Career Decision Making

When Moms First was starting out, a lot of people asked me: Why moms? Why not all parents? This is why: https://lnkd.in/eh3gqwPm ------ "This month, the U.S. Census Bureau published a bombshell finding: The gender wage gap just got wider for the first time in two decades ‒ with women now earning just 83 cents to a man’s dollar. That’s maddening. But, for moms at least, it’s hardly surprising. It’s next to impossible to balance work and family in this country ‒ and as this new data shows, women are taking the hit. As the cost of child care continues to soar, women will just keep falling further behind. On paper, there’s no reason to believe that women should be earning less than men. Girls are more likely to graduate from high school and more likely to hold a bachelor’s degree. More women than men go to law school and medical school, and women’s enrollment in MBA programs has reached record highs. In fact, women do earn nearly as much as men ‒ at least early in their careers. On average, women in their late 20s and early 30s are much closer to parity, taking home at least 90 cents on the dollar compared with the guys sitting next to them at graduation or new hire orientation. Then, when women hit their mid-30s, something changes. The pay gap gets wider. It’s no coincidence that that’s precisely when women are most likely to be raising kids. All of a sudden, women are forced to make very hard choices to manage the demands of work and family. As the founder of Moms First, I’ve heard versions of this story from more women than I can count. Maybe mom drops down to part-time so she can make it to school pickup. Or maybe she switches to a new job that pays less but offers more flexible hours. Or maybe she drops out of the workforce entirely, because the cost of day care would have outpaced her salary anyway. Make no mistake, we are talking about moms here. When women are paid less than men anyway (and, in the case of Black and Hispanic women, way less), deprioritizing their careers can feel like the only logical decision, even if it isn’t what they wanted. This creates a vicious cycle, where pay inequity begets more pay inequity ‒ and women are systematically excluded from economic opportunities. At the same time, while women experience a motherhood penalty, men experience a fatherhood premium ‒ working more hours and reaping bigger rewards than those without kids. As Nobel laureate Claudia Goldin put it, when describing her pioneering research on the pay gap, 'Women often step back, and the men in their lives step forward.' Because here’s the thing: The 'choice' to step back from the workforce isn’t much of a choice at all. If grandma isn’t around to pitch in and child care costs more than rent, what other option do you have?"

Insurance agents under 35 years old, you should be spending more time marketing than learning how to “sell.” In 2025, the insurance agents winning aren’t the best closers. They’re the best marketers. Not pitching. Not cold calling. Not memorizing objection scripts. MARKETING. I talk to 100+ independent agents and agency owners every month. And here’s what I’ve seen: Young agents are still being told to: • Hammer the phones • Memorize psychological closing scripts • “Overcome objections” with clever wordplay • Join $2K sales training masterminds run by people who haven’t even built a $1M+ insurance agency Meanwhile, the ones actually winning are: ✅ Building niche landing pages that generate inbound ✅ Earning trust before the first call even happens ✅ Posting content weekly and creating their own demand ✅ Closing $25K, $50K, even $100K+ in premium without sending a single cold message Here's the truth no one wants to admit: If you’ve done your marketing right If your content is niche-focused If your videos show your face, your voice, your value You don’t need psychological closers. You don’t need objection handling frameworks. You don’t need to “create urgency.” They already trust you. They already want to work with you. You’re not convincing them you’re confirming it. If you’re a young agent, hear me: Forget ABC.... “Always Be Closing.” "Always Be Marketing"....ABM Because if they don’t know you exist, it doesn’t matter how good your pitch is.

Career breaks are often cited as permanent pauses in your career. It is important to establish a changed mindset that a career break is not a blank space on your CV. It’s a chapter. Whether it's for family, caring for loved ones, a personal pursuit, or simply needing time to recharge, stepping away from your career is a significant decision. The change in routine, the questioning of your identity, the feeling of being disconnected – it may seem exhausting. A lot of women, including me, experienced this during their maternity break. And then returning to work after a break seems challenging too. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lost. But here's the powerful truth we need to embrace - " career break," is not a gap on your CV. It's a new chapter filled with experiences that have shaped you, strengthened you, and given you a perspective that's uniquely yours. You've learned invaluable skills, navigated complex encounters, and developed resilience that will serve you well in the future. So how do we normalize taking career breaks and support those on their journey? Here are a few thoughts: 💠 Preparing for a break: Have open conversations with your manager, family, and support network. Think about how you'll stay connected to your industry – even if it's just reading articles or attending occasional events. Most importantly, give yourself grace. This is time for you. 💠 Returning to work: Start small. Reconnect with your network – reach out to former colleagues, mentors, or industry contacts. Update your skills and don't be afraid to ask for help. Remember: Your experiences during your break are valuable assets. 💠 Providing the right environment to return to work: Companies must provide the right environment, tool, resources, and support system for employees to transition back to work, for example, after a long maternity break. Employee resource groups, support from male allies are perfect examples of these mechanisms and help build an equal, inclusive workplace. 💠 Supporting each other: Let's create a culture of support and understanding. Celebrate the diverse paths women take and recognize the strength and resilience it takes to navigate career breaks. Let's mentor, sponsor, and champion each other. Let's share our stories, lift each other up, and keep walking forward together. #KeepWalking #WomenInBusiness #CareerBreak 

