Coutts Woman

Back to Work

Returning to work after a career break can be daunting. Some women who have spent their time bringing up children can feel that their minds are as mushy as the peas they have dished up at dinner time, while research commissioned by The Equalities Review reveals that mothers going back to work are penalised higher than any other social group.

Indeed, women with children under 11 are 37 per cent less likely to be offered a job than a male counterpart. To put that statistic into context, a disabled person is 16 per cent less likely to be offered a job than a non-disabled competitor.

Career coach Diana Wolfin, co-author of Back to Work: A Guide for Women Returners, is appalled at the evidence that women returning to work are discriminated against. But she is not surprised.

When Wolfin returned to work fifteen years ago, after a twenty-year career break, she faced similar prejudices. But she believes that, with careful preparation and serious self-analysis, returning mothers can win the jobs and become a vital part of the workforce.

Today more than two thirds of women return to work after having a baby, while 50 per cent of mothers are already working by the time the child is two.

‘The biggest factor is that mothers lose their confidence. They have raised children and been homemakers, yet they believe they haven’t done anything worthwhile. Women are constantly apologising for ‘just being a mum’,’ says Wolfin.

Such low self-esteem is not, according to Wolfin, conducive to getting the job. She advises: ‘Mothers should ask themselves: ‘what have I been doing?’ Well, they’ve learned to prioritise and negotiate, have good organisational and time management skills and are efficient.’

Some may have been involved in parent teacher associations, which require meeting skills. ‘Women who have had time out should not apologise. You cannot do anything about what has been. You sell yourself on your attitude and skills, and skills can be learned,’ adds Wolfin. ‘I advise women sit down with a close friend and ask them to identify their personal strengths.’

But there is one skill that is now essential. Wolfin advises all returning to gain IT skills, if they do not have them, before applying for jobs. The European Computer Driving Licence, ECDL, is the first pan-EU qualification in personal computing skills, and is available at hundreds of centres across the UK.

Some associations, such as the NHS, Training and Development Agency for Schools and UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology, offer refresher courses and work placements to encourage returning mothers.

"Women who have had time out should not apologise. You cannot do anything about what has been. You sell yourself on your attitude and skills, and skills can be learned"

When it comes to writing a curriculum vitae, Wolfin recommends that women returning to work concentrate on their skills. ‘They should write down what they are offering, which should include a passionate approach to work,’ she explains, ‘then their significant skills, such as administration, and then a chronological career history ending with career break and the years involved.’

Heading the curriculum vitae with the chronology ‘starts on a minus’, according to Wolfin, who also recommends writing a good profile to accompany the CV. ‘It is like a Lonely Hearts advert,’ she explains. ‘It is an elevator pitch; your chance to sell yourself between the time the doors close and they open again.’

But a good CV and positive profile can only go so far. ‘Until you believe in yourself and that you can do the job, there is no point applying,’ says Wolfin. ‘Go into an interview as confidently as you can; preparation is key to that. Women should be groomed and look like they’ve tried, offer a good, firm handshake and look people in the eye confidently, but not brazenly.’

In the semi finals of The Apprentice, the four contestants were asked about Alan Sugar and Amstrad. Not one could answer confidently or knowledgeably about the company they wanted to join. Such an error is, according to Wolfin, unforgivable.

‘Any organisation is going to say ‘so what do you know about us’,’ she says. ‘It is so easy to Google a company or, if it is a bigger business, to get the annual report and check out press cuttings. If the business is local, then ask around the neighbourhood. This research means you can ask appropriate questions, not engage in idle flattery, but it is nice to make an employer think that you want to work for them.’

Lastly, it is important to consider what you can do for the company. ‘The employer is bound to ask ‘why should we employ you?’. Have an answer for this and think about it carefully. Women find this very hard,’ admits Wolfin.