Getting From At-Home to On-the-Job, Even Now

(From the Wall Street Journal) When a mothers' group huddled on Laurie Witt's screened porch last summer over sandwiches and iced tea, they wanted more than leisurely chit-chat. As their children played nearby, the women grilled each other in imaginary job interviews, tore apart each other's resumes and told tales of rugged job-market forays. All had former careers-in consulting, marketing or finance-and all were intent on returning to work after years at home. The biweekly career-coaching sessions "built confidence and helped us develop a stronger game plan," says Ms. Witt, of Wellesley, Mass. Three of the four regular participants have since found jobs.

Few job seekers face higher hurdles than at-home parents trying to return to the work force. Mothers at home full-time crested in 2004 at a recent high of 31.2%, among married-couple families with children, government data show; at-home dads, who often face even greater bias than returning mothers, make up about 5%. Many of these parents now need or want to get back to work. Beyond the recession and employer bias against dropouts, many also are burdened by outdated skills and self-doubt.

Those who succeed are using savvy job-finding tactics, including some particular to at-home parents. Some are mining neighborhood networks in new ways, drawing on other out-of-work professionals for career coaching. Others choose volunteer work strategically, to hone skills. Still others invest heavily in training and credential-building. In sum, returning parents "are taking a more sophisticated approach," says Carol Fishman Cohen, an author and co-founder of iRelaunch.com, a Web site on the topic. They also need a measure of luck, of course, to find employers who aren't biased against taking career breaks.

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