Let me tell you something most career coaches won't: surviving a toxic workplace can actually damage your future career prospects. I know that sounds harsh, but here's the reality - when you've worked under narcissistic leadership or in toxic environments, you develop survival behaviors that protect you in the moment but hold you back later. Here's what I see happening: You learned to stay invisible to avoid becoming a target. Now you struggle to self-advocate in healthy workplaces where visibility actually drives advancement. You developed defensive communication patterns because speaking up used to get you punished. But that same defensiveness now prevents you from having the confident conversations that move careers forward. You became risk-averse because taking initiative once meant facing retaliation. Now you're missing growth opportunities because you're still playing it safe. You internalized the message to "stay in your lane" so deeply that pursuing advancement feels wrong or dangerous. Your decision-making confidence got crushed under constant criticism. Now you're over-dependent on others' approval instead of trusting your own judgment. The good news? You can rewire these patterns. Your survival skills got you through hell - now it's time to turn them into advancement tools. The goal isn't just healing from workplace trauma. It's turning those hard-earned survival instincts into career superpowers. What's one survival behavior you're ready to transform into a growth strategy? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #workplacerecovery #careeradvancement #professionalconfidence #careerstrategist

Are we punishing women for prioritising their families? Data from Career Returners shows that 94% of returners find it difficult to re-enter work, with CV gaps still triggering bias in hiring. If you’ve ever stepped away from work to care for a child, a parent, or simply to protect your own health, you’ll know that coming back isn’t always easy. Confidence fades. Skills feel stale. And even seasoned professionals are often made to feel like they’re starting from scratch. But let’s be clear: A career break is not a career ender. And no one should be penalised for putting family, caregiving or wellbeing first. This impacts everyone, but disproportionately women. Mothers. Daughters. Carers. Founders. Women who haven’t stopped working, just shifted the nature of their work. As someone who built businesses with toddlers at my feet, I know this story well. If we’re serious about inclusion - especially in midlife, we NEED to redesign our systems to welcome returners with confidence, not suspicion. That means: → Removing bias from job ads, interviews and ATS filters  → Offering mentoring, reboarding and coaching for returners  → Promoting their success, not hiding their stories Talent doesn’t disappear because someone stepped out of the workplace. It’s time we stopped acting like it does.

You Were Never on a Break. You Were Running a Company. 5 years ago, I met Kaajal Ahuja at the JobsforHer conference, just before the world shut down. Back then, we still believed a great resume and an updated LinkedIn profile were enough to build a career. Yesterday, I met her again. This time she invited me to speak to a room full of incredible women navigating career breaks, transitions, and the quiet fear of “Can I still fit in?” And I saw it. That hesitation. “How do I explain my career gap?” “Will companies take me seriously after so many years?” “Is it too late to restart?” The truth? They were never on a break. They were running companies. They just weren’t calling themselves CEO. Because what do CEOs do? ⇢ Negotiate high stakes (Ever convinced a toddler to eat vegetables? Tougher than any boardroom deal.) ⇢ Manage crises (No “escalation matrix” as a caregiver, only solutions.) ⇢ Handle operations (Budgets, shifting priorities, school schedules, sound familiar?) ⇢ Lead with influence (Because getting a skeptical parent or a stubborn child on board takes serious persuasion.) The problem isn’t the gap. The problem is we’ve been conditioned to see it as a gap. The Career Break Myth: What No One Tells You ⇢ You don’t “cover up” a break. ⇢ You don’t “justify” time away. ⇢ You don’t “explain” why you weren’t in the corporate world. You own it. You lead with it. So, ⇢ Instead of “I took a break to raise my children,” Say: “I mastered operations, negotiation, and leadership at home, skills I’m ready to bring back to work.” ⇢Instead of “I stepped away to care for family,” Say: “As a full-time caregiver, I built resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving, essential for leadership and teamwork.” Same story, now with ownership. Ageism? The World Believes What You Show It. Ageism is real. But, If you believe you’re outdated, you will show up that way. ⇢ Confidence beats ageism. ⇢ Proof of work beats a perfect resume. ⇢ The right company will value what you bring, not just when you worked. Resumes Don’t Get You Jobs. Careers 360° Does. Most people believe their work will speak for itself. In reality, you have to give it a voice. ⇢ Beyond Job Titles → Your value lies in the problems you solve, not just the roles you’ve held. ⇢ Storytelling Over Bullet Points → Careers are remembered as narratives, not lists. Make yours compelling. ⇢ Relationships Over Transactions → Opportunities come from conversations, not just job applications. Stay connected. ⇢ Proof Over Claims → Saying you’re strategic is easy. Demonstrating it through real impact is what matters. So, What’s Your Story? Yesterday, the women in that room realized something powerful: They didn’t need to “justify” anything. They didn’t need to “fit in.” They just needed to bolden their story and own it. So, if you had to introduce yourself without mentioning your job title, what would you say? Thank you Kaajal for inviting me over! #careers360 #careershifts

