Any employer will tell you the backbone of a successful company lies in placing the best personalities and talents in the right areas. Over the years, moms have earned an unfair (and sadly judgmental) rap in the employment world. Many employers will skip over a resume entirely if it’s assumed she is a mother (or could be in the near future). Worse yet, some will hire a potential employee (and mom) at a lowered rate because motherhood has been viewed as a hindrance rather than an asset.
The reality is, however, that moms make rockstar employees who go above and beyond the scope of most jobs. Why you ask? Being a mom comes with a laundry list of skills and talents that most employers only dream about finding in prospective employees. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of the seriously bada** skills that make moms overly qualified for pretty much any job you can throw at her.
1. Going to Work Is an Oasis Retreat
For starters, moms deal with little humans. All. Day. As every mom knows, an 8-hour stretch with no tiny tot attached to her at all times, private bathroom breaks, and a lunch period during which she can eat uninterrupted (while the food is still warm) – is like an oasis retreat. You’ll never find another person more genuinely excited and prepared for the workday. Overtime? No problem! That’s like an extended vacation in mom world.
2. They Are Experts at Dealing with Multiple Personalities
Moms are experts at handling pretty much every personality you can imagine. If your office is loaded with divas and self-indulgent types (aren’t they all?), she’s got you covered. I mean, think about it; co-workers have a LOT in common with kids. The whining, complaining, inability to share, pouting, name-calling and face-making – are we talking about the kids or the employees? Hard to tell, isn’t it? Who better to deal with such an environment than someone who does it day in and day out?
3. They Are Multitasking Masterminds
The height of productivity lies with the one who has mastered multitasking. Answering emails while on the phone is a breeze for someone who’s used to corralling toddlers while stirring the pasta and running the laundry (and also drawing the bath for bedtime, loading the dishwasher, supervising homework sessions and getting bags ready for the next day’s lunch as she chats with her sister on the phone). Moms are the world’s best multitaskers who bring the highest level of productivity along with them. Rock. Stars.
4. They Laugh in the Face of Chaos
Another key component to optimum employee placement is finding someone who can operate under pressure. People who thrive in chaotic environments equate to employees who meet and exceed deadlines and make the office operate like a well-oiled machine. Moms spend their days negotiating tantrums and disagreements while figuring out how to keep the peace and still get things done. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that’s one heck of a valuable asset for any employer to have on hand.
5. Crisis Intervention: Level Expert
Moms are in a constant state of chaos management. When you’re a mom, honing the negotiation and intervention skills are an absolute must. You can’t just ignore a screaming toddler who wanted the Mickey Mouse cup instead of the Paw Patrol one (though you may want to) or you’ll wind up with a tantrum of epic proportions. Moms know they must dig in and deal with issues front and center and never back down until it’s resolved – they have little time for BS and prefer to tackle things head-on. The same concept is applied in their careers. Got a whining, insecure project manager who feels slighted? She’ll have him in check and be playing nicely with the others in no time.
6. They Are the MacGyvers of Resourcefulness (Thank You, Pinterest)
Most employers are sticklers for the bottom line. Well, at least the successful ones are. As such, most of them look for employees they can trust to make the most of the resources that are provided to them and keep excessive spending to a minimum. If you’ve ever seen a mom in action whose 4th grader informed her at 9:30 on a Sunday night that there was a science project due the next day, you’ll understand why the creative resourcefulness and ingenuity of moms is absolutely unparalleled.
7. They Want It More than Most
There are so many reasons moms make kick butt employees, but one of my favorites is because they want it more than most. Moms (and women in general) have been fighting to be taken seriously and treated equally in the workplace for decades, and the fight has led to a group of women who are thirsting to prove their place and worth in the workforce despite the ill-advised stereotypes about them. Moms will put in the extra mile just to prove their worth and ensure the job is done with the greatest of satisfaction – much like they manage things in their homes.
The bottom line? If you’re looking for employees who will go above and beyond and thrive under pressure, you need to be looking at moms. There is no better set of skills than the ones obtained by motherhood. Rock on, mommas.
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Jamie is a married mother of four – two girls and two boys – ages 3 to 22. With 19 years between her oldest and youngest, she writes to keep her sanity in check with a healthy dose of therapeutic humor injected for good measure. She is a children’s book author and full-time mommy blogger for her site, Momma Juice and regularly guest blogs for other sites.
