HOW CAN I GET BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE AFTER HAVING A CHILD?

QUESTION:
I haven't worked in IT for about six years. I've been home with my 
daughter. She'll be starting kindergarten next year, and I was thinking 
of going back to work.

If I do go back, I'll face a lot of restrictions compared to what I've 
done in the past. These restrictions are mainly because she'll be in 
school only from 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. and only on weekdays. I know there's 
always day care, but I honestly doubt I could get a job that would pay 
me enough after taxes to pay for it.

I'm not sure how to go about this. The truth is that I'm scared to 
death to go back into the workforce, especially with these 
restrictions. But I know it will do wonders for my self-esteem, so I 
feel it's important that I look for a job. Can you offer any advice?

REPLY:
I think the best thing you can do is find a good temp agency that 
places IT staffers. (Many IT functions lend themselves nicely to temp 
work.) No matter how high level your skills might have been, stick to 
basic jobs for now, until you get back into the swing of things and 
reestablish your credibility.

Don't let your ego or expectations get in the way. While the technology 
has changed a lot in the past six years, your basic IT skills will 
serve you well in basic jobs. Once you come up to speed on "what's 
new," I think you'll find that the IT acumen you developed long ago 
will help you move back up the ladder quickly. Of course, you may opt 
to keep working part time so you can spend time with your child.

You'll find the best temp agencies by calling the best local employers 
and asking them which agencies they use when they need to hire temps. 
(That's the secret. It's also a nice icebreaker if you want to 
introduce yourself to a company without coming out and asking for a 
job.)

You might not find the "perfect" assignments to start, but you can 
probably find the schedule you need. It's step by step after that.

I don't think you'll find a quick solution by conducting a regular job 
search. You need to take this one step at a time, and temping is a good 
way to do it. Go for it.

Best wishes on your renewed career, 
Nick Corcodilos 
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