Working or not. If you are interested in being interviewed on your views about being a working mom.
I am looking for a minimum of 10 women to interview as part of a series on being a working mom (or not). Please email me your interest to theoryofaworkingmom@gmail.com.
In particular, I will be looking for a mix of women who:
1) Elect to work although have the means to stay at home.
2) Have to work because they don't have the means to stay at home (and wish they could).
3) Elect to stay at home.
4) Are self employed to work from home.
Although I suspect my connections will provide me with women from Canada and Singapore, I would like this to be as geographically, culturally and economically diverse as possible.
In addition, I'd love to have a mix of industries from social care (health, education, etc.) to business professionals to technicians.
Looking forward to sharing the stories of the women who struggle with balancing home and work, finance and family, self fulfilment, guilt and hope.
Michelle
Monday, 5 December 2011
Thursday, 1 December 2011
How to get a job in a new...
country, industry, position, organization?
RESEARCH. PREPARATION. CONFIDENCE.
As I have started my pursuit of employment in a new country, I have been told several times by companies, recruiters and colleagues that I will have a tough time finding work because I do not have any experience in the AsiaPac market. Hmmm, considering the extraordinary number of expat business people in the region, I find this quite amusing - and of course, an immediate challenge.
I am sure that most of the top performers that companies have spent multiples of salary to relocate to the region have had little experience in the market as well. (Including the expat potential employers who are sitting across the table from me giving me this advice!) What these expats do bring is expertise in their field and the ability to affect change through a new lens.
Now what I have to do, as a prospect, is find ways to connect my depth of experience to the positions at hand. I need to figure out the objections to my lack of market knowledge before they arise. No different than selling a product - just this time, the product is me! And this applies to any job, company, industry, market, etc.
1. Do your research. If you want it bad enough, you will make the time to figure things out. In my case, this means a lot of time on the computer figuring out the leading influencers and information resources in the area. Marketing associations, IT publications, business think tanks and credible news sources. Knowing the top 5 trends, figuring out the current newsworthy story, and understanding the players will go a lot further than just surfing the companies website.
2. Preparation. Today, I spent the morning going line by line through a job posting. I listed out my qualitative and quantitative attributes to support my fit for the role. I have my working examples, references and sample work all ready. I have listed out the negatives, where I have gaps (I definitely don't speak Mandarin so that is not an asset for me!) but also how I will overcome the gaps or how I will work around them. I have noted questions on requirements that I don't understand. I feel prepared for my interview and also confident that so far, on paper, I am a great fit for the role.
3. Confidence. My absolutely best asset. One of my most enlightening moments of my career was when I realized that I don't have to be anyone but myself. In an interview, a business meeting, as a manager or at home. Just me. With all of the good, the bad and the interesting - that's what I bring to the table. And the reality is that there is a job out there that fits me. It will have some good, some bad and it will be interesting - to me. If I am trying too hard to fit into a job or convince a potential boss to hire me - it probably isn't the right job for me. When it fits in an interview - it will fit on the job and I will be fulfilled at work and feel right in my own skin because I am not trying to be someone I am not.
If you are looking for (or have found) a new job, a new company, a new market - let me know how you were successful.
RESEARCH. PREPARATION. CONFIDENCE.
As I have started my pursuit of employment in a new country, I have been told several times by companies, recruiters and colleagues that I will have a tough time finding work because I do not have any experience in the AsiaPac market. Hmmm, considering the extraordinary number of expat business people in the region, I find this quite amusing - and of course, an immediate challenge.
I am sure that most of the top performers that companies have spent multiples of salary to relocate to the region have had little experience in the market as well. (Including the expat potential employers who are sitting across the table from me giving me this advice!) What these expats do bring is expertise in their field and the ability to affect change through a new lens.
Now what I have to do, as a prospect, is find ways to connect my depth of experience to the positions at hand. I need to figure out the objections to my lack of market knowledge before they arise. No different than selling a product - just this time, the product is me! And this applies to any job, company, industry, market, etc.
