As interest rates and petrol prices continue to rise women are finding it hard to justify being mothers at home full-time.
Founder and Managing Director of the first ever back-to-work boot camp for mums, Kylie Bartlett joins the show to discuss how the program can help women overcome the challenges facing them when re-entering the work force.
"Many women are returning to the work force for both stimulation and or extra cash," she says. "Many families now have the extra money woes especially with the 12 interest rate rises causing mums to go back for a few days to contribute financially."
Ms Bartlett explains that she started the empowering Business Boot Camps - scheduled for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane - to try and help ease the squeeze on family budgets by giving stay-at-home mums the confidence and the technical skills to return to work after months or even years in the workplace wilderness.
"The program was created to help mums reconnect with their corporate selves," she explains.
"Generally mothers have a lack of confidence and self esteem when the issue of returning to work," she says. "Sometimes they are pressured with guilt to stay at home and look after their children and often they simply feel disconnected from the workforce."
She explains that her program offers tips on how to over come such insecurities associated with re-entering the workforce.
"We suggests mum's ask themselves a few questions before they start the job search," she says.
- Mind set: Ask yourself what is currently holding you back, skill, guilt, time, confidence, preparation.
- Preparation: Decide what kind a job you want, what you don't want and what does the ideal job need to offer?
- Current skills and abilities: Ask yourself what skills do you bring to your ideal job and what transferrable skills from being a mum do you bring?
- Required skills and abilities: What skills do you need to further develop? Where is the gap in your skills?
- Presentation: Ensure you prepare for an interview, both with appropriate clothing and your resume.
"The time is right for mums to take advantage of the national skills and talent shortage and conquer their fears or insecurities about returning to work," she says.
The nationally-accredited program runs from 9.00am to 3.00pm over three days per week for four weeks. Price: $2995
- Melbourne Business Boot Camp: May 5
- Brisbane boot camp: July 21
- Sydney's: July 28
- Perth and Adelaide are planned for 2009
