s/o SAHM for 20 years, where do I begin to find a job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, the climb might be too steep. Why don't you capitalize on the skills and innate talents you ALREADY HAVE and offer yourself as a personal assistant for working families? I pay my PA $35-40/hour, which is a bit on the higher side (lots of complicated billing/medical issues). Others I know make $25-30.

I agree with this.

What are your hobbies, OP? Are you handy? Do you have a great eye for organization or decorating? Were you the PTA auction chair and able to raise a ton of $$$?

I think you need to look at your current skills.

I'm a former SAHM for 12 years (age 48) and I agree with the above, based on my experience trying to on-ramp back into the workforce with skills similar to OP's. I tweaked the advice a little above, because "SAHM skills" are just "people skills" -- unless you mean changing diapers or actions truly tied only to mothering. (i.e., working mothers organize too, you know. They also raise PTA money ).

After not getting any solid bites by using some of common advice on this very thread -- volunteer! leverage the PTA/organizational thing! -- I assessed my strengths and went back to school for a Master's that builds on that specific area.

So for OP, that might mean a certificate from George Mason or GW in, say, medical editing. (side note to OP: nobody pays others to write or edit anymore. It's depressing, but new economy employers don't care . Only exception I've found is medical / technical / academics. But forget about, say, "journalism").

OP. I know journalism is dead, but there are lots of publications, airline magazines, for example, newsletters, etc. that must need some sort of editor. College alumni publications, etc. I'm not sure I could find or get any of these editing jobs, but they must exist. Someone has to edit those publications. I don't think I could edit medical or technical journals. I've done some of that in my past and it was excruciating.

Other things I've thought of: librarian (I love books!); social worker (I love to talk to people about their problems!); historic preservation (I love old buildings!). I assume all of these would require another master's degree,which I can't afford without a job. A certificate is likely the most I could manage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see this will be a long process.

Lots of those publications use independant contractors. They work virtually and cheaply.. But you are showing your age. Writing for blogs and the web is a far bigger field today as well as one that is easier to get into.

The very first thing you need to do is come to terms with the fact that your experience and skills from working briefly 20 yrs ago does not matter. You are starting all over again. You need to get comfortable in a work environment and routine. This is why volunteering could be very valuable. Commit to a 40 hour a week schedule. Get used to going to an office or job again. Get used to someone else telling you what to do. Get up to speed on technology, knowing how to open Word and typing a letter is not enough for most entry level admins today, they need to be able to do advanced formatting. How familiar are you with other options like google docs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP. I know journalism is dead, but there are lots of publications, airline magazines, for example, newsletters, etc. that must need some sort of editor. College alumni publications, etc. I'm not sure I could find or get any of these editing jobs, but they must exist. Someone has to edit those publications. I don't think I could edit medical or technical journals. I've done some of that in my past and it was excruciating.

Other things I've thought of: librarian (I love books!); social worker (I love to talk to people about their problems!); historic preservation (I love old buildings!). I assume all of these would require another master's degree,which I can't afford without a job. A certificate is likely the most I could manage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see this will be a long process.

Lots of those publications use independant contractors. They work virtually and cheaply.. But you are showing your age. Writing for blogs and the web is a far bigger field today as well as one that is easier to get into.

The very first thing you need to do is come to terms with the fact that your experience and skills from working briefly 20 yrs ago does not matter. You are starting all over again. You need to get comfortable in a work environment and routine. This is why volunteering could be very valuable. Commit to a 40 hour a week schedule. Get used to going to an office or job again. Get used to someone else telling you what to do. Get up to speed on technology, knowing how to open Word and typing a letter is not enough for most entry level admins today, they need to be able to do advanced formatting. How familiar are you with other options like google docs?

PP is right. You are really starting out all over again.

Here's a question though- why not work some retail for a while? You love books- what about trying to find a job at a bookstore? Someplace like Politics and Prose would be a terrific place to learn and to possibly get involved with event planning, purchasing, meeting writers, promotion etc.

