“Returnships” Are Helping Stay at Home Moms Get Back Into the Workforce

photo: Career Talks For Moms

Staying home with your kids can be immensely rewarding, but it can also be difficult to give up a career. Even more challenging is trying to step back into the workforce with a gaping hole in your resume. Moms across the country are finding the solution to easing back into a career is a “returnship,” or an internship for stay at home moms.

Some large companies, like IBM, are beginning to offer “returnships,” which are internship programs designed specifically for job seekers who have talent and experience, but have been on a break from their career for reasons like staying at home to raise a family. IBM executive Jennifer Howland explained to NBC News that the company launched a 12-week work re-entry program last year that resulted in hiring 17 interns, many of which who were women that had been out of the workforce for several years.

Howland told NBC that their age and experience is actually a plus, “They’re not out trying to find themselves like you might find with a university student who’s in their late teens and early 20s. They know what they want to do.” Only a handful of companies currently offer a re-entry program, but according to Carol Fishman Cohen of iRelaunch, those that do often expand them once they realize how effective they are at attracting skilled employees.

Have you re-entered the workforce after staying home? Share your own experience in the comments.