Member Articles

I’m happy to say it’s been more than two years and I’m been working a flexible schedule of 30 hours per week since. It hasn’t been easy. I still have to put in extra hours here and there to meet those crazy deadlines. But it’s worth it. Thursdays I have the flexibility to work from home and I have Fridays off.

I asked Pat Katepoo, founder of WorkOptions.com, if she had any advice for those who are considering part-time. If you think there’s no way you can propose working less at your job she suggests looking at other options. “It's possible to find employers within an industry who are embracing better work/life balance. Or consider proposing a job sharing arrangement.” According to Katepoo, a job-share arrangement allows the employer to have two dedicated and talented employees who split the workload. The position remains covered full-time, or in some instances the position gets more coverage because some job sharing pairs work three days each, with an overlapping day.

As I look back on my situation, I’m proud of what I achieved. Instead of feeling hopeless in my career, I made my job work for me. The working mom can achieve anything she puts her heart, soul, and mind to. I know it.

(Look for Part 2 of this article next week, in which Cara’s manager Susan shows how she helped Cara get her part-time/remote work proposal approved.)