Has anyone been a young stay at home mum and gone on to a successful career later on?

Plans_all_plans

Hi

Well as the title says really: has anyone been a young SAHM who's gone on to have a decent career once their kids have got older?

I'm hoping that by the age of 30 I'll have all the kids we're planning at school and so I'll be able to forge a career then. I suppose I'm just worried that it's going to be nigh on impossible! Any positive stories/advice form people who've been in the same position appreciated!

Thanks.

ash28

Yes I did - when our youngest went to school I managed somehow to get myself a job with a blue chip company (think Mars bars) after 6 months of working on the shop floor - they trained inhouse and paid for me to go to college and study engineering and I became an Industrial Engineer - our youngest is 30 now.

It can be done - one of said daughters friend is studying midwifery - with 3 children.

caledonian_princess

My Mum did, she stayed at home with us for around 10 years then went to college for a couple of years. She got a job in the civil service and shot through the grades so I'd say yes, it can be done.

fuzzybear01

Plenty of people go into Nursing as a mature student. I don't know what type of career you were thinking of.

Plans_all_plans

Thanks. I already have a degree. I'm not really interested in nursing/midwifery/teaching, but thanks anyway. I think I would be interested in HR or Law really, but I'd need to study further to get anywhere in either of these fields. I've not done enough research on either though, so I don't seriously know what I want to do, but I've got another 5 years yet before I'd be in a position to apply for anything! They're both competitive fields though!

andrinaperry

A friend of mine was a stay at home mum and went on to be a school teacher

Oldernotwiser

Public sector jobs where life experience is valuable are usually easier to move into when you're older. It's worth doing relevant voluntary work/further study whilst you're at home with the children rather than having a large gap on your CV with nothing on it except child rearing.

Plans_all_plans

Thanks. Well my eldest has just started school full time and I have enquired about volunteering with local law centres/other organisations in the past few days. I volunteer in 2 other (evening) roles already and have done for the past 4 years.

Although I class myself as a stay at home mum, I do actually work part time and have done since my daughter started at the school's nursery last year. I always looked after her other than that and I always picked her up and dropped her off. We hope to have another child soon though and at that point, I would look to give up my part time job to become a SAHM again.

I have looked into studying at home, but it is expensive (!) and my husband is also doing a professional qualification part time (which is part financed by his company) so it isn't viable until he finishes his studying.

May2013

Yes me…I had all four of my children by the time I was 25. During their early years (until the youngest was 8) I did a whole load of part time jobs to bring in some extra pin money…ironing, cleaning, factory home work etc. That was a good few years ago….I’m now heading up a 35 strong national sales team for a leading multinational organisation.

Good luck and pursue your dreams xx

chanie

Anything is possible. I think that if you have the aptitude to get to the top then being a SAHM isn't going to affect that. I work in HR and I remember interviewing a lady for a promotion who had been a SAHM for 10 years prior to returning to work. She was by far the best candidate, better than people who hadn't had any significant periods out of work. Before having her children, she was on a fast track to the top anyway but made the decision to be a SAHM. WIthin a year of returning to work, she had been promoted 3 times, going from assitant manager to assistant Director. However, I do believe that whilst a SAHM, she did keep herself extremely busy with PTA type things but she managed her work in a professional way, as if it was a proper business e.g. she managed budgets etc.

teeni

I got married and had my first child at 17, and then went on to have another 5, when the youngest was 3 I decided to go back to work and didnt know what to do , so I began volunteering for the local C A B that lasted 10 years during which time I got my degree, moved from there to the local authority and finally to my present position as a senior manager with a very well known charity.
anything is possible if you want it enough.