“I’m Mrs. George Fillis from Kernville,” the woman said nervously, “and I’m forty-eight years old… I know I’m not the brightest bulb,” she said, her face pink with shame, “that’s what my husband and kids always say—and yet last week when you said osmosis was the movement of a less concentrated solvent through a semipermeable membrane to another more concentrated solvent, I found myself wondering if… well…”
“Go on,” said Elizabeth Zott.
“Well, if my leg edema might not be a by-product of faulty hydraulic conductivity combined with an irregular osmotic reflection coefficient of plasma proteins. What do you think?”
“A very detailed diagnosis, Mrs. Fillis,” Elizabeth said. “What kind of medicine do you practice?”
“Oh,” the woman stumbled, “no, I’m not a doctor. I’m just a housewife.”
“There isn’t a woman in the world who is JUST a housewife,” Elizabeth said. “What else do you do?”
“Nothing. A few hobbies. I like to read medical journals.”
“Interesting. What else?”
“Sewing.”
“Clothes?”
“Bodies.”
“Wound closures?”
“Yes. I have five boys. They’re always tearing holes in themselves.”
“And when you were their age, you envisioned yourself becoming…”
“A loving wife and mother.”
“No, seriously…”
“An open-heart surgeon,” the woman said before she could stop herself.
The room filled with a thick silence, the weight of her dream hanging like too-wet laundry on a windless day. Open-heart surgery?
For a moment, it seemed as if the entire world was waiting for the laughter that should follow. But then, from the room came a single unexpected clap—immediately followed by another—and then another—and soon the whole audience was on their feet and someone called out, “Dr. Fillis, heart surgeon,” and the clapping became thunderous.
“No, no,” the woman insisted above the noise. “I was only kidding. I can’t actually do that. Anyway, it’s too late.”
“It’s never too late,” Elizabeth insisted.
“But I couldn’t. Can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s hard.”
“And raising five boys isn’t?”
“You REALLY think I could do it?” she asked, her voice trembling.
(story excerpt taken from pages 259-261 in “Lessons In Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus)
DID THE STORY ABOVE SOUND A LITTLE TOO FAMILIAR? LET’S TALK ABOUT YOU… BECAUSE IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
Is your house too quiet? Is there nothing left to organize, schedule, clean, pack, wash, or fold? No activities to volunteer for? No one to drive around? No games to watch? Have you secretly longed to be someone else? To turn back time and take a different path? Are you in a “hole” because you have so much time on your hands and you’re thinking, “NOW, what?”
It’s time to reinvent yourself! You were an individual adult before you had children, and you’ve done the most important job ever (raising other humans), so now it’s time to pursue something for yourself. Being a SAHM doesn’t change your intelligence, capability, willingness to try something new, or your determination to achieve your goals.
But, the honest truth is most stay-at-home moms face bias when returning to work.
How many? A recent survey from Indeed shows nearly three-quarters of these mothers faced significant biases when re-entering the workforce because of their status as stay-at-home moms.
And almost all (93%) of the mothers surveyed report anticipating bias in the return-to-work process. Most moms who already experienced bias reported that the issues stemmed from the employment gap on their résumé.
As of February 2023, the number of women in the workforce exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Yet these women are finding that re-entry is anything but smooth.
So, if you know you’re ready to work outside the home, but aren’t sure how to get started…
TAP INTO YOUR HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
You want to address the bias head-on by amplifying the skills you’ve honed as a stay-at-home mom on your résumé. From managing multiple schedules and balancing budgets to coordinating with other workers in these “working environments,” a stay-at-home mother’s skills can boost a résumé.
START A BUSINESS… OR SIDE HUSTLE
Maybe you’ve had hobbies and interests on the side for years Could you turn those activities and passions into a business? If you love to spend your free time designing jewelry, taking photographs, painting, or teaching yoga, and some people are asking to pay you for what you do, it’s time to consider turning your hobby into a business.
Here are a few signs that you’re ready… If demand for what you make/do and the thought of turning your pastime into a business excites you, here’s your chance.
You may also be ready to start a business if you’re already occasionally selling what you offer, spreading word-of-mouth, and requests for more are ramping up.
However, you don’t have to jump in full-time. Maybe you just want to have more to do, and be productive by building something, but not have it take over your life. Perfect. No one says you need to go from full-time mom to full-time career. The first thing is to…
GET PROFESSIONAL COACHING TO HELP YOU GET CLEAR
Career coaching will help you hone in on your unique talents, vision, purpose, and capabilities. By clarifying your goals, building your brand, and opening your mind to what success and making an income looks like today, you can find work outside the home you love AND be paid what you’re worth.
“After 27 years of not having an updated resume or being in a position to entertain job opportunities, I felt I needed some assistance. Jaime at Career Agility System proved excellent at resume construction and was equally as good at guiding me to “polish” my profile on LinkedIn. Worth every penny.”
Should YOU consider Career Agility System? The answer is a big YES if:
- You can’t define your personal brand
- You haven’t written your resume in over 10 years
- You’re asking why you need a LinkedIn profile
- You’ve never attended a networking event
- The thought of asking for career referrals gives you hives
- You have no clue where or how to even look for a job
- Interview prep? What’s that?
- You don’t know the proper attire for an interview
- You’ve never started a business and now is the time
The first step is to break behaviors and beliefs that will get you from where you are today to where YOU want to be. Personalized to your goals. Career Agility System will teach you:
- Mindset and Tools to Make Forward Progress
- Gaining Career Clarity
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- Job Search Strategies, Networking, and Selling Yourself
- Acing Interviews
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To learn more, of Career Agility System!
Connect with Jaime on LinkedIn.
