Is it becoming harder and harder to be a working mom? Yes, if you look at the number of women who throw in the career towel once they start families, finding it challenging to transition back to work while maintaining work/life balance.

Fortunately, many firms are implementing programs to keep women in the loop about news on clients and office changes while they are on maternity leave, making it easier to welcome work back into their lives. If more firms take advantage of these programs, then working moms will have an easier time. In fact, it’s to the firm’s advantage that they be implemented.

It is now more important than ever that firms attract and retain women. According to TD Bank’s recent corporate responsibility report, “Professional women who are returning to the workforce after an extended leave of absence represent an under-tapped source of potential leadership talent. As many as 37 percent of highly qualified women take time off for family responsibilities such as childcare and eldercare.”

Not only that, but there are more first-time mothers in the 30-34 age range today than the 25-29 range, according to a maternity leave report put out by Amanda Alexander, a professional coaching service for individuals and organizations.“With so many women working, and many of these women likely to be in a senior position when they go on maternity leave, it is essential that organizations take steps to retain these women in order to avoid severe disruption and expensive replacement costs,” the report says. “Yet, unfortunately, most organizations have not adapted to the changes around them, evident by the number of female resignation rates and discrimination cases over the past few years.”

The problem is flexibility. Amanda Alexander noted that a report by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission confirmed that having a child is still the “leaky pipe” in women’s career advancement. While employers say they fully support flexible working for mothers, very few employees are actually taking it up. In fact, many women say their company – their colleagues, managers or HR departments – does nothing to help them return to work with ease, confidence and support.

“It’s such an emotional time, no matter how logical a person you are,” said one respondent in a Return to Work survey done by Amanda Alexander. “You go from being 100 percent professional to a year of being 100 percent mother. Then when you return to work you somehow have to combine being 50 percent mum, 50 percent professional, with expectations that you give 100 percent to each role.”

High Achieving Working Moms Need Flexibility

According to Amanda Alexander, professional women share certain defining characteristics and suffer from similar issues. These females are high achievers in professional roles who generally set themselves unrealistic goals both at work and at home, and their biggest problem is lack of time. Though these women value themselves and their abilities, they occasionally experience frequent self-doubt and low confidence. The stress can eventually affect their performance at work and/or their ability to switch off at home.

For an organization looking to retain employees after maternity leave, they need the following: a consistent policy toward women returnees; support structures for confidence building when it comes to returning to their job and how they will be perceived by colleagues and manager and how they will cope with balancing the demands of motherhood and career; a personal or group coaching program to support returnees.

Coaching for Moms Returning to Work

A report by TD Economics, Career Interrupted [PDF], suggested that the professional and financial progress of women is often hampered by long absences. In 2010, the Back to Work Program was launched by TD and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, helping career women return with a fresh business knowledge, professional networks and new confidence. The program is for women seeking positions in middle management, and it spans nine days over a period of three month with free childcare. TD even provides scholarships for four of the 30 women in the program.

A coaching program, like the Back to Work Program, should look at the before, during, and after phases of maternity leave, says Amanda Alexander. The Maternity Leave Report explains that coaches will help to consider a mixture of practical and emotional issues – making the announcement, deciding on whether and how to keep in touch, maintaining relationships, keeping in touch, effective communications, working on confidence levels, getting up to speed with projects, re-integrating into the company and setting boundaries, among others.

According to Lynda Gratton, London Business School’s professor of management practice, “motherhood is one of the main points at which women fall off the career ladder.” With the help of these programs, it doesn’t have to be.

Good news, bankers and insurance professionals: financial services companies in New York are hiring again, and you’re among the most desired candidates. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that employment in the industry grew by 6,800 in New York City from the end of February through May, the largest gain in financial services in almost two years. Whether you’re returning to work after being underemployed in other disciplines or industries or returning from a hiatus of child or eldercare, now is the time to differentiate yourself, demonstrate your value, and define your own brand, according to Jan Melnik, executive resume writer, job search coach and career management expert. Here are the top five tips to get that promotion, raise, or new job.

1. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Your Profile
The single most important thing you can do is reflect a broad skills set that includes very specific core competencies relating to the field of financial services. Look for positions matching what you want to do, and find the key words you see over and over. Then, put those words right into the profile/qualifications section on your resume.