[Anonymous]

I think some classes to build up your confidence followed by temping would be the way to go.

Your writing and editing skills are great, but unfortunately a lot of the publications you mentioned have a network of freelancers or their own staff to handle those tasks. I have some friends who freelance, it takes a long time to build up a reputation and network, doesn't happen overnight.

Your best bet is to start out in admin and work up. OR, leverage your network (friends, neighbors, husband's colleagues, etc.) to get your foot in the door another way.

[Anonymous]

As another long-time SAHM who worked in editing previously and is now ramping up my freelance career, I want to say that I find this thread so refreshing-- I'm thrilled (and frankly, a little astonished) at the lack of snark and nastiness that usually appears on any DCUM discussion of returning to the workplace after many years at home.

[Anonymous]

OP, you may want to market your editing skills and Ivy degrees to read and edit college application essays and such. It's flexible, you can get help setting up a website and search optimization then work virtual. After all, you've edited similar for years.

[Anonymous]

I started my career as a receptionist at a technology company in 1999. I was only 21, but realized quickly who the top dog in the office was I went to hwr multiple times a week to offer her team any help she might need, no matter how menial. It only took 4 months of this before I was "moved to the back" and was given a junior account manager position. It's been up from there.

I've been at my current company 7 years and have seen 3 reception people (2 men, one woman) be moved up from reception to various departments. They were humble, quick learners, motivated, energetic, and would do anything to get their hands on meaningful work. It's a great place to start. Smart driven people ALWAYS rise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started my career as a receptionist at a technology company in 1999. I was only 21, but realized quickly who the top dog in the office was I went to hwr multiple times a week to offer her team any help she might need, no matter how menial. It only took 4 months of this before I was "moved to the back" and was given a junior account manager position. It's been up from there.

I've been at my current company 7 years and have seen 3 reception people (2 men, one woman) be moved up from reception to various departments. They were humble, quick learners, motivated, energetic, and would do anything to get their hands on meaningful work. It's a great place to start. Smart driven people ALWAYS rise.

I think this is great advice for anyone, particularly someone who is young, but someone who is over 50 will likely end up stuck at the receptionist's desk.

Smart, driven people do rise, when they are young, but there's tremendous age discrimination. Older people are not as energetic, nor are they quick learners when it comes to technology. They may take longer to get up to speed, not because they are any less intelligent than younger workers, but because they are less familiar with technology. And they have a lot of stuff inside their brains competing for space. Younger workers' heads are not so filled with experience, which makes them quicker to learn new things. The advantage older workers have is their experience, which gives them a longer view and wider perspective, but this is not valued as much as energy and speed in most workplaces these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, you may want to market your editing skills and Ivy degrees to read and edit college application essays and such. It's flexible, you can get help setting up a website and search optimization then work virtual. After all, you've edited similar for years.

OP here. I have a friend in another state who does just this. She makes relatively little money doing it, but she's very good at it. She's helped get kids into Ivies and other very competitive colleges. I'm sure I could do this too, but I'm not sure I want to! I taught the college level briefly, but I didn't like teaching. I did edit my child's essays, though. She got into most of the colleges she applied to.

I've had more ideas: Nutritionist (I'm really into food and health); I'm also very interested in sustainability. I wonder if I could volunteer to do PR or some other writing for an environmental group?

Any other suggestions? I'm feeling a bit lost. I don't have a lot of money, but I'm thinking a coach specializing in SAHMs re-entering the workforce might be helpful. I'm not sure what to do first -- network? education? LinkedIn? A coach might help me come up with a plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think some classes to build up your confidence followed by temping would be the way to go.

Your writing and editing skills are great, but unfortunately a lot of the publications you mentioned have a network of freelancers or their own staff to handle those tasks. I have some friends who freelance, it takes a long time to build up a reputation and network, doesn't happen overnight.

