Professional women often voluntarily leave employment to successfully invest time with their kids
Choices for moms who face employment discrimination after raising kids full-time
My sister-in-law was a highly paid hospital administrator when she decided that it was more important to be at home with her 3 kids. 10 years later, when she sent out her resume, she received not a single reply. The fact that employers, eager to hire young healthy workers at a lower salary, discriminate against moms this way should come as no surprise. My sister-in-law, an expert in hospital systems and the business of health care now teaches math at the local high school.
Teaching is a valuable and honorable work. But for middle-aged women who love business, and find themselves locked out of jobs that could benefit from their expertise in sales, finance, management and dealing with clients, working outside their field can be disappointing.
I found myself in the same position a few years ago. Leaving a successful small business was not a sacrifice; it was a joyful choice to be with my children and to create a home for my family. But always, in the back of my mind was the dream that I would someday return to the business world again. Throughout my child-rearing years, I kept up on trends, and honed my skills at sales, communication and management. I volunteered, I organized, and even founded a successful 501 (c) organization.
When my youngest turned 18, I decided to make the leap, but discovered that employers just weren't interested. I was fortunate enough to create a part-time consulting business that keeps me busy, but I've recently encountered some very interesting alternatives for women who want to avoid the grind of going back to school or wasting years trying to find a suitable job. One of the best opportunities is to obtain a license to become a consultant for Valcor, a business advocacy firm that provides alternative financing and help for struggling businesses through its network of angel investors.
For stay-at-home moms or anyone with experience in business finance and good communication skills, it can be a great fit, especially if you can set aside an office space and at least a few hours each day. You hit the ground running after an intensive weekend training with the founders, who have been operating Valcor since 1993. You pay a one time licensing fee, which is equivalent to what you'd probably pay to your local community college to get a degree as a medical technician (and a lot less than what they're now charging for beauty school). The company's rep told me that graduates of the program go home with proprietary leads on businesses that are waiting for help, and Valcor provides on call training and support for a year.
Valcor's founder, David H. Sussman told me that his current 100+ licensees come from a variety of business fields, and accepted licensees are often people who took substantial time off from the rat race to focus on families. "In this field," said Sussman, "we value an understanding of finance and how small businesses work. Life experience is a big plus."
Teaching is a valuable and honorable work. But for middle-aged women who love business, and find themselves locked out of jobs that could benefit from their expertise in sales, finance, management and dealing with clients, working outside their field can be disappointing.
I found myself in the same position a few years ago. Leaving a successful small business was not a sacrifice; it was a joyful choice to be with my children and to create a home for my family. But always, in the back of my mind was the dream that I would someday return to the business world again. Throughout my child-rearing years, I kept up on trends, and honed my skills at sales, communication and management. I volunteered, I organized, and even founded a successful 501 (c) organization.
When my youngest turned 18, I decided to make the leap, but discovered that employers just weren't interested. I was fortunate enough to create a part-time consulting business that keeps me busy, but I've recently encountered some very interesting alternatives for women who want to avoid the grind of going back to school or wasting years trying to find a suitable job. One of the best opportunities is to obtain a license to become a consultant for Valcor, a business advocacy firm that provides alternative financing and help for struggling businesses through its network of angel investors.
For stay-at-home moms or anyone with experience in business finance and good communication skills, it can be a great fit, especially if you can set aside an office space and at least a few hours each day. You hit the ground running after an intensive weekend training with the founders, who have been operating Valcor since 1993. You pay a one time licensing fee, which is equivalent to what you'd probably pay to your local community college to get a degree as a medical technician (and a lot less than what they're now charging for beauty school). The company's rep told me that graduates of the program go home with proprietary leads on businesses that are waiting for help, and Valcor provides on call training and support for a year.
Valcor's founder, David H. Sussman told me that his current 100+ licensees come from a variety of business fields, and accepted licensees are often people who took substantial time off from the rat race to focus on families. "In this field," said Sussman, "we value an understanding of finance and how small businesses work. Life experience is a big plus."
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Sussman also speaks frequently on business advocacy and has been a guest on Fox Business where he discusses the challenges that entrepreneurs face when burdened by heavy regulation and current economic challenges. He can be reached at david@valcorworldwide.com.
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For the mom who cannot comfortably invest in a ready-to-go consultant's business, there are few alternatives for immediate work unless you are willing to set your sights a little lower (if necessary) to add some recent experience to your resume. Naturally, there are financial programs for displaced homemakers who qualify based on need, but many women have family incomes which disqualify them from aid.
A great way to ease back into the work world is to volunteer with organizations that are important to you, or start one yourself. For me, it was a regional youth symphony that served kids from surrounding school districts as well as homeschoolers. The struggle to organize, advertise and obtain funding was a great experience that taught me more than I ever learned in college.
What challenges have you faced in the work world after raising children full-time? Share your story by writing to me HERE
A great way to ease back into the work world is to volunteer with organizations that are important to you, or start one yourself. For me, it was a regional youth symphony that served kids from surrounding school districts as well as homeschoolers. The struggle to organize, advertise and obtain funding was a great experience that taught me more than I ever learned in college.
What challenges have you faced in the work world after raising children full-time? Share your story by writing to me HERE