The mommy track. We’ve all heard the phrase before and, whether we realize it or not, most of us are riding on it. Once we decided to have a child, we hopped aboard that train regardless of our “work situation” – paid or unpaid, inside or outside the home. Recent studies suggest that almost 80 percent of women will choose to re-enter the work force either immediately after maternity leave or several years later. The mommy track, however, is a career path that may involve being passed over for exciting projects, being paid less than peers and having no professional advancement available in the near future. With that in mind, let’s focus on what we can do to ensure that our mommy track is a positive one.
Whether returning to work after an abbreviated maternity leave or after seven years holding down the home front raising children, it’s important to ensure that we do not sabotage our own careers and that our choices are not endangered by false and misleading perceptions. Where your track goes, how fast it runs and where it leads you is, in large part, up to you.
> Be a savvy volunteer
Active volunteer work will also make you a more marketable employee, giving you skills you may not have gotten in your earlier career, such as sales, telemarketing, recruiting, project management and team management. But be selective about the opportunities you choose. For example, if given the chance to volunteer at bake sales and car washes, or devise a way to raise thousands of dollars as treasurer of the PTA, which would you choose? Think about how your time is being spent and which endeavors will add value and strengthen your skill set in the long run.
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