Dear Mothers, own your "career break." Whether you have taken 2 months or 20 years off, don't downplay what you have been doing. Many women returning to the workforce tell me they: • Doubt themselves • Feel a bit directionless • Believe their career has stalled That they struggle to articulate what they have achieved during the time they have taken off to look after their children. Equally, not a lot of support is available so: • Some end up accepting roles below their capabilities • They fail to negotiate a good package or arrangement (Side note:  I had to delay my return to work because of sleep deprivation. I had two children wake me up repeatedly for 4 years. After that I thought "if I can survive this, I can survive anything.") It's important you recognise who you have become. • More resilient • Better at prioritisation • Able to work under pressure Because you’ve had to wear so many hats: • CEO • COO • Doctor • Teacher • Mediator • Psychologist • Trouble-shooter So; • Seek support • Think beyond employment or • Find a business that values you • Back yourself by recognising your skills Importantly, reframe the experience. You weren't JUST on a "career break." You were the "Chief Mothering Officer." It's the toughest job in the world and you're therefore just as capable (if not more) than anyone else. P.S - When I hire in the next few months, working mothers will be the first community I  reach out to. ❤️ ----------------

In India, LinkedIn's recent data shows that 38% of women cite a career break for parenting, over four times the percentage of men at 9%. This statistic reveals a critical opportunity for companies to support women reentering the workforce after career breaks, especially for those transitioning back into strategic or leadership roles. Since I work in corporate leadership and talent acquisition, I've had the privilege of helping numerous women resume impactful careers. Success in these placements is only possible with the full support of stakeholders and leadership. When companies trust and empower the talent acquisition team to identify skilled candidates—career break or not—change happens. With the right understanding and genuine commitment from top-level leadership, companies can move beyond stigmas tied to career breaks. This approach is where real change management lies: hiring based on skill and potential, aligned with opportunity requirements, and championed by an inclusive leadership vision. To foster this environment, companies can Create 'Returnship' Programs: Structured reentry programs designed to ease the transition, often with mentorship and flexible schedules. Empower Hiring Managers and Teams: Sensitize teams to the value that career returners bring, shifting the focus from the break to relevant skills. Flexible and Inclusive Policies: Remote or hybrid working options, especially in the early months, to accommodate reentry. Leadership and Accountability: Embed this inclusion at the top levels, ensuring leaders actively promote and normalize hiring after career breaks. It’s time we see this as true change management, where talent is prioritized for the value they bring, not discounted for gaps in their resume. #ReturnToWork #WomenInLeadership #InclusiveHiring #CareerReentry #DiversityAndInclusio

“I thought going back to work would be like picking up where I left off. I was wrong.” When I decided to return to corporate, I thought I was ready. I had experience. I had skills. I had built and run a business from scratch. But once I started job searching, doubt started creeping in. 💭 “Will employers see my career break as a weakness?” 💭 “Have I been away too long to keep up?” 💭 “What if I have to start over?” And in one of my first interviews, I did something I never expected—I downplayed my own experience. Instead of owning my journey, I framed my career break in a way I thought would be more “acceptable.” I brushed past my business, worried they wouldn’t take it seriously. But after that interview, something didn’t sit right. Because the truth was—my career break wasn’t lost time. It was a period of growth, resilience, and leadership in a way that no corporate job had ever taught me. That moment changed how I approached my job search. 📌 The problem is: Many return-to-work moms feel they have to fit into a mold that employers expect. 💡 The truth is: Your career break is part of your story—and it has value. When I stopped shrinking my experience and started owning it, everything changed. ✨ I reframed my business experience as leadership, strategic planning, and problem-solving. ✨ I highlighted the skills I gained—not just what I thought I had “missed.” ✨ I walked into interviews with confidence, knowing I had something valuable to offer. And when I finally landed my next role, I didn’t feel like I was “starting over.” I felt like I was moving forward, stronger than before. ➡️ The lesson here: Your experiences—no matter how unconventional—make you a stronger candidate. Own your story. Have you ever felt unsure about how to talk about your career break? Let’s discuss in the comments. 👇