Life is full of surprises. One of our first was when my partner and I found out we were expecting our first child 15 years ago. I had just started a higher education career after a 2-year stint in materials purchasing in manufacturing while my now-husband was in his final rotation of a finance fellowship. Although we were eager to welcome our new addition, the surprise required some regrouping on careers.

The conversations around childcare started immediately, and as we were living in an area of the country without family support, it was mutually decided I would make a career change. My new role was to be the household CEO, and my new boss would be our daughter. As we added to our family, I also took on active volunteer roles. I was volunteering with our community hospital, coaching youth sports, became a founding board member for a charity supporting people of all ages with special needs/ disabilities and connecting them to recreation opportunities, and becoming a PTA chairperson.

A few years later, we were relocated to our hometown to be near family. As both kids were in school full-time, I decided to reenter the workforce part-time. I started working in the local school district as a K-8 substitute teacher; however, another surprise in August 2017 with our daughter’s arrival required another year off. I returned part-time to the classroom in the Fall of 2018 until the pandemic hit in March, 2020.

Similar to many families, the pandemic forced me to reevaluate our current work situation. I evaluated all the skills I accumulated over the last 13 years and decided to reenter the corporate workforce full time.

One piece of advice for stay-at-home parents is to continue to network with friends and former co-workers. I always kept my networking contacts during my period of staying at home. To my surprise, a simple conversation with a few friends led me to opportunities outside of education to the corporate world. Flexibility with returning to work, hands-on training, and a strong connection with my boss are the three things that led me to HR Technology.

It has almost been a year since reentering the corporate world. I’m not an expert on work-life balance. One minute, I’m playing Feed the Woozle and coloring. The next, I’m on a conference call, trying to distract my 3-year-old with snacks so she doesn’t walk through my meeting with her bathing suit, a Poppy wig, and high heels. I hope my transition experience will help alleviate other parents’ anxieties about doing the same thing. Here are my three tips for success in returning to the workforce:

1. Your experience as a Stay-at-Home Parent is VALUABLE!

Organized a fund-raising event, coordinated schedules, balanced a budget, or did some freelance work? All of the things one does as a stay-at-home parent are valuable to your next opportunity. Think of your experience as a role, and use it in networking conversations and building your resume. Addressing the employment gap with “Career Sabbatical to Take Care of Household” and listing your accomplishments is a great way to open the doors to recruiters.

2. Make a list of your priorities.

When evaluating what type of opportunity, you want as your next step, look at the big picture. For myself, flexibility and remote work were a high priority to accommodate my children’s uncertain school situation. As much as I loved working in a classroom, I was ready to take on a new challenge. I researched areas I was interested in and took the time to network and pursued opportunities in those fields. Organizational culture was also significant to me, as I wanted an environment that empowered parents and encouraged growth.

3. Transitions take time.

After 14+ years of being the go-to parent, the transition to “Mom is in a meeting” has offered my older children opportunities for increased responsibility (not saying I don’t have to remind them 144 times to put away their laundry…). It’s important to find the balance of what works for your family situation. For our family, it’s carpooling to activities, letting the small things go, and setting up boundaries to address family life, work-life, and self-care. It has been a trial-and-error system, but we are finding our stride.

As the workforce goes through rapid change in light of the pandemic and a “Shecession” (NBC News, February, 2021), which has left a gaping hole in many industries, economists are worried this trend will stunt global economic growth. (275,000 women who left the workforce in January, 2021 compared to 71,000 men-US Department of Labor Statistics) There are organizations to take note of empowering women to get back to the workforce in non-traditional ways.

• Women Back to Work offers free programs for women returning to the workforce. They offer returnships, mentors, workshops, and webinars to encourage and engage women as they return to work.
• The Mom Project connects women with organizations that align with their personal goals, both professionally and personally.
• FairyGodBoss is passionate about helping women succeed in the workforce through resources such as podcasts, events, job-seeking database, and reviews of companies by women.

We’re all in this together, so it is important to find yourself a comfortable culture fit, search for a good mentor, and remember that change takes time. As I run to the park with my youngest while my middle plays baseball, I remind myself the days are long, but the years are short, and I am so happy I found a career that showcases my skills. I encourage anyone looking to reengage with their career to use the skills you have acquired while being a stay-at-home parent. Those skills are invaluable and CAN be used to find your next career opportunity.