Question from Job Seeker: I’m a stay-at-home mom who is considering returning to the workforce but I’m not quite sure how to do that. Last year, I had to quit my job after more than five years of continuous work experience to give birth to my first baby. It’s a big responsibility and a great experience all at once. But now that my baby is one year old I’ve been thinking of going back on the market to find a job that will allow me to be both a mom and a professional working woman. How do I do that? And what if I find out that I can’t once I take a certain job? I would really appreciate your help especially that I feel a bit insecure about my return after having left the workforce for a year.
Answer from Bayt HR Guru:
Congratulations on your first baby boy! While we are sure that this has been a thrilling and very rewarding experience for you, we highly admire your ambition and interest in returning to the workforce. Let us comfort you and start by telling you that a lot of today’s women have been through the same but ended up resuming their career and balancing perfectly between their work and personal life; in fact, our latest survey “The Status of Working Women in the Middle East” (June 2012) revealed that 57% of women believe their decision to have children has affected their career, especially for those who are 35 years old or younger. Worry not, before you take this step we have a piece of advice for you to help you better know if you’re ready for this work/family not-so-easy arrangement.
Step 1: Your priorities
This is the most important step. Make sure you have clearly set your priorities in order to better assess all opportunities that will come your way. While some might have salary as their #1 priority, yours could be working close to home, or a flexible time arrangement. It might help you to know that according to Bayt.com’s latest survey “The Status of Working Women in the Middle East” (June 2012), MENA women take the following into consideration when looking for a job, in order of importance: salary (59%), opportunities for long-term career growth (31%) and health insurance for their whole family (28%). Retirement benefits are important to working women aged 46 and above.
Step 2: The job Search
Before you start applying to jobs in your field:
- Browse through vacancies: Look-up the requirements, the skills needed, the schedule if mentioned etc. Improve what you have, learn what you don’t.
- Do your research: Search for the top companies in your country, review the company’s culture, mission and values, the distance of the workplace from home, etc.
- Seek guidance: Get insiders’ insights if possible, get help from someone in your industry, or in the market to help guide you on the right path.
The offer letter stage:
Make sure you review every offer letter thoroughly against your pre-set priorities before you approve or reject it. Some of the things you should closely consider are:
- The monetary benefits (i.e. salary, commission etc)
- The non-monetary benefits (i.e. family insurance, kids education allowance etc) - The schedule (part time/full time/flexible timing)
- The possibility to telecommute
- Vacation days
- Travel quota
- Maternity leave (if you are planning on having more kids)
Bayt.com’s latest survey “The Status of Working Women in the Middle East” (June 2012) revealed that the most commonly received benefits by MENA working women are personal health insurance (51%), paid maternity leave (38%), company transport or transport allowance (28%), job-related training (28%), and family health insurance (19%).
Step 3: The challenges
Anticipate and know ahead of time what the challenges you will most likely face once you’re back to the workforce. Bayt.com’s aforementioned survey revealed that according to 44% of working women in the region, fewer opportunities for job promotions are the biggest challenge they face in their work. Stressful and demanding work environments follow, according to 38%, while 33% state that lack of flexible working timings, limited opportunities to perform and insufficient job training and coaching are equally demanding. When it comes to working hours, 58% of women claim to put in as many as their male colleagues, while 22% claim to work even more.
Step 4: Your Options Know what your options are. They usually come down to this:
- Full time job
- Part time job
- Freelance job
- Starting your own home-business
Choose the best one for you and your family, take your decision and don’t look back. What’s the worst that could happen? At least you’d have tried, and with a little bit of planning, some passion and a lot of ambition, we’re pretty sure you can make it! Best of luck.