1. Do your research. If you want it bad enough, you will make the time to figure things out. In my case, this means a lot of time on the computer figuring out the leading influencers and information resources in the area. Marketing associations, IT publications, business think tanks and credible news sources. Knowing the top 5 trends, figuring out the current newsworthy story, and understanding the players will go a lot further than just surfing the companies website.
2. Preparation. Today, I spent the morning going line by line through a job posting. I listed out my qualitative and quantitative attributes to support my fit for the role. I have my working examples, references and sample work all ready. I have listed out the negatives, where I have gaps (I definitely don't speak Mandarin so that is not an asset for me!) but also how I will overcome the gaps or how I will work around them. I have noted questions on requirements that I don't understand. I feel prepared for my interview and also confident that so far, on paper, I am a great fit for the role.
3. Confidence. My absolutely best asset. One of my most enlightening moments of my career was when I realized that I don't have to be anyone but myself. In an interview, a business meeting, as a manager or at home. Just me. With all of the good, the bad and the interesting - that's what I bring to the table. And the reality is that there is a job out there that fits me. It will have some good, some bad and it will be interesting - to me. If I am trying too hard to fit into a job or convince a potential boss to hire me - it probably isn't the right job for me. When it fits in an interview - it will fit on the job and I will be fulfilled at work and feel right in my own skin because I am not trying to be someone I am not.
If you are looking for (or have found) a new job, a new company, a new market - let me know how you were successful.
Monday, 28 November 2011
My brain is like an Elite Athlete...
... in the sense that since I have stopped using my business skills, my brain muscle has turned to flab. After one year on mat leave, I have lost the ability to remember phone numbers (if my husband wasn't on speed dial, I don't think I'd be able to get in touch with him), names or even that fact that I had a pot on the stove.
Is it day after day of babbling to my baby and answering "Why Mommy?" with 'because it is" or "why do you think the Wiggles are dancing?" to my toddler or is it just the pure lack of sleep between teething, potty training and kiddy nightmares that has caused the attrition? Or maybe, it is just because I am now 40 and I am destined to not only mommy brain, but progressive memory loss as well.
So, as I start interviewing again, my inability to recall names of bosses, theories of operations and generally just make sense is sure to be a detriment.
My solution? - become a working mom without the work. Getting a job is work, so why am I not treating it so? It is time to start getting up in the morning, dressing for success, shuffling the kids off to school and a caregivers and going to work. This week, it means two mornings I am working at getting a new job aside from the frantic midnight responses to recruiters emails.
I will be reading and reviewing industry postings, searching job boards and contacting anyone in my LinkedIn network who possibly can open a door. Maybe with a little 'training' my brain will start getting back into shape. I think it will be a while yet before I feel that I am back in the 'show', but rehab for anyone takes baby steps!
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Who am I?
This is not the who am I as in "My name is Michelle Gorman...". This is the who am I as in "my entire life has changed course and I am redefining who I am.
The title of this blog - Theory of a Working Mom is a bit misleading as I am currently not working. Partly because I am taking advantage of Canada's mat leave benefits for a year and partly because I have made the decision to temporarily resign as a working professional and become a "SAHM" - for now. My husband was offered an amazing opportunity to move from Canada to Singapore and I have become a trailing spouse. Much more emotional baggage with that than I even imagined!
I have decided that I needed both a creative outlet as well as a forum for discussion to understand what my role in the world is now and to find others that struggle with mommy guilt, career judgement and balance.
Please follow me as I explore my journey on returning to work and dealing with the responsibilities and joys of being a parent.
The title of this blog - Theory of a Working Mom is a bit misleading as I am currently not working. Partly because I am taking advantage of Canada's mat leave benefits for a year and partly because I have made the decision to temporarily resign as a working professional and become a "SAHM" - for now. My husband was offered an amazing opportunity to move from Canada to Singapore and I have become a trailing spouse. Much more emotional baggage with that than I even imagined!
I have decided that I needed both a creative outlet as well as a forum for discussion to understand what my role in the world is now and to find others that struggle with mommy guilt, career judgement and balance.
Please follow me as I explore my journey on returning to work and dealing with the responsibilities and joys of being a parent.
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