Mother! I'm Alive Again! (Thinking of Going Back to Work?)

Member Name: Tray0098

Product:	Thinking of Going Back to Work?
Date:	16/01/03 (704 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Confidence Building, Money Money Money, Buying Stuff

Disadvantages: Getting out of bed., Stress, Less time to watch Trisha

This is just an account of how I found the experience of getting a job after being a stay at home mum. Every mother should have the right to choose whatever suits her situation best, this is just the tale of what worked for me. :)

I was never really ambitious. I didn't care about having a career, or even a job. I didn't need the stress of worrying about work, I had my job - Mother. And frankly, at 22 years old, without the support of a partner, I found it very tough.

As my daughter grew, I realised I seemed to be drifting away from all of my old friends, and settled into the role of being a housewife, with my lovely toddler and new fella. We made a very happy family, the 3 of us, hubby at work, my daughter and I at home doing those many jobs that keep a housewife busy. I married my new fella, Our daughter started school. We realised how tight our budget was, and how we needed more money if we were to afford any luxuries. We sat and chatted about money saving ideas, when it hit me. Get a job, Tray! And that's how it all started.

My hubby and I discussed the idea alot, and at first it seemed quite funny - the idea of me working. You see, I went from ' time out finding myself ' ( too many parties, too small a giro lol ) to being a uni student, to falling preggers. I'd never had a ' proper ' job, I had only a handful of G.C.S.Es, and when I looked at it rationally one day, I realised how seriously terrified I was at the idea of trying to find a job. I did not feel that I had any real skills to offer an employer. Friends suggested I write a list of things I could do because of my experiences running our home, and I decided to apply as an evening cleaner in a factory near our home. Perfect, as hubby could look after the monster while I was at work.

I looked in the employment section of our local paper, and saw loads of ads for cleaners, so I picked the one most local to where I live, and rang the number
. A very short phone conversation later ( You a student? N I number? Work Permit? Can you come by at 6 tonight, see what you think? ) I had an interview!!!!!

I leapt on my hubby when he got in from work at 4, shouting out my great news ( he didn't know I'd started looking! ) He was really impressed....and I felt GOOD! And I realised that I was very nervous, but at the same time highly excited, about the idea of me ( yes, ME, not mum, or wife ) having an area of my life that was my own again. Luckily, the factory was desperate, the pay was cr*p, I have a work permit so I got the job.

I won't try to tell you that the work was in any way mentally taxing, but I was knackered every night because it's damn hard work ( much respect to all factory cleaners out there - I salute you! ) and after 6 weeks I'd lost a stone, and realised I needed another job. A less physical job. I'd discovered I liked talking to people about stuff, not child or decorating related, I realised I had become much more confident. So I wrote another list...

This time, I looked at the big box ads in the paper. I began attempting to match the skills I realised I had gained from being a mother to the job requirements.

Good communication skills - Yup, I'm a master in negotiation ( painful toddler lol )
Ability to cope in a crisis - Hmmm...my 5 year old had one every day at this point, so yep!
Enthusiasm - ( brought on by my desperation to shop at Next for kids clothes! )
Experience of money handling - Duh!

I persuaded myself to apply for a part time position working with adults with learning disabilities. I managed to offset my total lack of qualifications and a work history against my wealth of ' Practical Experience ' that I had gained from generally living my life, keeping my house and raising my child. When I went for the interview ( a 3 person ' panel ' style interview ) I wasn't at all nervous
beforehand, as I was confident that I couldn't possibly get this job. Therefore, the interview was a practise really.

I freaked out a little on entering the interview...3 really smart looking women, in thier office, doing thier jobs, and me, housewife! Afew deep breaths later, some mentally uplifting thoughts( I managed to keep the baby alive and well, and it has grown lol, I raised LIFE dammit ) I manged to smile, and I gave it all I had! I left feeling really proud, as I knew I'd given a good interview.

A long 3 weeks passed, when they rang to tell me I was being offered the job, and a letter was on it's way. It was very scary and exciting for the first few months in my new job as I was being trained for a very responsible job, where the choices I make effect the people that I work with. I also had to arrange a childminder to have the monster from 7am till school, which was very taxing ( another review to come lol ) Sorted now though.

16 months have now passed, and the novelty factor has worn off, but I can honestly tell you going to work when my daughter went to school was the best descision I ever made. I get grumpy at times when I'm tired, I keep my daughter up far too late playing monopoly on my weekends off, I get emotional when I'm working full shifts and I've got PMT, I feel jealous when I hear about the fantastic things that happened at the childminders this morning.

I've been on loads of courses, and have a folder full of lovely qualifications, paid for by my employer. I go to work, where I do my job, I communicate with other departments, chat with my collegues ( my friends ) solve problems, and feel that what I do truly can make a difference. My confidence has risen, I feel better, look better and I'm even eating more healthily ( blinkin' dieting women collegues! ) My daughter no longer tells people mummy spends her day watching Trisha and Maury Pooovich. We will be going on holida
y in the summer, my daughter wearing the Next holiday outfit I was aiming for ;)

I get paid!!!!!!

I feel alive :)

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