Taking Time Off to Have Kids Won't Hurt Your Career

Penelope Trunk has a pretty interesting post on how taking time off to have kids actually won't hurt your career prospects, contrary to popular opinion. Her primary point is that the looming worker shortage is going to make access to skilled employees a bigger issue than anything, but I also think she makes a good case for how changes in how we define career have an impact, too.

I have to say that in the end, my own three years out of the workforce with a few more years of being under-employed actually helped me as the mommy track job I held actually launched me into my consulting career. For that matter, being a mommy contributed as well--there was something about those astronomical childcare bills that made me think working for myself might actually be a better option.

Comments

[smashed glass ceiling]

I agree. In the science and engineering disciplines it helps to keep one foot in the door if you are planning to take more than one year off for parenting, or other reasons. Consulting can help to fill the resulting gap in your resume and to keep you from being labeled a professional Mommy, rather than a professional engineer, scientist, etc. (not that there is anything wrong with the professional Mommies out there!!!).

In these disciplines, particularly at the senior level, there are disadvantages associated with being labeled a professional Mommy. To give you an example, a senior Director recently commented to me on how beneficial it was that a certain woman had no husband or children, because they could drop work off at her house late at night without disturbing anyone. The same Director also recently told me that I should hire a certain female engineer not just because she was qualified for the job, but because she has no husband or children and lives with her Mom, so it would be easy for her to move, etc., which I guess is true enough, but the conversation made me uncomfortable all the same. This Director happens to be a female engineer with a husband and two kids. Try to wrap your head around that!

P.s., I like your blog!

[Assignments]

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