I hang up the phone with yet another insurance agency
that has contacted me to see if I will come in for an
interview. They call me with obvious excitement at my
strong background in insurance. They share with me
that I am just the type of person that they would like
to join their team, that my background is just what
they have been looking for, and that they are anxious
to interview with me. Then I share with them that I am
only available in the evening hours and this answer is
usually followed by a long pause on the other end of
the line. The typical response is that they aren’t
looking for that at this time and that if my situation
changes to please feel free to contact them. At times
they ask me why I am not available during the day, and
that is when I disclose my other job…I am a mom. I am
a mother who has chosen to give up any daytime
employment to ensure that my child will be home with
me and not in daycare. It is a choice that I make, but
even as mothers who have children in daycare know, I
still sometimes question if I am making the right
choice.
I sit beside the phone thinking how this is going to
affect my future employment. I am now going to have a
gigantic hole in my resume where skills and past
employment once resided. How is this going to look to
my future employer? Are they going to wonder why no
one has chosen to hire me during this time?
My son begins to holler at me and then it dawns on
me….I do have a job. My job title will stand proudly
at the forefront of my resume. My job title will be
household engineer and my skill set will be so great
that I will have no room on my resume to go through
all that I do. I am exactly what every employer would
ever want on their team.
Multitasking is something that I have extremely strong
skills in. Ask me how many people can change a diaper,
register their automobiles over the phone, and have
breakfast in the works all at the same time? How
about the skills I have developed in dealing with
customer service? Let me say that I have grown
accustomed to being screamed at on a daily basis. My
clientele in this house consists of one customer in
particular that cannot stand to wait for breakfast in
the morning. If his food is not ready to him in a
timely fashion (timely meaning this very instant) and
at the temperature he so desires then I can be
prepared for some screaming that makes even our poor
cat scamper downstairs in hopes to deafen the sound.
My accounts receivable skills are impeccable after
learning that getting bills on time is of the utmost
importance. I now have a system that I have learned
that guarantees me of getting my bills out on time and
I have gotten this down so well that I now run my own
advice website on staying organized in a mother’s
chaotic world. I also do not require a break, not
even a lunch break. I am an employee who is willing to
eat on the go or simply nibble off other people’s
plates to keep up my strength to perform a good job. I
require very little sleep anymore so you can count on
if you are looking for someone who is willing to
handle long hours. If you need an employee who can be
over at the office in ten minutes…well, I am your
girl! I no longer need to brush my hair or put on
makeup. I can even go without looking in the mirror
some mornings and feel comfortable all day long not
even remembering that I forgot to look. I am really
great at delegating jobs to others and have grown
accustomed to telling other people what to do and how
to do it. If you should need a reference, my husband
could supply an amazing one for you on what a great
dictator I am. Staying on top of other people and
making sure they do their jobs is something that I
have found I have very strong skills in. I have never
had any problems bossing anyone around, but I feel
that as a household engineer, I have taken this form
of bossing to a whole new level. It is not just anyone
who can keep a household running. If you are looking
for someone who can take direction well this is
something I am learning all about. My boss is grueling
about following what he wants. He has some funny
quirks that I am trying to get used to like not
wanting any chairs upright and all of his belongings
lodged between couch cushions, but I am just taking my
direction from him and making sure things remain just
as he would want them. I also am good about staying on
task, and that means no dilly-dallying in the
bathroom, no emailing, and no chatting on the phone
when the boss is around.
Oh yes…I believe that when this gig is up as a
household engineer, people will be knocking down our
door to have me join their team. I am sure you know
just whose picture is going to be hanging up on their
wall for Employee of the Month. I do not require any
recognition, of course, but I will never refuse any
awards for my services. I have been known in the past
to go for months on just a few smiles and hugs from my
favorite little boss with absolutely no salary.
Now with each day that my boss becomes more demanding
I write down yet another skill to add to my resume. I
guess you could say I have a whole new outlook on my
future employment
___________________________________________________
Amy is a stay-at-home mother of a one year old son.
She is founder and creator of http://www.momadvice.com. Her web site is geared towards mothers who are
seeking advice on staying organized, living on a
budget, and for those seeking work-at-home employment.
The author resides in Granger, Indiana and her hobbies
include reading, writing, cooking and cake decorating.
Please visit her web site for more information on
these various topics for mothers and be sure to join
the forum where your opinions and ideas count.
