Question
I am a degreed accountant and a mom who has taken off a few years to raise the kids. I haven’t been idle, but my resume isn’t getting me anywhere at all. I worked as an accountant for almost 8 years, and I have continued to do tax returns each year for people and small businesses I know. In addition, I’ve done a lot of work helping small companies collect on delinquent accounts, sort of as a part-time job. I am technology-literate and would make someone a great employee since my kids are well into their school years. Is there a job for Mom out there? How do I get my foot in the door?
I’d be willing to work temp or temp-to-hire if necessary. Any advice you have for me would be appreciated. I knew it would be hard, but I thought I’d at least get some interviews!
Nick’s Reply
Don’t limit yourself to looking for jobs with employers that routinely ignore anyone that’s been out of the commercial work world for years — especially if you’re an older (over 30? over 40? over 50?) woman. The job market is rife with companies that will reject you for any of that.
I know you’re asking me how to get a job — and we’ll get to that.
A job for Mom – or work for Mom?
But first, go out on a limb and consider that you have a lot of skills that you could also use to start your own small business and hire yourself out to other firms. In other words, your search for a job turns into a search for work. This is a great way to get in the door without asking for a regular job for which there will be a lot of competition.
Think about this. Accounting can be a job, but helping small businesses with delinquent accounts? That’s a service — work you can offer to almost any business that needs to do collections. In fact, why not suggest to some local accounting firms that you will handle delinquent accounts for their clients on a contract basis? You become a specialist — a specialist these accounting firms can provide to clients that need the help. Nobody needs to “hire” you as an employee and you don’t need to compete with all those resumes.
Get a job for Mom with a foot in the door
You could charge by the day or by the account. (I’m not a fan of billing for professional B-to-B services by the hour. It encourages nickel-and-diming.) By helping a firm build its business in dealing with delinquencies — without having to hire you as an employee — you position yourself as an insider who will be wired for a regular job when it opens up.
I believe this also helps you get around biases against women and moms because there’s no fixed overhead cost of a salary and benefits, or a long-term commitment from the employer. Of course, if you’re really good at your work your client won’t ever want to let you go despite any biases it may have. (Funny how delivering top-notch work clears up pesky bad attitudes and preconceptions!)
Undoubtedly, you’re talented in other areas of accounting as well. Offer your services as an adjunct to what these firms do already. That will help you get a foot in the door.
Start a business or get the inside track on a job?
What about your current tax-prep clients? Do any own businesses? Can they use more of your services? These people can also be great sources of contacts if you let them know you’re building your client list. What other businesses can they introduce you to? Find out what challenges these potential clients face, then approach them with specific ideas and solutions.
I know — I’m focusing on starting your own business. Your expertise lends itself well to that. Take advantage of it. Join your local chamber of commerce. You’ll be amazed at the contacts you will make.
But if a regular job for Mom is what you really want, using the “start your own business” approach can lead you to employment without all the job-posting, resume, and interview rigmarole. If you do just half of what I’ve suggested toward finding clients, you will have already started on a job hunt. Don’t count too much on the resume. Count on people you do business with. That’s where real interviews come from.
I wish you the best.
What’s up with employers that think moms make poor hires? A woman doesn’t trade her brain to have kids! Are you a mom who’s gotten a job again? How did you pull it off? What are the obstacles? What do you say to employers who act like moms aren’t worth hiring?
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Excellent advice, Nick. Thought of self employment as I read of her experience. I have had accounting and business jobs in industry for many years and know of many therapists and others who hate to do the accounting side of their business. So just need to find them with avenues you suggest and perhaps overflow work from other accountants.
@EL: For many years employers, esp big companies, have shunned full-time, perm hiring because it’s a fixed cost, is burdened with benefits, and it can be difficult to fire them. They prefer contractors because they can expense and write them off. Some companies will bring on contractors only via 3rd-party “staffing firms.” But loads of small businesses welcome direct contracting relationships. Ask around – talk to your bank, to local insurance cos, etc — businesses that do biz with small companies. Ask about employers that are likely to use contractors like you. I’m not saying this comes easily but I think you’ll find some takers.
If what she really wants is a FT job in a company, I think Nick’s advice is great.
However, I think having your own small business doing work as Nick suggested would be a fantastic route to go. You could choose the work you want to do with people and companies you want to work with. You already know how to:
1. Help small businesses with delinquent accounts.
2. Perform tax prep work for individuals and businesses. The accountant I use does this, and she is busy with work all the time, year round.
