by Judi Perkins
VisionQuest

The biggest hurdle for mothers returning to the work force is their defensiveness about having been out of it for so long. It's that different from the employee who was fired from their last job? It's only a matter of altering your perspective and pairing that with a winning sales presentation of yourself.

And if preparation is important for the candidate who has been steadily employed, it's doubly important (if that's possible) for you. That's because if you haven't a clear focus of what you want, who you are, what your skills or strong traits are, you're going to be caught by the interview questions - especially ones directed at back-to-work moms - like a deer in the headlights.

Additionally, if you don't know what you want, you won't know how to find it or recognize it when you do. Instead, you'll jump at the first thing that comes your way, and if you end up unhappy at your new job, then you do have a problem: a long unemployment time followed immediately by a very short one.

Your position is nothing to be defensive about. According to a United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in April 2007, 60% of married mothers of pre-school children are now in the work force. The new term for these women is "sequencing moms," and for the past four years companies have been implementing programs specifically to attract the sequencing mom. Additionally, the number of sequencing dads (to borrow the term) has grown, which underlines that leaving the work force and then returning is increasingly acceptable.

Periodic labor shortages and periods of high unemployment especially work in favor of moms returning to the work place. Employers have every reason to woo this group of potential employees for that very reason.

If those reasons aren't enough to get your head moving in a different direction, I'll tell you secret that you wouldn't otherwise know: the competition isn't as stiff as you think it is. Candidates have lousy resumes and worse cover letters that mask the most competent person, but because their paper is so bad, half the time they never make it in the door.

Others have atrocious interviewing skills. They don't know what they're looking for, they don't know what questions to ask, frequently they haven't the faintest idea of what the company is about (and many of these are executive level by the way), don't know how to ask for the job, go for the close, follow up, or skillfully present themselves to begin with.

So just by knowing you - as a group - are actually in demand and appreciated by a great number of companies, combined with having your head in a positive and enthusiastic place, and a great self presentation - you're much further ahead than you'd initially think.

Remember, as you know I've said so often, you're selling a product and the product is you. And the first rule of sales is that the buyer could care less what you think and what you want. Simply put, that means you need to present yourself as a solution to whatever their needs are. It's not about your great marketing skills, it's about their new product introduction and how they'll make money.

What have you done while you've been out of the working world? Volunteer work? Develop a specific hobby or talent? Run neighborhood meetings? Fund raising for your child's school? Think in terms of shared characteristics. You may not have been running an accounting department recently, but if you're routinely volunteering to handle the school profits from the bake sales, fairs, and craft shows there are more similarities than just the cash.

In these instances, what I call "no, but..." statements are especially helpful. If you're asked a question to which the answer is, "no," rather than stop there, compare it to something similar.

"I haven't ever brought a new product to market, but I did put together a marketing program for the library's Visiting Author program, which was so successful we were able to bring in a few national authors and had to move the program to a larger venue. What are some of the goals you?re targeting for your marketing department in the first quarter?"

Notice how you tie your skills to what the hiring authority/buyer wants -linking the two for him rather than leaving him to put together the picture for himself.

"One of the reasons this opportunity is so appealing is because you're looking for someone who has strong accounting skills but is also a good manager with excellent people and communication skills. As Treasurer for the school PTA, not only did I help the president recruit and motivate volunteers, but I was also responsible for handling thousands of dollars in revenue generated by some of the school-sponsored activities. What kind of shape is your existing department in?"

If you haven't been able to extend yourself out into the community, take any classes or develop some new skill, now's a good time to do it. It gives you the ability to show you specifically thought about what you wanted to do when you returned, planned for it, and made it happen.

Dig into journals, magazines and articles on your profession. Talk shop with your friends from your previous jobs, and if you've lost touch, call them up and renew their acquaintance. Go to some Chamber of Commerce or industry specific events and brush up on the lingo and your networking skills. Not only will you facilitate your transition into the work force, but in the course of casual conversation, you'll find yourself answering a lot of the questions you?ll be asked when you interview.

Keep your perspective positive, and know that you're valuable and have something to offer a company. Don't sell yourself short. Working mothers are mature, organized, excellent mutli-taskers, and able to focus on a number of distractions at once without getting sidetracked. These skills - and more - are ones that transfer easily to the workplace.

After all, you don't have to keep your staff from coloring on their presentations or from wiping grape jelly on their office walls. So how hard can it be?

Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with www.CareerCube.net. To sign up for her newsletter or learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to www.findtheperfectjob.com.