marnette, PhD, psychologist, and author of Maternal Desire: On Children, Love, and the Inner Life

Offers concrete tools and tips for people wanting to reactivate careers after time off... Easy-to-read, no-nonsense.

Corrie Martin, Tuck Executive Education

This book takes the voice of the wise mother and practical mentor our generation so badly needs as we navigate uncharted career and parenting waters... a very strong, yet warm, guiding hand.

Jules Pieri, president and COO, Ziggs, Inc.

Will I be able to find rewarding work? Do I still have what it takes? Will anybody hire me? Yes! say authors Cohen and Rabin who offer stay-at-home moms practical guidance.

DeAnne Aguirre, senior vice president, Booz Allen Hamilton

Filled with practical advice and stories from women who have been through the process, BACK ON THE CAREER TRACK is indispensable for moms relaunching their careers.

Shira Goodman, executive vice president, Staples

To Doughusband, parent, and friend extraordinaire

VSR

In memory of my father,

I. William Fishman, who would have been so proud

to see this book, and in honor of my husband, Stephen, who

has been my biggest fan through every stage of my career.

CFC

Our Journey from Playdough to Real DoughM

V ivian: On May 30, 2001, I boarded a flight from Newark to Boston, ostensibly to attend my fifteenth reunion at the Harvard Business School. In fact, however, it was a pre-reunion program for female alums that had motivated me to make the trip. For a stay-at-home mother of five, clearing out of town for two nights and three days was quite a challenge. To get out of the house that morning, I made arrangements with my husband months in advance, reshuffled several car pools, coordinated numerous after-school playdates, and booked backup care in case one of the kids got sick.

But I was determined to attend. Billed as a forum for exploring back-to-work options for women grads currently out of the full-time labor force, the program seemed tailor-made for me. Just eight months prior, I had begun working part-time from home as an executive recruiter after having spent seven years focused full-time on my children. The recruiting work had sort of fallen into my lap; I was itching to do something, so I accepted a neighbors offer to assist him in his executive search business. But I wasnt being paid very much, and I hadnt done any strategic thinking about whether or not this was the right field for me, let alone the right job.

Although I loved mothering and was busy with volunteer work and other activities, I missed the excitement and intellectual stimulation I had enjoyed during my career. Also, as our households expenses grew, I began to miss the money. Finally, I felt that the longer I put off trying to reenter, the tougher it was going to get. When I thought about the specifics of returning to work, however, I was overwhelmed. What could I do that would be compelling, but also allow me the flexibility to spend time with my children? Were my skills and experience still valuable, or was I so rusty that nobody would want to hire me? How should I present myself to potential employers or clients? What did I really want to do, anyway, and did I have the ability to do it? And if I uncovered my dream job, how could I make the transition from full-time mom to full- or part-time work as problem-free as possiblefor my husband and my children, as well as for myself?

The chance to meet with women in a similar situation and learn from the experts at Harvard Business School was irresistible.

As it turned out, my logistical wrangling was well worth it. At the Harvard seminar, I didnt find all the answers. I actually found something more importanta community; fifty women facing the same questions I was. The group included former investment bankers, marketing managers, technology gurus, and others who felt just as intimidated and frustrated about the prospect of returning to work as I did. But more importantly, I had a chance to connect with a roomful of female professionals determined not to be written off just because they had stepped off the corporate ladder.

Buoyed by this newfound sense of community, and with a few new self-assessment tools and networking techniques in my back pocket, I vowed to get my career back on track. I quickly realized, however, that this job search differed distinctly from any other Id undertaken. I had pounded the pavement before, but never had I felt so lacking in confidence as I did this time.