“The profile is the most important piece of real-estate on your resume,” said Melnik. It should follow your contact information and take up roughly one-third or more of page one. That’s right: One-third or more – this is your chance to shine. And don’t be confused by the objective section. The profile is different in that it’s customized to what the recruiter, HR department, or hiring manager is seeking. “Getting this section on your resume absolutely precise is the number one thing,” said Melnik. She recommends finding five job ads that you would apply for to see the key words used for that level position.

2. Create CAR Stories
The rest of your resume should include strong CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) Stories; a bulleted line describing a challenge you faced, the actions you took, and the results. Consider your most recent positions, and come up with two to three CAR Stories for each. People don’t do this, or they don’t do it consistently or well, so their resumes read like obituaries pointing out tasks and responsibilities, rather than key contributions and measurable achievements. To avoid this mistake, make sure your CAR Stories magnify what’s in the industry. If your resume can be used in another field, you haven’t done enough research.

CAR Stories are also important in preparing for interviews because it will help you precisely and articulately express your key contributions. “If you prepare well in writing your CAR stories, you will interview better,” said Melnik.

Cindy Kraft, a Florida-based CFO-coach, is also a big believer in having CAR Stories, but she suggests CAR plus SI (Strategic Importance). Your strategic importance is measured by where you were when you started something and where you ended up. It can also be what you strategically positioned the company to do better or that it could not have done otherwise. Add these right to your bulleted list.
“This is where you show that you’ve made the company more than it costs to keep you on board,” said Kraft.

If you’re looking for a promotion or raise, instead of waiting for your annual review, make appointments quarterly with your boss to show them your “CAR folder.” The more an employee can make their boss look good, the better it is for both of them.

3. Arm Yourself with a “Leave Behind” Document

It’s also critical to take the time to build a “leave behind” document that extracts from performance evaluations or letters from satisfied clients. This is a single page document with the very best pull-quotes said by others on your behalf, with three or four lines for each source. This is backed up with a second sheet that lists the references and contact information for each of those people. You’ll present it and leave it behind at the conclusion of your first interview.

“This is probably the easiest way for an interviewer to see you are what you say you are,” said Melnik.

4. Create a Business Plan for the Company

To demonstrate you are proactive, action-oriented, goal-focused, and you’ve done your research, put together a 90 or 180 day abbreviated business plan highlighting what you would do in your first months on the job for the position you want to hold. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worthwhile to flesh out the ways you will make a difference to the organization while showing your personal brand.

“It shows you’re ready to be a member of the team or that you’ve already been given the promotion,” said Melnik. “If your business plan is carefully done, you can really knock it out of the park.”

5. Have a Mentor, Be a Mentor

Mentoring is valuable because no matter how long you’ve been in the industry, you can always learn something else. Aim to be a mentor to someone coming up behind you. It’s not only beneficial to you and others but looks great on a resume. Having a mentor within the company can help make sure people who need to know about your accomplishments know about them.

Finally, more so than ever you’ll need to be on your game when it comes to networking, whether you want a job, promotion, or raise. “You should be leveraging your friends, family, colleagues, and social networking sites,” said Michael Pratt, vice president of Human Resources for ING Investment Management, a leader in the financial services industry. “Word of mouth is key.” From your email correspondences and documents to your appearance and briefcase, all these things should be woven together in a deliberate and branded way that shows who you are as a professional. But more than anything else, Kraft’s best advice is, “You have to understand your value and what it is you bring to the table that someone will pay to get.”

In the June issue of INC Magazine, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard is interviewed about a range of topics relating to managing and motivating employees. When asked at the end of the interview:

“If you were starting a company today, what would you do to create the best possible workplace?”

Chouinard gave an incredibly powerful response:

“…..I would search out older women as employees. Ones that have already raised families and are looking for something to do. These people have lived with a budget. They are aggressive. They are honest. You can’t find better employees. They are one of the most underused resources in America.”

Chouinard is widely admired as a true visionary among CEOs. His progressive policies toward flextime expressed by his book title Let My People Go Surfing pretty much sums up his philosophy:

“All I care about is that the job gets done and the work is excellent. If you come in at 7 at night because you want to go surfing at 2 in the afternoon, that is fine with me. But it can’t impact your fellow worker.” His workforce is 75% women, he established one of the early on-site childcare centers and he is famously dedicated to environmental causes both in action and through his policy of donating 1% of sales to them.

