Getting Back In

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, an economist and author who studies issues about keeping mothers in the workforce, says that at any given time two-thirds of all stay-at-home moms are trying to re-enter the workforce but having a tough time getting back in.

I know first hand what she's talking about.

For three years I researched, wrote and then promoted my book about working mothers and how to successfully integrate career and family. Then in December, once the book tour died down, I started looking for a real job. I always thought I would go back into television news, because that was my real passion. But after being out of TV news for several years my options seemed increasingly bleak. I started to refocus my search by emphasizing my other skills and background in public relations.

Perhaps I was overconfident. Believing that my resume was diverse and rich, I wrongly assumed getting a job would be a cinch. After all, I had worked as a Capitol Hill press secretary, network TV producer, a PR executive and I was a published author. It didn't make sense to me that getting a job would be difficult.

Ironically, I warn women in my book about the dangers of stepping out of the workforce and here I was living my own grim words. If I'm having a hard time finding a satisfying and well paying job, I can't imagine what the millions of other women out there are facing when they try to re-enter the workforce, I thought to myself.

Yesterday, I spoke to a group of women at Citigroup, several of whom told me about how they took years off from their careers and what they had to do to re-enter. The road getting back in was bumpy, but they had successfully navigated the path. Interestingly, the group who invited me to speak was part of their female "retention" committee. Citigroup, like other big companies, is looking to bring former employees who became at-home moms back into the workforce. They've realized there's a huge pool of talent at home that would like to come back to work, at least in some capacity.

It's become a cliche, but as they say cliches are true. There are lots of off-ramps for women, but very few on-ramps. I did find a fantastic job. But strangely, I feel very grateful to have found one. I just never imagined it would be so difficult to do.