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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here.   I am not an impulsive person and usually I really think through things before committing to anything., Going back to work was one big impulsive mistake that I made. In my situation, I should have waited for kids to leave home and evaluated how my day to day life looked like,.  Thankfully, this whole episode has made me realize that I am dispensable at work but indispensable at home. Gave notice but they want to retain me and have come back with many great options that are very attractive. I have decided to pass. Not working for money, so my own personal time right now is precious.
 
Some posters asked how to get into the game.  You need to have the credentials in your own industry to get back to the working world but generally the following helped me (along with existing network of people who can give me jobs  :wink: ). 
1) Be up to speed on any tech and office skills you may need. Microsoft 356/office,  Photoshop, Visio, Flow, Skype, and even the lowly snipping tool that has proved indispensable for me. https://products.office.com/en-us/products - check these out.
2) In your volunteer work, take on tasks that are hard and people shy away from   - administrative, project management, marketing, website support, power point presentations and slides, organizing events for charity,  social media presence, accounting and tax prep,  soliciting corporate donations, proposal writing, applying for grants, creating training videos and documents, promotional materials etc.  
3) Get comfortable with having a digital footprint but curate carefully, do not overshare - blog, fb, youtube, IG, Twitter, polling tools, Linkedin, 
4) Use your smartphone features fully. There are some great apps that are available to simplify your life.  . 
5) Use online businesses for a variety of services
6) Write a daily status report and send to your boss. It does not matter if they ask for it or not. Have an open word document on your machine, and keep updating it throughout your day.

Good luck to people who are trying to get back into the workforce.[/quote]

I’m a little curious about what industry this job was in, b/c those skills would be had by just about any recent grad?  How did you differentiate yourself?[/quote]

Recent grads have experience with accounting and tax preparation, soliciting corporate donations, proposal writing, applying for grants, etc etc?  Uh, no.  Many of the things PP listed can only be learned on the job, often through years of experience - which she clearly has.[/quote]

I'm gonna be slammed more for this but there is very little that you cannot learn now. The internet is a great resource. If you do not have the opportunity to learn some (not all) skills in a job because you are home, then do so at your volunteer/charity space.  Everything I had needed to learn to succeed in the workplace -  I learned in Kindergarten and PTA.  I was also the Tiger mom, who has  taught, coached and tutored my kids and neighborhood kids for free, on every darn subject from K-12 that you can think of. And I have taken a bazillion courses in the community college and aced it.  Get out of your comfort zone in your volunteering and take on tasks that you have not done before because it is the best sandbox to play in. Plus, it is immensely satisfying because you can do it at your own terms and help others at the same time.  All of this translates into skills that you can bring into the workplace.

If I ever had to run a business, I would look at SAHMs and Veterans as employees and make it super attractive for them in terms of remote working and flex time. and good remuneration/benefits.  This is a gold mine of talent and they are also selling themselves short - just like I did.  The reason I am leaving is not because  I cannot hack it at the job.  I am leaving because I do not want to make the time committment away from my family and my leisure hours + don't need the money.  But, I now know that I can get a job and do well in a job - if I want.

- OP
[/quote]

Well since you quit within a few weeks from the a good job, you can be sure your current employer will never hire a SAHM again.

Employers are not holding back part time jobs because they are mean, do you understand it’s because there are fixed overhead costs to every employee and they don’t really go down when the position is part-time, so you are far more expensive as a part-time employee.  And trusting someone to not abuse flex or telework, you have to establish that relationship and build trust. You have no references for my recent employer, no history with the company, so they will just pay you and trust that you’re actually working at home.

You will be better suited by freelancing, why did you not go that route? Basically just say I will deliver product, and get paid for it.[/quote]

I understand why you would think that, and you have made very valid and logical arguments, which is probably true for many cases. 
Thankfully, in my case,  my stint probably made them more aware of the value the right person can bring to the job  - hopefully that means that they will be more open to letting SAHMs work for them?  My contribution was fairly valuable and apparent, and I got rave reviews from internal and external stakeholders.  When I told them I had to leave, they did try to get me to stay with some solid benefits that did not exist before.   Finally, I have agreed to help them with one project next year that an important stakeholder wants me on.  I don't know if it will come to pass, but for now they are satisfied. I am not leaving with anyone holding the basket and my hope is that it will result in a lack of animosity at least, if it does not create goodwill.

Till the time my kids are home, I am not going to be doing anything that takes my focus away from them, or takes up more time or brain-space than I am willing to give. In these months, I have grown a lot in my personal life and habits, and so has my family. I am also much more hopeful and confident of my own abilities and know that I can get a job if I want.  I am much more appreciative of what I have created at home, my privileged life and all the things I do for my community that does not get recognized in dollar amounts.  More than that, I know where I feel most fulfilled and happy.  I have great many things to look forward to, and a greater appreciation of my own worth, contribution and role in the family.

- OP. [/quote]

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