Part One

Part Two

Part Three

I had a wonderful time during the interview and hope you enjoy it!

No wonder mothers have so much anxiety when it comes to their job search, especially if they chose to stay home. Many are afraid of interviewing and discussing the time gaps in their resumes. After all, HR professionals, managers and job seekers have all been taught the same thing, time gaps are bad.  So in an interview, what are relaunchers, onrampers, and return to work mothers supposed to do?

Here are 5 interviewing tips for the brave souls returning to the workforce.

1.      Don’t apologize for being a mom. Be proud and embrace your decision to have children and stay home to raise them.  When asked about your time away from the workforce highlight the positives.

Here is a sample interview response: I chose to stay home to build a strong and loving foundation for my children.  I am confident they are now well supported and so I am eager to return to the work I love.  During my time at home, I volunteered at my local ________ (church, children’s school, charity, etc) and gained excellent experience in _________ (marketing, communications, public relations, or other business function.)

2.      Describe the leadership roles you held while at home or in previous employment.  Do you manage your household’s expenses, chair any volunteer committees, teach classes, lead in your church? Explain how you would apply your skills & experience to the open position.

3.      Ask questions.  Ask about a typical workday including office hours, duties, projects, and any travel.  Do any of the employees work a flexible schedule? Ask about their performance appraisal process and specifically which dimensions are rated.  This will give a good indication of what the company values, face-time or results.  Finally ask about what types of benefits are available such as health, dental, tuition reimbursement, flexible spending accounts, vacation, personal days and merit bonuses.  This information will be helpful when negotiating your salary and schedule.

4.      Be prepared.  Do your research on the company’s history, products, services and values.  Be able to clarify why you want to work there.  Also be familiar with the company’s customers and clients and how you can help meet their needs.

5.      Illustrate your own flexibility. Are you able to arrive earlier than the required time or leave later?  In return the company may allow you to leave a few hours earlier so you can pick your children up from daycare or school or arrive later in the morning so you can have breakfast with them.

Can you travel occasionally or work a Saturday if necessary? If so, the company may be able to offer you a compressed 4 day work week or have you work from home on the fifth day.

First make sure you can meet their needs, before negotiating how they can meet yours.

Finally, remember you are extremely valuable.  You are just as productive as any other worker.  Many of you hold advanced degrees, are able to work in fast-paced and stressful environments, can multi-task, negotiate with vendors, and manage dynamic budgets.  Your creativity and innovation are boundless and you seldom complain.  Ultimately, no one is as dedicated and loyal than you.

Author’s Edit:  Great tip from one of our readers,  Jo Ann Cummings.

In addition to researching the company, women should go to a website like salary.com and research the pay range for the type of position they are applying for, with the experience level they had, in the city where they hope to work.  Even if you don’t intend to discuss salary at an initial interview, IF the subject comes up, you will be prepared with a benchmark of what the salary range might be, so that you know if you’re getting low balled.

The Wageproject.org website has access to salary.com.  They are starting to offer salary negotiation seminars called Return$mart, for women returning to the workforce.

• Be Early! Allow yourself enough travel time to make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes early. One trick is to do a drive-by prior to your interview. Choose a time and day that will mimic the road conditions you may experience. Drive to the company and calculate how much travel time it takes so you can estimate when you should leave your home. This helps to cut down on anxiety before the interview.

• Bring with you the job description, multiple copies of your resume, company research and any rehearsal notes. You will have time to review them before the interview. This is also an opportunity to look around and get a feel for the culture of the company.

• Upon arrival, be nice to your first point of contact! Whether it is the receptionist, security desk, executive assistant, or other front line person, be cordial and engaging. Unfortunately many people don’t make the effort and are in their own little world prior to the interview. Smile, and make small talk.

o   If you have time, ask them how long they have worked there and why they enjoy the company.  Be interested in their experience.  Many times a hiring manager relies on them for additional feedback and will come out after an interview and ask which candidate they feel best fits into the company culture.  Also, be aware that any signs of rudeness or lateness will be passed along by them to the Interviewer.

• When you meet the interviewer, smile and extend your hand for a firm handshake (Please don’t be Hercules.) Consider yourself a guest in their home and thank them for the opportunity to meet and discuss your skills and experience.

o   Remember you are first interviewing to be a part of the company and secondly for the position.  Hiring managers are thinking strategically and if you fit well with the company there may be multiple roles you can advance to later on.  Don’t limit yourself by focusing just on the current open position.

These tips will get your interview off to a great start and relieve anxiety so you can focus on showcasing your value.

Many thanks for reading and best wishes on your journey.

Rehearsal:

• After researching the company and job description to gain a handle on what the hiring manager is looking for, gather a list of possible questions you may be asked during the interview. Do some additional research on the internet using the keyword “interview questions.” Many companies prefer to ask behavioral-type questions which ask you to elaborate on how you behaved in response to a specific situation. Select 5 – 10 questions which relate to the job description and the culture of the company (make sure a few behavioral questions are in your list.)
• Brainstorm and make a list of skills you bring to the table from your past experiences. Write down everything that comes to mind and don’t censure yourself. Next score each skill according to the job requirements. Place a value from 1-5 with 5 representing highly skilled and valuable for this position. Use the highest scoring skills in your responses to the interview questions. Keep your skill sheet handy as a reference. As a good actor, practice in delivering your answers naturally and believably. These preparations will build your confidence and minimize nervous answers.

According to Business Week, only 7% of communication involves actual words. The majority is visual 55% (body language, eye contact) and vocal 38% (pitch, speed, volume, tone of voice) Now knowing this:

• Go in front of the mirror with your interview questions and skills sheet and begin to answer the questions while looking directly into the mirror. I know this sounds awkward but it’s better for you to make a weird face into your mirror than in front of the hiring manager. Be aware of any nervous expressions or movements your face or body makes. Awareness is half the battle.
• Ideally, if you can record your voice while answering the questions it will help you be aware of how fast you speak and whether you are clear and understandable. Rehearse the questions until you are comfortable.
• A mock interview is a great rehearsal technique after you are comfortable with the mirror exercise. Find a trusted friend or family member to help you and to be most effective, wear your interview outfit. Hand the questions to your partner and rehearse with them. Afterward, ask them to provide feedback on your posture, speech, and eye contact. Be open to their suggestions and update your delivery as needed.

Using these techniques will improve your poise, speech and comfort level during your interview and this level of preparedness will help set you apart.  Break a leg!