At this point, everyone knows at least one working mom on her way out of the workforce, due to a layoff, downsizing or schedule conflicts. I encourage any mom facing this scenario to look at it as an opportunity to flip her work life around. It is a chance to evaluate exactly how much you need to earn and to determine whether full time is right for your family life. If your kids are young, it may not be. Small businesses and freelancers are weathering the economy easily, in many cases finding that with budget cutbacks, companies are outsourcing work to them in lieu of hiring employees or working with larger, more expensive partners.
Does the work you do or like (not always the same thing) have entrepreneurial possibilities?
Could you work from home?
Is this the time to flip out of your current career and go back to school, or try another job entirely?
Are there opportunities to share a job with a partner, to reduce hours but stay engaged in your industry?
Take time to really think about your next career move; it may be an employers’ market but that doesn’t mean it’s not time for you to be your own boss.
