Sheila Goetsch’s Post

This week is my first week back following maternity leave with my second son, it has been nothing short of support and encouragement from my peers and management. I’ve always been ambitious – career aspirations are an element of my life which I can drive and control, to a degree. As a career-focused woman who also longed to build a family, those aspirations can often turn into anxiety. Being a working parent with strong plans for your career all whilst balancing personal affairs as a family is tough, there is a lot of give and take that happens to make things work. Having the support of a company with good work ethic and culture just makes it all so much easier! What is your business doing to support ? What has been your experience? #returntowork #maternityleave

I've stayed mostly quiet about being laid off three months ago. Yes, to process and contemplate what I truly want in my next role. But mostly because I'm 9 months pregnant. Surprise! 🎉 I've spent the last three+ months applying and interviewing my heart out in hopes of finding a unicorn hiring team/role/company that valued my experience enough to consider a prolonged start date so I could bring my little one into the world and transition into motherhood (which I've seen done before, kudos to you, Janna Biagio). However, having worked in #HRtech for the past 4 years, I knew that despite quality-of-hire being a core hiring KPI for most teams, hiring managers want/need their role filled, like, yesterday. So, suffice it to say, this needle-in-a-haystack position never came to fruition and I'm entering motherhood #unemployed. What I didn't expect to feel at this point, a mere 9 days away from my due date, is relief. I’m relieved that despite not having paid maternity leave or peace of mind that I have a job to come back to, I get to turn this whole #jobhunting thing 'off' and enter this next phase of life being able to focus 100% on my baby. That, however motherhood decides to change me (because just a few people have told me that becoming a parent tends to do that 😉 ), I will have the flexibility to decide what's right for my family and me when it is time to get back into the workforce. So, for anyone in my network who has read this far (thank you), please keep me in mind for any future #marketing positions you might be hiring for or stumble across come Fall/Winter 2024. Until then, I am rooting for all of my former colleagues, friends, and network connections who are #jobseeking in this difficult market---and so is my baby girl, who is literally clapping for you! You've got this! P.s. Shoutout to Parentaly and their free parental leave tenure resource (https://lnkd.in/gAxU732j), which I have referenced and will continue to reference to identify companies whose parental leave policies align with the values and company culture I hope to join in the future! July 10th Update: My baby girl made her grand appearance on July 2nd and we are both healthy and well. Thank you ALL so much for the outpouring of support ♥️ I have been truly blown away by all of the people that have reached out to me offering advice, encouragement, words of wisdom, and the potential opportunity to work together in the future when the time is right. Until then, wishing you all a wonderful summer ☀️

Hello LinkedIn community! I’m excited to share part of my post-maternity leave journey as I re-enter the professional world. By spending valuable time with my family, I recently embarked on a path to pursue new opportunities, apply for jobs, and go on interviews. A couple of days ago I received a rejection message from an IT company. The reason was unexpected and disappointing. The hiring manager cited my recent maternity leave as the reason for my refusal, and expressed concern about a possible leave commitment. This experience highlights the pervasive bias that mothers face when trying to reintegrate into the workforce. It is a stark reminder of the need to challenge these biases and work towards a more inclusive workplace. As professionals, we bring a wealth of experience, skills and commitment to the table regardless of our personal circumstances. It is important for employers to screen candidates based on their abilities and skills rather than making assumptions based on life events. I share this not as an obstacle, but as a catalyst for change. Let’s strive for a world where all employees are judged on their efforts and abilities, where every journey is respected and valued. #opentowork #pow #technology #womenempowerment #EqualityInopportunity #DataAnalyst #Women #PostpartumResilience