I bet you have more skills to offer than you listed.
As Nick said, if you want to work for a company, doing work collecting on deliquent accounts and accounting work could lead you to that job.
“Of course, if you’re really good at your work your clients won’t ever want to let you go despite any biases it may have. (Funny how delivering top-notch work clears up pesky bad attitudes and preconceptions.” Don’t judge a book by its cover goes the old saying. Too many companies do just that.
In 2001 wen my kid started high school, I started putting together my resume after 14 years of being a “just a mom”. During the time I was out of the workforce, there was a major shift into technology for office and administrative work, as well as significant changes in my area of exertise. I had to show I had the ability and skills to function in the cerrent environment so I loaded my resume with the relevant activities and organization during that time that would demonstrate that my so absence from the workforce did not mean I was not engaged in usefuland meaningful activities: teacher assistant in the school computer lab as it went from DOS to Windows; wrote, edited and published a monthly newsletter for an interest group, active in PTA including co-chairing its major event for four years; assistant leader for Girl Scouts; nine years as a weekly volunteer/counselor at a non-profit serving women and chidren in need.
I had a bit of word processing experience and taught myself some elementary spreadsheet and data base functions which I used to manage communications and permission slips with the scout troop. I kept up with the changes in my field of work. I was hired by the first place that got my resume and was able to put all of the skills that I kept current or learned to work right away.
I think this advice is great for this particular mom (and may or may not be what she was looking for) but I think staging this as advice for moms looking to get back into the workforce overall is missing the mark. It also forces them into part-time or low-level roles when they have solid experience, furthering potential wage gaps and disincentivizing businesses from ever hiring them on full time. I have seen businesses take advantage of their contractors with no intention to hire them on full time so they receive all the benefits of regular staff (retirement, health insurance options, etc).
Some people do not have jobs that easily lend themselves to consulting or starting their own business, especially if they’ve been out of touch with the industry at large for a number of years while raising children. I think it would be great, Nick, if you could do a post that focuses on how to network and build up your contacts so moms re-entering the workforce can job hunt more similarly to many of your other posts. This is different than people right out of college, people who are looking to switch industry or people who are simply looking to change roles.
I’ve seen so many friends and moms struggle with getting back into the workforce despite being qualified and hard workers. Employers don’t seem to see how the skills of raising kids or running a household lend themselves to a job, even when clearly dictated on a resume. How do moms convince them to give them the time of day, for either informational interviews, through resume submission or through a chance to connect? How do they go about finding organizations to join to expand their network? My two cents is that this topic could use a lot more nuance (this coming from a mom who has not left the work force to raise her kids, and who has tried to help many friends who did find new roles).
@Jcoco: I agree that some employers will take advantage. That’s why it’s important to set your standards and stick to them. Get terms you can live with or move on. Like when job hunting, you need only a handful of good opportunities, and you’ll have to take NO more often.
Here’s what I think you’re asking for help with:
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/8207/please-stop-networking
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/9205/networking-for-introverts-how-to-say-it
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/11840/natural-networking
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/11709/good-networking
Hope this is helpful! Don’t miss the great suggestions from other readers in the Comments sections!
My last sentence was not written clear enough. I was referring to the mom doing what you suggested, etc. Thanks for your efforts in helping people.
@EL: thanks for your efforts to help, too! The best part of this website is the Comments!
I retired from full-time work as an engineer 3 years ago, and started a part-time business on my own.
I didn’t realize when I started that having your own small business as a contractor (1099) has a lot of tax advantages.
And I do get to pick and choose my clients/jobs and set my own hours. I love the flexibility and the challenge.
And similar to the advice given I also picked up a part-time W2 position when one employer specifically asked for my services but needed to contract for support through a larger company. I have had 2 offers for full-time work thru my contracting, but I don’t want to work that hard at age 65.
And that takes us back to your underlying best advice, Nick. Personal contacts and interactions are the keys to success. Maybe that means focusing on smaller, more local opportunities to bypass AI and help build our local economies. Good. We need that.
My wife started showing dogs and started a small business as a dog groomer after she left a corporation due to health issues–couldn’t put up with the headaches of office and management politics. In her own words “doesn’t play well with others”. It was a struggle at first, but she networked with local vets and her business took off after about 6 months. She took days off as she pleased, refused certain clients–snappy dogs etc. So if Mom can continue to network and maybe start an LLC, she can expand her business and end up very busy, and be a lot happier without the office drama.
Good Luck