Your best bet is to start out in admin and work up. OR, leverage your network (friends, neighbors, husband's colleagues, etc.) to get your foot in the door another way.

OP. I hear you, but I don't even know what I need to do to get an admin job. I worked for 15 years as a writer and editor. I'm pretty sure that if someone in their late 20s or early 30s looked at my resume, they'd throw it away. Too old, too many degrees, too much experience at higher level jobs, gigantic gap of 20 years without FT work. I'm perfectly willing to be an admin, but what skills would I need? I look at ads on websites for jobs at places that interest me (schools, hospitals, non-profits), but each asks for specific skills in all sorts of things (desktop publishing, database management, etc. etc.) I don't have. I can't possibly acquire all those skills in a short time. What are the basics I would need?

[Anonymous]

Flex Professionals has a helpful resources page: http://www.flexprofessionalsllc.com/job-seekers/resources/

[Anonymous]

To call yourself a Nutritionist you have to have a Masters in Nutrition. A Dietician needs a B.S., plus internship plus license. So unless you want to head back to school for a long time, I don't think these are career options for you at this point in your life

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP. I know journalism is dead, but there are lots of publications, airline magazines, for example, newsletters, etc. that must need some sort of editor. College alumni publications, etc. I'm not sure I could find or get any of these editing jobs, but they must exist. Someone has to edit those publications. I don't think I could edit medical or technical journals. I've done some of that in my past and it was excruciating.

Other things I've thought of: librarian (I love books!); social worker (I love to talk to people about their problems!); historic preservation (I love old buildings!). I assume all of these would require another master's degree,which I can't afford without a job. A certificate is likely the most I could manage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see this will be a long process.

Lots of those publications use independant contractors. They work virtually and cheaply.. But you are showing your age. Writing for blogs and the web is a far bigger field today as well as one that is easier to get into.

The very first thing you need to do is come to terms with the fact that your experience and skills from working briefly 20 yrs ago does not matter. You are starting all over again. You need to get comfortable in a work environment and routine. This is why volunteering could be very valuable. Commit to a 40 hour a week schedule. Get used to going to an office or job again. Get used to someone else telling you what to do. Get up to speed on technology, knowing how to open Word and typing a letter is not enough for most entry level admins today, they need to be able to do advanced formatting. How familiar are you with other options like google docs?

PP is right. You are really starting out all over again.

Here's a question though- why not work some retail for a while? You love books- what about trying to find a job at a bookstore? Someplace like Politics and Prose would be a terrific place to learn and to possibly get involved with event planning, purchasing, meeting writers, promotion etc.

That's a great idea! I hadn't thought of working in a bookstore. I do love books, though. I live close to a Barnes & Noble. No idea how to market myself to get a job there, though. Can anyone help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The very first thing you need to do is come to terms with the fact that your experience and skills from working briefly 20 yrs ago does not matter. You are starting all over again. You need to get comfortable in a work environment and routine. This is why volunteering could be very valuable. Commit to a 40 hour a week schedule. Get used to going to an office or job again. Get used to someone else telling you what to do. Get up to speed on technology, knowing how to open Word and typing a letter is not enough for most entry level admins today, they need to be able to do advanced formatting. How familiar are you with other options like google docs?

OP here. I don't even know what this is! My kids use Google Docs, but I don't. I'm able to learn, but have as yet had no need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flex Professionals has a helpful resources page: http://www.flexprofessionalsllc.com/job-seekers/resources/

Thanks, that's helpful. I will check out some of the links.

[Anonymous]

If you want to do any kind of editing or writing work, you have got to get very savvy on web publishing tools and software. Where I work we do send out some reports and proposals to freelancers for copyediting / layout / design. Often they come via word of mouth, including as SAH spouses of people connected to our line of work. But you need some skills and some more recent proof of concept beyond some 20yo editing experience. Lots of good suggestions here on how you might develop some of that...