Here at iRelaunch we couldn’t agree more with Chouinard’s assessment of the pool of talent on career break, which is predominantly female. Women in this pool often have strong educational credentials, significant work experience, a high energy level, and unbeatable enthusiasm about returning to work precisely because they’ve been away from it for a while. They just can’t wait to get back. Plus, think about their life stage – fewer or no maternity leaves (they’ve done that already if that’s why they took a career break), fewer spousal relocations, and a more mature perspective.

As we like to say, “relaunchers” as we call them, are not trying to “find themselves” at an employer’s expense. They are more grounded than the new graduate and are actually better candidates for positions requiring an advisory, consultative approach.

As for perceived challenges in hiring relaunchers, from our extensive conversations with employers, we have identified three:

1) Concern #1: Relaunchers are technologically obsolete.

Our Response: We believe that technological obsolescence is a temporary issue. Having been technologically obsolete at one point ourselves, we know that it’s possible to get up to speed on common office technology, like Excel, Powerpoint, and Word. Same with social media. We are blogging, tweeting, Facebooking and LinkingIn with the best of them. We recommend relaunchers take a course, ask the teenager down the street (or their own, if they have one), or find a tutor. But once they’ve taken the time to update themselves, “technological obsolescence” should no longer be a concern. We’ve also seen relaunchers get updated in far more complex technologies.

2) Concern #2: Relaunchers are not sure what they want to do

Our Response: A career assessment is a must for every relauncher to determine whether their interests and skills have changed or have not changed during the time they have been on career break. The longer a relauncher has been on career break the more important this is. In our book Back on the Career Track, we recommend a career assessment exercise using what we call the Job Building Blocks Worksheet. In this exercise, relaunchers break down prior work and volunteer experiences into their component parts, or “what they actually did,” identify the components they liked and were good at, then use those favorite component parts as “building blocks” to think about what new jobs or career paths would be a fit for them based on their prior experiences.

In any case, we encourage recruiters and hiring managers to ask relaunchers in the interview if they have done any kind of career assessment. If they have not, then they should at least have a good answer to the question, such as “I didn’t think I needed to do a career assessment, because I loved my job at X, was very good at it and know that I want to do something similar.”

3) Concern #3: The relauncher’s rate of ramp up once on the job is hard to predict.

Our Response: Uncertainty about the rate of ramp up could be a concern with any hire as both the employer and the employee are not in a position to accurately estimate it. The perception with a relauncher is that the ramp up time is even tougher to predict. The solution? We recommend early and frequent reviews beginning six months after the start date and every six months for the first two years thereafter so job duties and compensation can be recalibrated if necessary.

Nothing proves Chouinard’s point more strongly than real return to work success stories. We have hundreds of these, in all fields and work configurations. Judge for yourself:

Sara Harnish, Assistant Director for Non-clinicial Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Hina McCree, Software Engineer, Raytheon BBN Technologies
Marsha Besley-Connelan, Founder and President,  Marina Medical Billing Service
Belinda Nanda, Applications Analyst, NorthShore University Healthsystem

For many more relaunch success stories and tools and resources on returning to work after a career break, please see iRelaunch.com.

Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin are co-authors of the career reentry strategy book Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work, and the co-founders of iRelaunch, a career reentry programming company. iRelaunch is running its signature event, the iRelaunch Return to Work Conference in NYC hosted by NYU/Stern on October 4 and in London hosted by London Business School on November 2.  Carol and Vivian can be reached at info@iRelaunch.com.

by Liz O’Donnell (Boston)

Stay at home mothers (SAHMs) are looking for work and facing some good news/bad news. A combination of factors is sending these SAHMs back to work. Some need to replace the income of spouses who have been laid off. Others need the additional money to combat increased living costs. And still others are merely ready to return after taking time to care for their families.

As we have been reporting on The Glass Hammer, the good news is that it is no longer considered impossible to re-enter the work world. Several years ago, the mainstream media was full of stories that said women who had taken time off to raise families had very slim chances of being rehired. Employers just didn’t value the skills women cultivated as heads of households and PTO volunteers, the stories said.

That is not the case today. “Fortunate women can opt out and opt back in,” says Amy Keroes, founder of MommyTrack’d. “Employers today know what to do with a mother’s resume,” she says.

