Your Turn: Careers, Kids, and Comebacks--A Working Mother's Guide

by Jennifer Gefsky, Stacey Delo

Overview

Your Turn is the career coach that today’s working women need to own their career ambition + motherhood path. There are more than fifteen million employed women with children under the age of eighteen in the United States who find themselves smack in the “Messy Middle,” where job opportunity and family responsibilities collide and decisions shift into high gear. And there are also millions of women on the sidelines, many there due to impossible corporate structures, who are looking to get back in.

Your Turn helps you move the career dial to where you need it now. Jennifer Gefsky, cofounder, and Stacey Delo, CEO, of Après—the premier site for women returning to the workforce—offer advice and inspiration to help women make the best possible career decisions for themselves and their families: to get ahead of the questions and tackle them when they arise, from managing guilt and stress after maternity leave to setting expectations in a part-time position to talking with partners and managers about how to make full-time work better for you.

And for those who have decided to step away from the corporate world, whether it’s for one year or twenty, Gefsky and Delo show you how to stay current and how to pivot to something more meaningful when your old job doesn’t exist anymore or if you simply want a change. Your Turn provides a clear roadmap for how to navigate key work + life transition points.

Your Turn features stories and research from the members of Après as well as insights from hundreds of companies that are making the transition work for their employees. With a unique insight into what kinds of work cultures and structures to look for, Gefsky and Delo also offer companies tangible steps to retain and cultivate female talent. Whether you’re struggling with the big question of whether to stay or quit, or looking to reenter the workforce after time away, this is the insider knowledge you need from people who have already taken the journey, as well as a step-by-step analysis to ensure you are making the right career decision for you .

It’s your turn to . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062893703
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/01/2019
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	792 KB

About the Author

Jennifer Gefsky is the cofounder of Après, the digital platform that helps women return to the workforce after a career break and companies increase their gender diversity. Jennifer is also a partner at Epstein Becker & Green, a national law firm that specializes in labor and employment law. She lives in New York with her family.

 

Stacey Delo is CEO of Après, which acquired her website, Maybrooks, in 2017, with a passion for making work work for women. Stacey spent eight years as a journalist with the Wall Street Journal, where she was the host of Digits, a live video program about technology, before founding her own business focused on flexibility in the workplace. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Getting Ahead of Career Confusion

Chapter 1 Welcome to the Messy Middle 17

Chapter 2 The Big Decision: Should I Stay or Should I Go? 33

Chapter 3 The Case for Staying 56

Chapter 4 The Case for Taking a Break 82

Chapter 5 The Case for Freelance, Flexibility, and Part-Time Options 109

Part II Reconnecting with Your Professional Self: How to Return to Work after a Career Break

Chapter 6 Getting Clear on What You Want to Do So You Can Go Do It 133

Chapter 7 The Habits of Confident Returnees 155

Chapter 8 Telling Your (Gap) Story 177

Chapter 9 Get in the Job Search Game 198

Chapter 10 How to Own Your Role as a Working Parent (Again) 225

Epilogue: It's Time to Stop Sidelining Women 243

Acknowledgments 247

Notes 251

Index 275

Editorial Reviews

This is the book that wasn’t out there when I crashed out of the work force after my first child was born, and the one I craved as I made my way back in. Non-judgmental, optimistic but realistic, Your Turn is the roadmap to finding your own way as a working woman with kids.” — KJ Dell’Antonia, author of How to Be a Happier Parent

"Working moms may well be the U.S. economy's greatest untapped resource. Now, in Your Turn, Jennifer Gefsky and Stacey Delo provide an essential guide for moms trying to balance work with life - and offer a clear, action-oriented road map for employers. Your Turn lays out a path forward in which everyone can win." — Joanne Lipman, author of That's What She Said

“We can’t truly thrive in a workplace that doesn’t allow us to bring our whole selves to work. And too many women still feel that they have to choose between their career goals and their personal goals, often just as they are hitting their stride at work. Your Turn is the realistic yet positive guide today’s women need to help them navigate a career path that allows them to succeed in all parts of their lives.” — Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global

“Your Turn is a must-read for every woman navigating her career, whether at the entry or executive level, as well as for all companies that are committed to not losing top talent. Recognizing that careers are not linear; Jen and Stacey lay out an array of creative strategies so you can design whatever path makes sense for you and be the entrepreneur and founder of your own life.” — Gabrielle Raymond McGee, COO, Tory Burch Foundation

“Jen and Stacey have written a smart, accessible guide for today’s working moms in a world where career decisions can be overwhelming and come with real consequences. This book will help you make smart financial decisions and get ahead of career confusion. It should serve as a lifelong resource throughout the long journey of your career.” — Farnoosh Torabi, financial expert and author of When She Makes More

“Jen and Stacey don’t pretend to have all the answers— because only you can decide what’s best for you and your family—but they do have all the right questions to ask yourself as you navigate your personal and professional journey as a working mother, along with invaluable insight from hundreds of women and companies about what’s worked for them.” — Tiffany Dufu, founder and CEO, The Cru, and author of Drop the Ball

“Your Turn recognizes that you can be both a great mother and a successful business person. Jen and Stacey shine a light on the possibilities for women during the caregiving years. Every woman should read this book to learn tips and strategies to carve her own path.” — Jill Koziol, cofounder and CEO, Motherly

From the Publisher

This is the book that wasn’t out there when I crashed out of the work force after my first child was born, and the one I craved as I made my way back in. Non-judgmental, optimistic but realistic, Your Turn is the roadmap to finding your own way as a working woman with kids.

KJ Dell’Antonia

Jen and Stacey don’t pretend to have all the answers— because only you can decide what’s best for you and your family—but they do have all the right questions to ask yourself as you navigate your personal and professional journey as a working mother, along with invaluable insight from hundreds of women and companies about what’s worked for them.

Tiffany Dufu

"Working moms may well be the U.S. economy's greatest untapped resource. Now, in Your Turn, Jennifer Gefsky and Stacey Delo provide an essential guide for moms trying to balance work with life - and offer a clear, action-oriented road map for employers. Your Turn lays out a path forward in which everyone can win."

Joanne Lipman

Jen and Stacey have written a smart, accessible guide for today’s working moms in a world where career decisions can be overwhelming and come with real consequences. This book will help you make smart financial decisions and get ahead of career confusion. It should serve as a lifelong resource throughout the long journey of your career.

Farnoosh Torabi

Your Turn recognizes that you can be both a great mother and a successful business person. Jen and Stacey shine a light on the possibilities for women during the caregiving years. Every woman should read this book to learn tips and strategies to carve her own path.

Jill Koziol

We can’t truly thrive in a workplace that doesn’t allow us to bring our whole selves to work. And too many women still feel that they have to choose between their career goals and their personal goals, often just as they are hitting their stride at work. Your Turn is the realistic yet positive guide today’s women need to help them navigate a career path that allows them to succeed in all parts of their lives.

Arianna Huffington

Your Turn is a must-read for every woman navigating her career, whether at the entry or executive level, as well as for all companies that are committed to not losing top talent. Recognizing that careers are not linear; Jen and Stacey lay out an array of creative strategies so you can design whatever path makes sense for you and be the entrepreneur and founder of your own life.

Gabrielle Raymond McGee

This is the book that wasn’t out there when I crashed out of the work force after my first child was born, and the one I craved as I made my way back in. Non-judgmental, optimistic but realistic, Your Turn is the roadmap to finding your own way as a working woman with kids.

KJ Dell'Antonia