Planning can ease re-entry into the work force

Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - by Cathy Cruz-George Pacific

Jennifer Laa, a legal professional, temporarily put her career on hold after her second child was born in 2006.

But that lasted for only a year. She now works full time as the fair housing program manager at the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii and is studying for a doctorate in political science.

"I tried really hard to take my time coming back, taking several months off and working part time," she said. "But I would have had to cut my pay."

Kalowena Komeiji, a marketing and community relations specialist at Kamehameha Publishing, worked at Castle & Cooke before leaving the work force for 10 years to raise two young daughters at home. One morning, while driving her kids to school, her oldest daughter told her to get a traditional, nine-to-five job.

"When I asked her why," Komeiji said, "her response was simply that all the other moms in her class worked outside of the home."
'Sequencing moms'

Many highly skilled and educated employees return to the work force after temporarily halting careers to care for personal needs. Experts call them "boomerangs," "on-boarders" and "on-rampers" or, in the case of Laa and Komeiji, "sequencing moms."

Some return to full-time jobs for financial reasons. Others take part-time positions because they want to keep up professionally.

Women who on-ramp after staying at home for at least three years earn 37 percent less on average than those who never left, according to The Center for Work-Life Policy, a New York research group.

"The biggest shock is salary," said Kristi Inkinen, a principal at Remedy Intelligent Staffing. "Companies shy away from a résumé that has big gaps or lapses in work."

Now is a good time for part-time workers to find jobs, she said. When the economy boomed between 2003 and 2006, companies wanted permanent employees. Now, they want temporary workers.

"The big talk of recession will encourage companies to utilize the temp-to-hire services more frequently," she said. "They want good, part-time people. They want the flexibility without the risk or the obligation to keep them."

Lisa Orrell, a California-based generation relations expert, describes a marketing executive who opted out of work for several years only to return to the field completely lost. "She called me up and said, 'They're talking about social media marketing and brand-building. I'm so out of the loop.' "

Orrell, the author of the book "Millennials Incorporated," advises people who aren't working to subscribe to newsletters, blogs and media networks related to their industry.

"I encourage people who off-board, at the very least, to put yourself out there for contract projects not too draining, at least 10 hours a week," she said.
Volunteering creates credibility

Pro-bono work can boost an applicant's credibility.

"I always encourage people to put volunteership on their résumés because it's equal to working," Inkinen said.

An executive who asked that her name not be used stayed at home in Ewa for three years to care for her twins, who were born in 2002. While at home, she worked as a pro-bono consultant before being hired at a publishing company last year. Volunteer work helped her stay in touch with her industry.

"Once I got into the office, I was doing motivating kinds of projects," she said. "It was easy to feel like I was ready to work again."

A new Web site, youronramp.com, gives additional tips on how to successfully re-enter the workplace. Catherine Clifford, the site's California-based founder, was a financial executive for 16 years before taking time off to care for her fourth child.

She and her team launched the site last summer. The site has 4,000 members and 10,000 visits each month.

"Employers are willing to change the career model that was established in the 1950s where fathers go to work and women stay home," Clifford said. "The work force is 70 percent working families, and this doesn't work anymore."

This week, the Web site's creators are scheduled to launch a book, "Your Career OnRamp," which will come with an optional, online workshop.

Approximately 47 percent of baby boomers in the work force are expected to retire between 2001 and 2029, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Meantime, those baby boomers, or "sandwich generation," will continue juggling careers while caring for children and elderly parents.

"People are leaving the work force not just to stay at home to take care of their kids," said Kay Lorraine, executive director of the Hawaii Women's Business Center. "They're leaving to take care of parents -- that's becoming a huge issue."

Barbara McVicker, who quit her job as a developmental director to care for her ailing parents for 10 years, is the Ohio-based author of the new book "Stuck in the Middle ... Shared Stories and Tips for Caregiving Your Elderly Parents."

"Human resource departments are now realizing that the 1970s was child care, but we're now going into the decade that is elder care," McVicker said. "A lot of people are pushing off retirement because they have to care for mom and dad."
Personal Pursuits

Deloitte & Touche offers a program called Personal Pursuits that allows employees to leave the company for up to five years for personal reasons.

Deloitte pairs them with a mentor to keep them informed of company and industry developments. Employees are encouraged to continue training and updating their licenses while they're gone.

"Organizations [need to] step back and say, 'This is what the work force is like and this is how we have to respond,' " said Marian Munday, human resources manager for Deloitte in Honolulu. "It might take you a little bit to get to partner or senior manager, but the reasons you had to dial up or dial down are not going to negatively impact you. You can still progress."
Re-entering the work force tips

    * 1) Set aside time. Say "no" to volunteer requests and chores that do not contribute to your effort.
    * 2) Gather the right tools. Invest in a Blackberry, high-speed Internet access and other technology.
    * 3) Assess yourself. Define a balanced life and where you will best contribute.
    * 4) Have a two-minute pitch ready to go and build a network.
    * 5) Get educated. Read blogs and Web sites related to your industry.
    * 6) Compile your résumé, craft cover letters and prepare for interviews.

Source: youronramp.com

ccruz-george@bizjournals.com | 955-8039