How to Return to Business after Maternity Leave

I promised that I would write this in my previous blog post about returning to business after a hiatus.  Maternity leave is different. I don't pretend to be an expert, but based on countless interviews with returning mothers (and occasionally, fathers), here are my observations.

There are a couple of essential points to remember once you go on maternity leave – and it doesn’t matter if it is three months, three years or eight or nine years. 

First, getting back to your previous job is relatively simple, provided you have stayed in contact with them.  If you are only out for a short period of time – under six months – your job will more than likely be waiting for you.  The law allows three months.  If it is slightly longer and you have stayed in touch, there should be no issue. 

Second, it is essential to keep in contact with key people from your old company and from your industry.  Staying in touch is essential.  You are far more likely to be hired by someone who knows you than someone who doesn’t.  An occasional lunch, drink or even a phone conversation, can do wonders for your career.  Some women are concerned that if they haven’t been in touch for a while, it is awkward to then get together with friends and associates.  Not so.  Believe it or not, people are flattered to hear from you.

Third, be active.  If you can do freelance work that is relevant to your professional career, you should do so.  If you do other work, keep a good list of your accomplishments, add them to your résumé and make sure that the way you list these things are relevant and connected.  For instance, if you are involved with the PTA and organize events, fund raisers or other things, these experiences are very relevant – fund raising involves selling, contacting, persuading, all of which are connected to your profession.  If, during maternity leave, you can do some freelance projects for an old firm or client, that will be immensely helpful.

Fourth, when preparing your résumé, it is literally better to list maternity leave as an item rather than leaving a gaping hole in your résumé.  Under that item you can and should list things you have done.  If you have done nothing but stay home and taking care of the kids, that is hard work and perfectly permissible.

One thing I see all the time, however, is women who I know who contact me, come to see me and then do nothing to advance their cause.  What I mean is that I ask them to make changes to their résumés and then I hear nothing back. Or I call them on Monday and don't hear from them for five days.   I can only assume that these women are dabbling and not serious about getting back to work – actions speak louder than words.

The fear of employers is that they want to be sure that you are committed to working again.  Advertising requires long hours.  You have to be prepared for that.  You must have child care and they have to be willing to stay late, if necessary.  These arrangements should be made before you begin looking – it communicates to potential employers that you are serious and prepared.

If you have been out for a while (more than three or four years), you should be prepared to start at a lower level than you had previously achieved.  This in itself is an issue because someone who is junior to you may be unwilling and threatened to have a more senior person reporting to them.  The trick will be to try to find a job where this is not an issue.

There is another aspect to returning to work.  Many mothers want to work on a limited basis, say, four days.  Agencies are not great about flex time.  Once upon a time, a recruiter I know hired someone to place women in agencies on a flex time basis.  I believe that she ended it after a year because not a single placement was made. My observation is that ad agencies will only agree to part time work if they know you and trust your work ethic.