I clearly remember my first "informational meeting" after being home for 16 years with children. I was a wreck that rainy afternoon. I was getting together with a pr director at a local university, just to get my feet wet, so to speak. Unfortunately, I was so nervous after I parked the car and was hustling into the building that I lost my balance and stepped into a huge puddle. I spent the entire meeting with my left foot soaked through. It was hard to concentrate.
I realized something that I'll pass along: If you are a young, working woman and plan to leave your job to have children, get samples of your projects! When I left the ad agency all those years ago, I didn't give a second thought to my future career. At that point in my life, I was consumed with becoming a mom. And for many years, that role - combined with lots of volunteer work - kept me satisfied.
It wasn't until last year that I dusted off my portfolio to find it in a sorry state. I have very little that reflects my depth of experience. When I start getting those interviews (I'm being optimistic here!), I'll have to talk a good game to make up for the lack of visuals.
Back to the meeting ... I was so timid that the pr director, in her kindness, basically walked me through my background. She made me feel like I could actually work in my profession again, something I hadn't reconciled with myself yet. Unless you've been a mom at home for several years, it's hard to describe how difficult it is to cross back over.
Luckily, I've made some great strides in the ego department.
No comments:
Post a Comment