The bad news: many women are being forced to look for work at a point when there are fewer jobs available. Keroes says her chat rooms are filling up with stories of moms having to head back to work for the first time in years since their husbands have been laid off, and of moms taking on more work trying to make ends meet in the current economy.

Keroes offers some advice for women contemplating a comeback in these trying economic times:

1. Secure high quality, reliable and flexible childcare.
2. Get rid of as many obligations as possible and even outsource chores to your children.
3. Take a hard look at the numbers. Sometimes the cost of childcare cancels out a paycheck.
4. Give yourself a break. “No day will feel quite balanced,” she says.
5. Try to keep your confidence levels high. Women often lose their confidence when they stop earning a paycheck.
6. Maintain ties with previous employers. “Previous employers can be your best options for work or referrals,” says Keroes.

Gina Smith followed these rules successfully. Smith had been an on-air technology reporter for Good Morning America, World News Tonight and 20/20, as well as CEO and President of Larry Ellison’s New Internet Computer Company before taking five years off following the birth of her son. During that time she wrote two books, including the New York Times bestseller “iWOZ: From Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-founded Apple and Had Fun Along the Way“, which she co-wrote with Steve Wozniak. She also began coursework towards a PhD in psychology. Last week she returned to work.

“I think my boss, who knew me and had hired me at jobs earlier in my career, knew (my son) was clearing five and I would have the time to do it. He was right,” she says.

The key to her new job, she says, is flexibility. As long as she puts in 40 hours a week, she is able to volunteer in her son’s classroom and be available to him in the afternoons.

“Companies like this one, first30services, recognize that flex time is a key point for parents and actually gets more hours out of them. I know I’m doing more than 40 hours, but it’s spread out over days, nights, weekends,” she says.

Returning to work isn’t easy, but it is possible; there are lots of resources, online and off, to help women.

by Liz O’Donnell (Boston)

The women in The Comeback have one thing in common: none of them had planned to leave work but at some point they all made the decision to go back. I spoke recently with Keller about what she learned from writing the book and what advice she had for women looking to make their own comeback.

First of all, Keller debunked the idea of needing to “fit” children into your life and your career. Many women feel pressure because their children need them during their peak earning years. They are concerned that by the time they are able to go back to work, their careers will be ending.

“People are living longer than they used to,” says Keller. “It’s highly likely that after your children have grown, you’re going to do something. You’re still going to have decades of life left. Women think they are going to be the mother of babies permanently. But that stage goes away quickly. Once children are in school, they are gone for a certain period of hours per day. You won’t always be up to your elbows in PLAY-DOH.”

Photographer Ellen Warner is a good example of this. In 1971 Warner won a prize for her work from the US Department of the Interior Photography. She held her first exhibit in 1972 followed by another in 1975. Then Ellen put her career on hold for ten years to raise her two daughters. During that time she volunteered at a local shelter and a soup kitchen. When her daughters were teenagers she staged a successful comeback. Warner has exhibited her work more than ten times since 2001. She is currently working on a project called “The Second Half “where she is using photography to demonstrate the vitality of older women.

Like Warner, many women volunteer during their stay at home years. Traditionally, the corporate world hasn’t looked at the skills honed working with non-profits and grassroots organizations as transferable, but that attitude is shifting. Keller suggests women use the term pro-bono instead of volunteer when discussing their time away from work. Pro bono is a term that is both understood and respected in the corporate world. It implies the work that is done is skill-specific and professional and that the person doing the work is uniquely qualified to deliver the service. Whereas the word volunteer conjures a different image. Many people view volunteer work as low level assignments taken on by eager helpers. Women looking to make a comeback need to value their own experience and contributions outside of the office before any hiring manger will. In fact, says Keller, attitude is one of the most important factors in staging a comeback. “The biggest thing the women in the book shared was attitude,” she says.

Having a positive, winning attitude is easier said than done. The stay-at-home years can be incredibly challenging for a mother. Women may derive enormous emotional gratification from raising their children but that is often offset by lack of intellectual stimulus. Many corporate jobs are collaborative and team focused, whereas parenting can be an isolated job. Plus the corporate world is usually fast paced and results-focused. The results of parenting, on the other hand, are more intangible and may not show up for years. Switching gears from power and immediate gratification to long term planning and nurturing can be uncomfortable for anyone used to the corporate world. As a result, women often lack confidence about their prospects for returning to work.

