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It wasn't long ago that being a stay-at-home mom, or a Mr. Mom, would damage your career. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Flexibility is becoming the norm, and businesses are placing a higher priority on results than on face time. Smart companies are finding creative ways to conduct business by utilizing the talents of nontraditional workers. Some people even claim that you can advance in your career, while working from home or on a part-time basis. But if you want to make the most of a flexible arrangement, you'll need to learn a few things first.
Where can you find companies with flexible work arrangements?
Each fall, Working Mother Magazine publishes a complete list of family-friendly organizations, many of which you have probably heard about.
Is it true that you can be hired with the flexibility of staying home when your kids get sick?
That's just what one 47-year-old mother negotiated when she returned to the workforce after spending eight years at home. She stated, "I had no trouble finding a job with a good salary... I stated up front that if something's going on at my kids' school, I'll be there, and if a kid gets sick, I'll be home -- but I'd get the work done." In response, she received nods and smiles, and was hired for a job as vice president at Union Bank in San Francisco.
How can you put yourself in a position to be hired as a flexible worker?
There is no doubt that it helps to have a family-friendly company close to home. But there are also certain steps you can take to prepare yourself to land your ideal situation:
- While you're at home, keep your contacts fresh. Do this by calling or exchanging email with former coworkers and bosses, or meeting once a month for lunch with someone in your network, a colleague and/or former classmate, professor.
- Stay current with trends and issues in your field by maintaining memberships in professional groups and reading the organizations' publications or attending meetings.
- Stay up to date on flexible arrangements in the workplace. You can track this information and your options through New Ways to Work.
- Renew any certifications or licenses, making sure these do not lapse.
- Keep your skills sharp by volunteering, attending workshops or taking continuing education classes. Also, work on an advanced degree or ease back in through an internship.
- Follow the daily news in the paper, by radio, on TV or via the Internet. This will keep you current on national and community events and will give you an idea of the hot new jobs.
- Make a plan and review it annually with a qualified career counselor. Do this by contacting the National Board for Certified Counselors.
- Have fun and realize that everything we do is an opportunity to both grow personally and professionally. It's often true what people say about the golf course -- some of the best deals are made there.
Keep in mind that flexible work can be as difficult as (if not more difficult than) a regular 9-to-5 job. You need to be disciplined if you are working from home, and you need to make yourself available for calls and meetings with your coworkers, or they may come to view you as someone they can't count on. But if you handle yourself in a professional manner, and are willing to put in the time, a flexible work arrangement can be your ticket to the best of both worlds.
Center for Career/Life Planning © 1999
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