“Neha, even if I am laid off while on maternity leave, I know my worth is the same. I won’t give my power away to my employer. Yes, it will be disappointing and stressful to lose my income. But, I won’t conflate that and make stories about my competence and worthiness.“ I literally had goosebumps listening to my client share these words. Let’s rewind a bit. We were exploring career growth for this client. She agreed that her next step would be to discuss her path to promotion in her next career conversation with her manager. In our next session, she shared that she did have the conversation, and it felt that a restructuring would likely happen, potentially involving layoffs. She was pregnant and going on maternity leave in the next few months and wouldn’t be at work if the new changes came about. I paused and asked - “What’s coming up for you as you said this out loud?” And that’s when she shared those brilliant words about income, competence, and worthiness. Here’s the thing - so many of us are navigating uncertainty around our jobs, timelines of promotions, and finding new jobs (and careers!). These are often high-stakes situations involving many facets of our identity. The equation gets even more complex once you add the financial implications and impact on those we care for. Anxiety and stress are natural human responses. I am not here to tell you not to feel the emotions that come up. But let's be aware of how we ladder up from there. Here is my hope for you - I want you to know that a layoff, a delayed promotion,  being moved from an exciting project to a less interesting one, or finding a new career reveals nothing about your inherent worthiness. Many times, they also don’t mean much about your skills, talents, and potential. Yes, sometimes there may be some gaps you can address, which can be done with time and effort, but oftentimes, there is much beyond your control. I'd invite your discerning and wise voice to play a critical role as you navigate your path forward. I hope you don’t let your confidence and self-belief get impacted because of decisions made that you had little to no influence on. Your ultimate source of power lies within you, not with a manager, your employer, or, I’d say, anyone else for that matter. Our systems have limitations and biases and are prone to human error. Let's work on fixing them without making ourselves go small. (I know it's easier said than done!) You can get disappointed, frustrated, or depleted. Those are valid emotions. But the narrative of your story is yours to make. Building this muscle takes time, so work on strengthening it, but also remember to acknowledge your own pace of growth and change. #selfleadership #power #worthiness #layoffs Photo taken at Me in 2023 with The Roam Collaborative. Photo credit: Paige Green Photography. Special thanks to Paige for donating all Me in 2023 photo profits to the Ukraine Crisis Children's Relief Fund.

As a birthing parent, every time I have a baby, I lose at least a year of my career. I have two kids. I had them working at different companies, in different roles, and (obviously) at different times. I’m super lucky to have had paid leave both times. So what happens? There’s a wind down period before you have the baby. Partially this is because you’re super pregnant and tired. But it’s also because people stop giving you projects, stop considering you for new roles, and start expecting more of your peers and direct reports. You go out on leave. While you’re gone, the company moves. New projects come up and are assigned to other people. Other people have a chance to prove themselves while you’re not there. You come back. You’re exhausted and you basically have to start a brand new job because everything has changed. There’s typically minimal onboarding. At this point, having been home, you are likely the default parent. As your kid gets sick and your childcare gets disrupted, you’ll find yourself getting pulled more towards helping your family than towards work. That effect compounds as you feel more successful and needed at home than at work, which leads many women to either leave the workplace entirely or at least moderate their career ambitions. After all, what’s more important than your children and family? I love my kids, I’m glad I had them, and I understand why companies think employees who are out on leave should count their blessings and not expect career advancement. I also don’t judge women who prefer to stay at home. But there’s a reason why women make 82 cents on the dollar and hold only 25% of executive roles. Just saying. What else do you want to know? Drop it in the comments. If this resonated with you, please like or share. Follow me for more #productmarketing #jobsearch #resumewriting #careers content.

Redundancy whilst on maternity leave - is way too common in our industry. And it's not OK. Join us on Thursday the 9th of May at 12pm AEST as Ryan Kelly & Mikhaila Warburton 🚀 discuss the topic, who is a fellow recruiter from Creative Natives as well as a Career Coach for Mums who has experienced this exact thing. We want people to tune into this conversation to give some support on how you can navigate through this if it happens to you, companies to listen and understand the crippling impact this can have on your culture and brand and we want to create some action! So come along, register and help us make some positive change for return to work parents and make this industry friggen better. #creativenatives

I CAN pinpoint the moment that set off my current career journey Nishi Mehta. Here goes: January 2021. Lockdown 3.0. Morning time. Sat in the lounge. Watching my 3 yr old daughter and 1 yr old twins eating toast. Carpet picnic. Again. Another day locked in the house. Nowhere to go. Brain turning to Mum Mush. Want a focus for me. An escape. A passion. What did I love doing in my pre-mum life? Coaching. Who did I want to help now? Mums like me. How? By working out how to help myself first. Helping myself to return to work in a role that lights me up and makes me feel more than just Mum. A Mum Mentor.....no, The Mum Mentor. 💥 #careerstory #careerjourney #careerlightbulb

