Return to Work as a Stay-At-Home Mom

Applying for jobs right now is scary. Not because you took a break but because it’s hard to tell if anything you’re doing is actually working. Your resume isn’t getting noticed, and it’s not because of the gap. It’s the noise. Hundreds of applicants. AI tools mass-generating resumes. One-click submissions with zero personalization. When everything looks the same, what actually gets noticed is someone who sounds like a real person. If you’re returning to work after a break (parenting, caregiving, health, burnout, or just life) your challenge isn’t the time away, it’s figuring out how to get noticed in a system that’s optimized for speed, not connection. So what can you do? - Tailor your resume as much as possible. It will feel like a lot, but the extra 10 minutes makes a difference. - Own your break with no apologies. You were busy doing things that really matter. - Talk to real people. Informational interviews still work. - Use AI to support, not replace. - Highlight transferable skills during the time you've been away. You've been acquiring skills and experience (you just haven't been getting paid for them). If you’re unsure where to start, I created a simple checklist to walk you through it (checklist link in the comments below). It’s built for women returning after a career break, but it can help anyone feeling stuck. _________ I'm the founder of Elavare, and I help women build confidence, rediscover their purpose, and return to the workforce. 🔔 Follow me for thoughts on confidence, career transitions, leadership, and the power of believing in yourself again. #careerbreak #returntowork #careercoach #jobsearch

On the first day back to work after maternity leave, I locked myself in the office restroom and cried. (I felt like I was failing everywhere.) I was worried about my kid: - Will the nanny pay attention to him properly? - Will T be okay without me? - What if he misses me too much? And at work, I was freaking out about: - What if I’m not as sharp as before? - How do I create space for myself, when so much has changed? - Can I still show the same ambition and drive? Recently, I polled moms in my network. One-third were thinking about leaving within 15-18 months of returning. Not because they didn’t want to work. But because they returned to a system that wasn’t designed for them. What no one told me about coming back was: - How others will treat me differently ("You're a mom now") - High-stakes projects will move forward, without me - People will assume I would want to take it easy (no one asked me) That’s when I realized: If I don’t take control of my return, I will continue to struggle and my performance will suffer. So I did two things (which I recommend to any woman who is returning to work after a break): ✅ I built my own re-onboarding plan. Drafted a 30-60-90 day plan and co-created it with my manager & skip. It ensured I was ramping up on the right things, not just playing catch up. ✅ I focused on high-value, high-context work first. Instead of drowning in old project docs and emails, I set up 1:1s with key people to get real insights. If you're returning to work, please know you are not the same as when you left. And that’s a strength. You don’t need to fit into the old version of yourself. You need to create a new meaning of success for yourself. ——— 🔔 Follow me, Bosky Mukherjee, for more insights on breaking barriers for women in tech leadership. #careergrowth #womenintech #leadership #womeninleadership #leadershipdevelopment

📲 I received this question over text last week: 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘢𝘱? When the school supplies hit store shelves, 'tis the season for paid work re-entry. When you sense your career break is at its end and paid work is the goal, look forward (not backward) when determining your career direction. And once you know the role(s) you're after, position yourself as THE must-have candidate. Remember: Your career break is an asset, not a liability. 4 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞: ❶ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Use a “Related Experience” heading in your resume to list experiences that matter for your job target. This simple trick allows you to demonstrate skills, wins and roles that translate to your ideal role. Consider including volunteer experience, leadership positions and side hustle (or freelance work). ❷ 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 This tactic is a great way to create continuity from a collection of experiences. Group like experiences and roles together, delineating the experiences in a summary section. Then, focus on the successes in your bullet points. Share the data of your efforts as it relates to the work you want to do going forward. Think money raised, the number of committees led, results of new programs built, etc. ❸ 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 If you have a short gap as a mid-career professional, you can use an easy formatting fix: Delete the months on your resume to eliminate your short gap. For gaps longer than a year, use the date sandwich method. Instead of formatting dates to the right-hand side of your file, create a sandwich 🥪. The bread is the company name on one side and the location on the other, with the employment dates in the middle of the sandwich. This way the focus is being taken off the years out of the workforce and focusing more on your job title and the value you brought to the position. ❹ 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 These are one-line statements sharing the WHY behind your paid employment exit. Research shows applicants who disclose the reason behind their work gap were 60% more likely to receive a call back for an interview than those who didn't. Your exit line is a straightforward statement, not a novel. It can be placed in the line of the job title. For example: Product Manager | 2015 – 2022 | Left for a 2-year stint to care for children OR your exit line could read: Left position to get MBA If you have an extensive break consider a one-liner between roles in your work experience, like: Career sabbatical to care for family ❓What else?

Navigating Career Gaps: Advice for Returning to Work💥 I recently got asked about how to answer about a career gap in an interview. Taking time to be a mom (or dad) should NOT hurt your career journey. While some hiring managers might have outdated biases about career gaps, it's up to you to confidently show why your skills make you valuable and you are committed to your career. When explaining your gap:💬 Be honest but brief (for example)... "I relocated to a new location and became a mom during COVID when childcare safety was uncertain." Highlight what you gained 🚀 - "I developed strong prioritization skills managing a household" - "Relocating taught me to adapt quickly to new environments" - "I've become more efficient at multitasking under pressure" Show you stayed connected 👋 Mention how you: 📚 - Read professional journals - Took online courses that relate to your target role - Joined pharmacy communities Quick resume tips: 📝 -Use a combo resume (functional + chronological) and include only years (not months) - Simply list: "2021-2025: Family Relocation and Primary Caregiver" -Consider combining volunteer work with paid work if you have volunteer work that is relevant to the job - Highlight transferable skills from your time away and previous work experience 30-second interview explanation (example): 📣 "I relocated in 2021 and became a mom during COVID when daycare safety was concerning. I chose to be present during those early years while staying current with pharmacy by [ insert specific examples]. I'm excited to bring both my professional expertise and fresh perspectives back to the workforce." Present with confidence-This is the most important! 💪 - Practice your explanation OUT LOUD before interviews - Your tone matters as much as your words - No apologizing for your choices - Make eye contact when discussing your gap - Body language should show you're ready and eager to return Parenting skills ARE workplace skills! Innovative thinking, adaptability, problem-solving, stakeholder management, and process optimization make you a stronger professional. The right employer will value your complete journey, including the wisdom gained during your time away. I've never regretted the time I've taken for my family. Neither should you.