(Posted 417 days ago)

Do's and Don'ts:

Be proud of your decision to be at home with your young children. Don't apologize for that decision or say that you regret it.

Don't point out any lack of experience or time away from the working world. Allow the interviewer to bring up the topic.

Be ready with examples of how you can demonstrate the skills necessary for the position: how you can budget, lead, manage, sell, negotiate, etc.

Say This:

I'm glad you asked about how the time I spent with my young children affects my reintroduction into the business world.

I knew that I couldn't have everything: have children, stay at home with them when they were young, and still be 100% current in my field and career. There was no way to do it all. So I made a decision I am proud of and will never regret: I devoted my time, life, energy to them.

This is how I've always worked in the corporate world, too: I devote all of my energy to where I am and what I am doing.

X months before I would be applying for jobs, I began to research how my career and field had grown since I had children. I began to invest in rejuvenating my skills and knowledge. This is how I did it: I faithfully read Fast Company and Harvard Business Review, I networked via LinkedIn, I held informational interviews with former colleagues, etc. I did this consciously. It was part of a plan for me to return to work and to prepare my family as well.

Now, I'm ready and eager to devote myself full time to role as XYZ. And I hope that you and ABC company are ready to have me join the team.

By the way, one final thought. There is an interesting article from HBR on this topic (Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success) . . .