Are you discounting your time on maternity leave or career break as real work experience? This is one of the most common problems I hear from women. High-achieving, ambitious, intelligent women who are constantly telling themselves that their time on maternity leave or employment break cannot possibly be counted as work experience. So why will they get promoted after the break. Why will they land a role at the next level? Let me break it to you ladies… Men don’t think this way. - If they have 9.2 years of work experience, they will say 10 years. - If they were off on parental leave for 4 months, it’s still 10 years. - If they took a year sabbatical in the middle, it’s still 10 years. Career breaks, maternity leave, and employment gaps are all part of the career timeline. Stop shrinking your career timeline. Stop diminishing your work experience. Inside THE FEARLESS HIRE, my lifetime access job search accelerator, I teach you how to quit such limiting beliefs, reframe your maternity leave as an asset, and confidently answer any questions about your career break so you can convert your next interview into a $200k+ offer. THE FEARLESS HIRE opens doors right after my never before-taught LIVE Masterclass: Recession Proof Your Career on Saturday, 7 October at 12pm ET. In this masterclass, I am going to break down the myth of the “bad market” and share with you the exact 3-step strategy that I have used to help my clients land interviews at their dream companies, confidently convert them into $200k+ offers, and become recession-proof. After the Masterclass, doors to THE FEARLESS HIRE will be opening...trust me, you’ll want to see this! It is my signature lifetime access job search accelerator that helps high-achievers quit imposter syndrome, land their dream job, and command the compensation they deserve, recession or not. THE FEARLESS HIRE gives you access to a proven job search curriculum, Resume and LinkedIn review, unlimited weekly live coaching, community, on-demand job search support and bonus training by FAANG recruiters. The investment is $2,999 - payment plans available. Sign up link to the Masterclass is in comments! #workexperience #maternityleave #careerbreaks #fearlesshire #jobsearchaccelerator #recessionproofyourcareer #impostersyndrome #dreamjob

Are you discounting your time on maternity leave or career break as real work experience? This is one of the most common problems I hear from women. High-achieving, ambitious, intelligent women who are constantly telling themselves that their time on maternity leave or employment break cannot possibly be counted as work experience. So why will they get promoted after the break. Why will they land a role at the next level? Let me break it to you ladies… Men don’t think this way. - If they have 9.2 years of work experience, they will say 10 years. - If they were off on parental leave for 4 months, it’s still 10 years. - If they took a year sabbatical in the middle, it’s still 10 years. Career breaks, maternity leave, and employment gaps are all part of the career timeline. Stop shrinking your career timeline. Stop diminishing your work experience. Inside THE FEARLESS HIRE, my lifetime access job search accelerator, I teach you how to quit such limiting beliefs, reframe your maternity leave as an asset, and confidently answer any questions about your career break so you can convert your next interview into a $200k+ offer. THE FEARLESS HIRE opens doors right after my never before-taught LIVE Masterclass: Recession Proof Your Career on Saturday, 7 October at 12pm ET. In this masterclass, I am going to break down the myth of the “bad market” and share with you the exact 3-step strategy that I have used to help my clients land interviews at their dream companies, confidently convert them into $200k+ offers, and become recession-proof. After the Masterclass, doors to THE FEARLESS HIRE will be opening...trust me, you’ll want to see this! It is my signature lifetime access job search accelerator that helps high-achievers quit imposter syndrome, land their dream job, and command the compensation they deserve, recession or not. THE FEARLESS HIRE gives you access to a proven job search curriculum, Resume and LinkedIn review, unlimited weekly live coaching, community, on-demand job search support and bonus training by FAANG recruiters. The investment is $2,999 - payment plans available. Sign up link to the Masterclass is in comments! #workexperience #maternityleave #careerbreaks #fearlesshire #jobsearchaccelerator #recessionproofyourcareer #impostersyndrome #dreamjob

One of the most frequent conversations I have with women returning to work after maternity leave, is the fear that the minute they step back through the door things will immediately go back to how they were before they went on maternity leave. From the perspective of the organisation and the team, they most likely can’t wait for the returner to come back and hit the ground running picking right back up where they left off. It can be quickly forgotten that (aside from going through a huge transition personally, professionally and emotionally in that period) that person has not been involved in conversations, progress and the nuanced changes that will have taken place while they have been away, plus they are also no doubt juggling a whole raft of other things in the background. Once of the most effective and simplest ways of supporting someone as the return to work is to treat them almost as you would a new starter: 💻 Check their tech is all set up 📝 Make sure they have a desk ready for them 📋 Create an induction programme of who they should catch up with 🤝 Introduce them to new team members ➕ Assume they know nothing about any current projects and workstreams and treat all of their existing knowledge as a bonus 💛 Let them assimilate back into their role at their own pace, checking in regularly By doing this they will feel valued and supported by the business providing a foundation for them to confidently evolve and thrive as they settle back into their role.