Member Articles

•Updating your resume with any missing experience is the obvious first step. Consider whether you need to revise it to appear more suitable for part-time work. In my case, I created two versions of my resume – one with all my managerial experience and the other focused completely on the technical work I have done.

• Review your resume line by line. What will you say if you are asked to talk in more detail about that line? What bits do you want to highlight if you’re asked an open-ended question about your experience? What technical questions would you ask if you were the interviewer?

• Prepare a quick, positive response for questions about your time off. Mine is, “I consider it a sabbatical.” When asked if I’ve done any technical work in the last two years, I say, “No, but this work is very similar to something I’ve done in the past. While I’ve been looking I’ve started studying xyz, and it shouldn’t take more than a month or so to get back up to speed.”

• How much time are you willing to work? Have both a specific number in your head (10-15, 20-25, 30-40) and a more vague answer that leaves room for negotiation (a couple of days a week, half-time, three-quarter time). You might find that your willingness changes as you find out more about the opportunity. I started off at 10-15, briefly considered three-quarter time for a position that was a good resume-builder, and have decided I currently feel comfortable with 20-25.

• Know what times are good for phone screens. Make a plan for who will watch your child if you get invited to a lunch meeting or interview.

• Envision what childcare arrangements you would need for various levels of work. You don’t need to share these with an interviewer, just know what is possible and acceptable to you. When I was picturing 10-15 hour weeks I planned to work from home during naptime and possibly hire a mother’s helper to come to my home and play with my toddler while I worked. (My mother is available to handle the odd on-site meeting, but if she didn’t live in town, I would make a trading arrangement with a friend.) I was caught out when a potential client asked if I could do 10-15 hours in the office and additional hours remotely. I started thinking out loud how I would arrange that, which didn’t make a good impression. Now I can say with ease, “I could work on-site two full days or three half days, and the rest remotely,” because I have thought through the logistics of hiring a part-time nanny or using a local daycare center.