“Women with tremendous abilities lose professional confidence the minute they stop getting paid,” says Keller. “They derive validation from a paycheck.”

Just as important as attitude, says Keller, is having the support of your partner or spouse. She says most of the successful comebacks in the book included the husband.

“Women need to realize that marriages get redefined as women redefine their careers,” she says.

To stage a successful comeback, women should ask for their partner’s support and ask him or her to accept the reinvention they are creating.

“People are always looking at life choices as ‘What do the companies think’ instead of “What about the home life’?” she says. Marriage is a partnership. A lot of women impose decisions on their spouses in a way we wouldn’t want for ourselves.”

Remember that your relationship is interdependent and will grow and change organically as your life evolves, she adds.

Finally, Keller says to give up the idea that you can go back to what you were doing before you left work. “No one wants to go back,” she says. “They want to go forward.”

Just ask Elaine Stone. For years Stone juggled her role as a rabbi’s wife and a mother with a career as an attorney. When her third child was born, she stopped working altogether. Five years later, she was able to re-enter the work force. Today she is a Managing Partner at a Washington, D.C.-based law firm where she focuses on internal corporate issues and other investigations and matters before government agencies. Stone didn’t go back. She went on.

The management team at Merrill Lynch was puzzled. While it was clear that Merrill Lynch was recruiting its fair share of the most promising women from campuses around the world and developing that talent, the number of women dropped at each successive level up the corporate ladder. Moreover, there was a recognition of the large pool of talented women looking to re-enter the workforce and an opportunity to tap into it. The management at ML set out to figure out how and why.

Working with Sylvia Ann Hewlett, the founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy and director of the “Hidden Brain-Drain” Task Force, they found that women who “off-ramped” from high-pressure “extreme” jobs rarely returned to the same firm or a similar job when they were ready to on-ramp. Despite their considerable education and experience, these women often preferred to start over in a new industry.

To become a firm that attracts women with significant industry experience to come back into the workforce and, once back, to stay, grow and advance within the firm, Merrill Lynch recognized they needed help. They drafted Ms. Hewlett and Columbia Business School to help them create a program for returnees and a separate program for the advancement of current workforce women unlike any other. Thus, the Greater Returns Program, launching this October, was born.

“We are so excited to be partnered with Columbia for this program. We were looking for a NY-based educational institution with a robust executive education program. Columbia Business School Executive Education had what we were looking for,” said Subha Barry, managing director and head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Merrill Lynch.

Greater Returns is billed as a “new suite of programs for women seeking to transition back to work as well as women professionals looking to accelerate their career growth and professional development.” This fall, “on-ramping” participants will spend a rigorous 2 ½ days in courses designed to familiarize them with the newest industry practices and technology. They will also learn how to tell their “off-ramp” story in a compelling and productive way. “The key is getting [the women] to think differently about their capabilities and prepare them for their new roles, even if they are in other parts of the industry,” said Ms. Barry. A program for current women professionals is targeted for the fall of 2009.

The faculty will be comprised of top people from Merrill Lynch, as well as Ernst and Young, Intel, and other top companies. “This is a collaborative endeavor. Sylvia Ann Hewlett has proved invaluable in using her vast network to connect us with all these companies,” stated Ms. Barry. She continued, “It is my belief that the broader the net we cast, the greater the possibility that we will find a solution we are looking for as it relates to women in the workforce.”

In addition to the coursework, senior women at Merrill will host lunches and dinners to get to know each of the participants. “The most important thing is that these women get exposed to a variety of constituencies within Merrill Lynch,” said Ms. Barry, “They will even have the opportunity for one-on-one interviews with our HR people so they can get feedback on their interviewing style and resume. It will be very hands-on for participants and Merrill Lynch.”

While the program does not guarantee employment for each participant, Ms. Barry expects realistic outcomes to include each member of the group developing a solid network of peers, establishing connections with each of the participating companies and creating an action plan for workplace re-entry.

The group of women accepted into the inaugural class of the Greater Returns program—scheduled to take place October 27 – 29 of this year—will come from a wide range of backgrounds, including investment backing, private client-side finance, operations, accounting and even the entrepreneurial sphere.

