How Parenthood Develops Our Marketable Skills

What skills do we develop as parents, which are considered valuable in the job market?

This was the question a group of parents considered at the Bumpy Business workshop 'How To Return to Work After Parenthood'. A brainstorming session proved to be not only reassuring but enlightening.

'I liked the idea of looking at the years I spent at home with my children as a time of development of my management and leadership skills. The approach was so different and so fresh it gave me lots of positive energy'. Donna Edwards

In my experience, most recruitment consultants will advise parents to 'play down' the role of a parent as 'potential employers want to know you have time for them'. Most of us do have time for an employer at some point during parenthood and that is because the opportunities parenting has offered us to become efficient, focused and loyal members of our own community. When the time is right (this can be anything from 6 weeks to 6 years or more into 'maternity leave') we use strategies and processes to delegate to others, allowing us to move back into the job market. That in itself is a valuable experience.