Parents’ Top Concerns When They Return to Work

Many of us want to return to work after the pandemic. However, working parents are facing the biggest concerns when returning to work. For instance, exploring the right job opportunity that pays them well, building connections and covering resume gaps are the biggest concerns and challenges.

If you are a parent, you know how challenging it is to shift from home to a new workplace where you won’t get enough time to spend with your kids.

Here are the biggest concerns of parents returning to work or wishing to return to work.

Concerns about Job Searching

Searching for the right job that matches the skillset is the biggest concern of many parents. For example, a survey showed that *75% of parents are concerned about exploring the right job opportunity. *Flexjobs

During COVID-19, more than half of the parents experienced changes in their career goals. And the reason of the goal change is the time they were out of their workplace.

Overall, the growth of changing career goals, scarcity of the right job opportunity, and increased competition became the biggest concern of parents wishing to return to work.

Career Advice:

To help you make the transition from stay-at-home parent to working parent. Carry out a strategic and thorough job search and write compelling cover letters. Likewise, create professional connections to find the right job opportunity.

Make friends with other working parents to learn their insider tips. Connect with other parents who have returned to work or are in the process of doing so on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. As you take the next step, their perspectives, experiences, and advice will help and inspire you.

Having a good salary

49% of parents trying to return to work are concerned about getting a job that pays well. It is because an adequate salary job takes the financial burden off their shoulders. Furthermore, a high-paying job is the primary source of motivation for more than three-quarters of parents.

Career Advice:

Get a foot in the door of the job you want, where you’ll be paid according to your abilities and skills. Negotiating your salary is a better option if you cannot get the pay you want.

During negotiations, always have in mind the minimum pay rate you want to achieve. If you are not paid what you are worth, it is preferable to walk away.

Concerns about gaps in employment or resume

When it comes to returning to work, around 40% of parents say a gap in their resume is one of their main concerns.

You created a gap in your resume because you took a break from formal employment for a period of time. However, if you want to get back to work, you’ll need to fill in the blanks on your resume.

If you’ve found the right job opportunity with a good salary, the next step is to make your resume stand out and strategically explain the gaps in your resume during your interviews.

Career Advice:

When your employer mentions the topic of gaps in your resume during an interview, give honest answers. List the reasons you took a break, whether it was because of parenting or something else.

Avoid lying to your boss while explaining. Instead, staying truthful can save you a lot of headaches in the future. Additionally, you can use your LinkedIn profile to help employers find you and assess your abilities beyond your gap year.

However, many parents, particularly mothers, are concerned about their working hours’ flexibility, childcare, and safety. Whatever your biggest concerns are as a parent when it comes to returning to work, focus on the aspects of the challenges that you can control and seek career advice to make things work out.

Getting career advice can also help you in determining the job that best fits your evolving career goals.