The aim is to have all participants share some common elements: to be highly qualified women who held upper-level positions before leaving the industry and who share a passion for re-entering the workforce.

There are still openings for qualified candidates. The program encourages those interested to apply today, as the deadline for applications is September 19, 2008.

When I decided to return to life as an employee after a decade of freelance and contract work, I thought that it would be tough to find get back into the swing of things. But while I dreaded leaving behind the freedom and flexibility of the freelance life, I longed for the stability of full-time employment, as well as the back up that comes from being a part of a team.

When I landed a job with medium-sized and growing pharmaceutical company that offered variety and required a creative edge, I was ecstatic. I anticipated that my stress level would be nothing compared to what I had in my prior life because I’d have a layer of insulation, a manager to whom I could turn, who would push back when other departments were reluctant to book meetings, when colleagues weren’t forthcoming with requirements for a project, and when developers were unaccommodating. After my years of working alone, I now reported to someone with the power to adjust unreasonable timelines. I couldn’t wait.

But what I had not considered was how I would feel upon my return to an office setting, under the supervision of a boss who was many years my junior. It came as a bit of a shock to me that not only was my boss a newly-minted manager who had never actually managed anyone before, but also that I was her sole report.

Despite the frustration I felt in the face of her “greenness”, I was willing to cut her slack because, even this many years later, I can still clearly recall the repeated frustration of being an inexperienced supervisor. Twenty years ago, what I, as a new manager, needed most was supportive employees. I had been forced to learn to supervise using the “trial by fire” methodology and the “swim or sink” philosophy. Interestingly, I learned much more about management from those employees who challenged me. Unfortunately, I also lost a lot of sleep over their intolerant behavior. As my boss’ sole direct report, I determined that I would be the kind of subordinate I’d wished I had. I appointed myself her unofficial mentor and set about trying to teach her how to supervise in general and me in particular.

One year later and my boss is still learning about her own abilities and inabilities. She’s gathering confidence in her decisions and learning to release the reins of a job that is no longer hers. And she’s doing it in a receptive, calm, and supportive manner.

What I realize now is that she’s already a better people manager than I ever was. She doesn’t need me to coach her. She needs me to do my job to the best of my ability and if that means dogging her over details and the practice of technical writing, than that’s what I’ll stick to doing.

Following her example, I’ve already learned to be a better staff member. That’s the sign of a good manager, though, isn’t it? She never needed my coaching, but she allowed me to discover that on my own. Wow. The view from down here is enlightening.

Are you a woman who took a career break and is now eager to find your next path? Are you looking for career inspiration and flexible work options? Is the thought of brushing up your résumé and going on an interview overwhelming? You may not want to return to your prior career, but do you know how to move from the playground into a new fulfilling career?

The journey does not need to be a struggle. It can be an exciting, rewarding experience, but you do need a plan.

10 Step Plan to OnRamp:

1. Are You Ready? Looking for a job takes a lot of time; it is a job in itself. You don’t want to start this process if you are not really ready to set aside time and make that time a sacred priority in your busy life. You need to be fair to yourself and understand whether you are really ready or are you in the “talking about it” phase. The “talking about it” phase is fine, but to accomplish more, you will need to transition to the “do it” phase. Explore your level of motivation. How much do you really want to return to work? Do you know how to find the confidence you’ll need?

2. Clear the decks! Deliberately set aside time and space where you can focus without the multitude of interruptions that often cloud your days (if you are like us!). Spend focused time every day on YourOnRamp “project.” That means dodging the email “black hole”, saying “no” to volunteer requests that do not contribute to your effort, and outsourcing non-essential chores.

3. Get the Support You Need. A support network is critical to your success in getting back in. Everyone needs a cheerleader or two! Find a friend, mentor, or colleague who can help you. If you have a spouse, make sure your spouse is on board and understands why you want to re-enter the workforce. Understanding why you want to go back to work will make it easier for your support system to keep you focused and on track when challenges and opportunities appear. It is also important to enable you to deal with any resistance you may encounter. We have spoken to hundreds of women who have successfully OnRamped. The vast majority felt that their success in finding a career life balance was due to the support they received from their family. Without this support, many said their re-entries would have been very hard or would have even failed.

