I worked for IBM for fifteen years, and then started my own company specifically because I wanted to spend more time with my children. Owning my own company enabled me to be an involved mother and still satisfy my financial and professional goals. Then when I did decide to rejoin corporate America nine years later, I was actually more valuable than if I had stayed at IBM all those years.
If you do decide to stay home full-time for a while, make it a point to keep your skills up-to-date so when you do want to reenter the workforce, you will be more marketable. Many managers would actually welcome the opportunity to hire a woman who has the maturity, patience, discipline, and multi-tasking skills often associated with stay-at-home moms. So don’t just assume staying home will reduce your long-term earning potential.
When I consider how much the workplace has changed since the birth of my first child, I’m optimistic that you can benefit from continued progress.
Millennial Perspective: Traci Tsai
Hi Mom-to-Be,
This one’s a tough one for me—as I haven’t been in this situation yet or had many people seek my advice on this topic. However, I have had a number of co-workers go through this process, so I’ll do my best to share some of my limited insight and some of the thoughts I’ve had when thinking about it in the context of my own future.
Investigate with your boss as well as your company if there are flexible, work-from-home options for you after your maternity leave is over. This has worked out well for a number of people I know. They are able to work more hours and therefore keep their income at (close to) a full-time level and their career on track. With help at home during working hours, they also are able to be with their children during the early years.
I know that personally, I want to be able to maintain a strong work/life balance when the time comes for me to start a family. I am not close enough to the situation now to provide any personal experience-based advice, but one option that I have seen a number of people explore is to go the consulting route. This is something that I will definitely explore when I find myself at this juncture. With this option, I feel it’s possible to continue building a base of contacts and work experience, but in a flexible manner that allows time for family. I will (hopefully) preserve my earning potential and keep my career on track so that whenever I am ready to return to full time work, I will be in a good position to do so.
