Women Reworked

by Heather Resnick

A series of five articles dedicated to empowering women to re-enter the workplace after an extended absence.

"My brain was turning to mush (but my house was spotless)," quipped Jan Brickman, a stay-at-home mother who responded to, "Why do you want to go back into the workplace?"

"Brain rot" is not the only reason that women want to work after an extended absence. For some it is financial. Maybe the children are older and women need to find something to satisfy their own needs. Or perhaps work would help to fill a void after a major life alteration such as a divorce, death of a loved one, illness, retirement, or having been fired or laid off. For others it is to connect to the greater world.... Paying taxes may not be our desired goal, but being a viable, contributing (paying) member of society is essential for many women's self-esteem.

The first step towards re-entering the workforce is self-assessment. You need to know who you are, where you are in your life and where you would like to go in order to define a career path. There are eight key areas to consider which are discussed in this article:

1. What is your passion; what are your skills?
2. Full or part-time work?
3. Self-employment?
4. Do your needs and values fit in with the particular work environment?
5. What are the financial costs of going back to work?
6. Will the time commitment be realistic?
7. Will there be a support system if you require it?
8. What does success mean to you?

1. What is your passion; what are your skills?

Many women have no idea what they want their ideal job to be.

Exercise:

1. On a piece of paper, create four separate columns for things you:
   Love to do     Like to do     Hate to do     Love to do but Haven't
   Jot down any items that come to your mind in each appropriate column. These can be from any area in your life - academics, your social world, activities with your children, hobbies, volunteering, relationships, relaxation, etc.

2. Once you've completed your list:
   • Ask yourself, "What would I like to eliminate?" Put a line or "x" through those things. For example, if you hate math, wanting to be an accountant may not be appropriate.
   • Next, focus on the things you like to do and would be willing to explore. Highlight those items with a question mark (?).
   • Highlight things you really love with an asterisk (*). Include things that others have told you that you are good at doing.

3. Re-examine your positive Love to do items (those you marked with an "*"). Start a new list with only those positive items and add a column beside them titled Skills / Attributes. Beside each Love to do item, write what skills and attributes you used to accomplish each task. For example, if you volunteered at a senior home then you might list patience, organization, co-operation, commitment, etc.

   Next, ask yourself:

   • How did I feel doing that activity?
   • Did I eagerly anticipate returning to it?
   • Did I grow from the experience?
   • Did I get positive feedback from others?
   • Could I see myself permanently doing that function?

   For other possibilities, write the skills you think are necessary in a different ink colour. Re-examine the list. Choose things you are passionate about. Eliminate those that did not live up to your expectations or that you would not like to pursue. Look at your abilities from all the things you have done and see how you can apply them to other areas of interest. These are called "transferable skills."

4. d) On a separate sheet of paper, you should list your Values. These are things like integrity, respect, ethical, equity etc. Beside values, list your Needs. Do you need to be challenged, nurtured, physically active, etc.?

5. e) Your last list is Personal Characteristics. Are you outgoing, creative, reserved, a team player, etc.? What others say about you is also relevant to your profile.

Carefully examine your lists and combine them. A picture of who you are should begin to form revealing employment that suits you.

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