4. Discover Your Path. Devote time to a Self Assessment. For many OnRampers, this is the most important yet most overlooked step. Don’t fall into this trap. This is a valuable opportunity to recognize what you enjoy doing and when you feel the most successful and fulfilled.

5. Get Educated. Research technology, ideas, industries, companies, people – there is a wealth of information available within a few keystrokes. Spend as much time as possible gathering the necessary information.

6. Develop Your Marketing Tools. Be sure to add these marketing tools to your toolkit:

• Elevator Pitch – a one to two minute description of yourself and your job objective (if you have one). It is an essential networking tool.

• Résumé – Use an expert such as YourOnRamp.com to help you present your work and volunteer experiences in a meaningful and effective way. You should also compile a list of references.

• Cover Letters – Yes, you need them! They go hand in hand with your résumé and are an essential communication tool, persuasively matching your prior experience to your future career goals.

7. Build a Network. This is the most important aspect of your OnRamp effort. Your chances of getting a job are much better when you know someone at the company. A complete personal profile will help friends and colleagues find you to offer ideas and new connections.

8. Find Your Career. The next step is to search for that perfect job. Whether you want to work for a company, hang a shingle as a consultant, or start your own business, the job search is the exciting part of the OnRamp process.

9. Prepare for Interviews. Preparation is the key to successful interviewing. Know what questions you will need to answer as well as how to explain your time away from the workplace. Again, get help from experts for more difficult issues such as how to deal with outdated skills or large gaps in your work history. And don’t forget to dress for success.

10. Bring it Home. You have successfully networked, researched, and interviewed your way to a job offer – now is the time to bring it all home. But how do you know if it is the right offer for you? Aside from the obvious gut feeling you get when it is the right move, you need to analyze the offer to see if it is a winner in terms of compensation and fit for your life.

With a plan, you can turn the chore of finding a job into an empowering and enjoyable journey. Be inspired, be imaginative, and be confident. Good Luck!

Catherine Clifford is the co-founder of YourOnRamp.com, an online community where professional women manage their career OffRamps and OnRamps, and connect with employers. Catherine is also the author of Your Career OnRamp: A Woman’s Guide to Re-entering the Workforce. Catherine is an OnRamp expert and has been a featured guest on Lifetime, NBC, ABC and The Washington Post.

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Most women know what to wear to give the right impression in the right situation. Yet, even many women who spend thousands of dollars on each season’s fashions present themselves as paupers on resume paper.

At Women@Work we call it the “under-dressed” resume — resumes that don’t look right, sound right or project the image women so carefully craft in every other aspect of their lives.You can’t throw a resume together in a couple of hours. If you do, it’s obvious to an employer. You can run to the supermarket in your sweatpants with wet hair and no make-up, and hope that you don’t see anyone you know, but when you send out an under-dressed resume, there’s nowhere to hide.

When employers get an under-dressed resume, they wonder if you’ll take the time to make the right impression in a client meeting, if your reports will be thorough, or if you’ll embarrass the team with a presentation that you prepared in the 11th hour.

How do you know if your resume is as outdated as last season’s shoes, or as unimpressive as an old flannel shirt? Read the top 7 signs that your resume is not on the Best Dressed Resume List, and then spend more time with one or two of the most important sheets of paper in any professional woman’s life.

Sign #1: Bow Ties and Navy Blue Suits

If you’ve been out of the workforce, or if you haven’t written a resume in many years, you broadcast that fact by starting your resume with an “objective” rather than a summary statement. “Objectives” went out with those bland navy blue suits and cute little bow ties we all wore in the 80s.

Today’s resumes start with a summary statement: a brief paragraph that encapsulates who you are and what you can offer in 50 words or less. Some books or people will tell you not to bother with a summary statement. Some employers will even say that they don’t read them. Don’t listen for three important reasons:

1. Most employers will read a summary statement because it gives them a two-second idea of whether you fit the job profile.
2. It makes your resume look and sound professional.
3. It has an important dual purpose: a summary statement also becomes your “elevator speech”—the two minute synopsis of your skills and experience that you can “sell” in job interviews, networking meetings—and to anyone who might lead you to a new job.

Check back on June 24th to read the other six signs that your resume is not dressed for success.For more information about the Women@Work Network and more tips on resume writing, visit our web site: www.womenatworknetwork.com.