Life as a mom is a beautiful whirlwind of morning cuddles, prepping meals, packing backpacks, making sweet memories with your kids, maintaining your home and an endless list of tasks to keep the world spinning for your family. Juggling the roles of caregiver, chef, chauffeur, soccer snack mom, math tutor and more, it's easy to feel like there simply aren't enough hours in the day.  

Amidst the joy of nurturing your little ones and managing a household, finding time for job searching can seem like an insurmountable challenge.  That's why we are offering some practical strategies, empowering insights, and actionable tips to help you carve out precious moments in your schedule dedicated to securing your dream job. 

From leveraging nap times and bedtime routines to creating new systems and enlisting support from your village, we'll explore a plethora of strategies designed specifically for moms. Because yes, it is possible to search for and land a job that’s a great fit for your family while keeping your family thriving – you might just need to make some adjustments. 

So, grab a moment for yourself (we know that can be easier said than done!), a cup of coffee or tea, and join us on this journey toward reclaiming your time and pursuing your career goals.  Let’s dive in! 

Maximize Meal Prep: Double your Meals & Cook Less Often 

Cooking meals each night of the week takes a considerable amount of time.  One way to create more time for your job search is to double your recipes, eat leftovers the next day and only cook 3-4 days per week.  This way, you’ve gained 30 mins – 1 hour 3-4 days per week that you can spend on job searching activities. 

Create Independent Children’s Play: Prepare Activities Ahead 

Children love new activities that challenge them and introduce new ideas and concepts.  By planning ahead and preparing new activities, your child may play independently for a period of time that will give you the opportunity to focus on your job search goals.  If creative kid activities don’t come naturally to you, think about following a few Instagram accounts that offer quick easy activities for your kids’ age. 

Schedule your Job Search: Block Time on Your Calendar  

Prioritize your job search by scheduling it into your calendar.  Set aside dedicated time to work towards your goals and keep those appointments with yourself. Let your partner know how they can help, and communicate boundaries with your kids that will support your time blocks.  As moms, there will always be something that demands our time so we must prioritize the things that are most important, and protect the time you’ve scheduled wherever possible. 

Streamline Job Search Activities: Batch Tasks 

Organize and plan out your job search activities so that you know exactly what you want to accomplish when you do have spare moments throughout your day.  A great way to make the most of your time while completing job search activities is to focus on batching your activities.  For example, instead of searching for jobs until you find one that interests you then applying for it, consider spending 30 minutes of focused time job searching and saving any jobs that you’d like to apply to.  Then, during your next job search session, applying to all of the jobs that you saved.  This will save you time by focusing your energy on one set of similar tasks. 

Ask for Help: Activate your Village 

When we take on more, we need to think about how we can realign our responsibilities and create new systems that support us.  Job searching (and returning to the workforce, for that matter) will shift the systems that we need to thrive.  Thinking proactively about the types of support you’ll need to thrive can help set you up for success.  Consider who is in your village and how you can ask for some extra help as you navigate this return to the workforce transition. 

Implement Self Care: Boost your Energy and Efficiency 

When it feels like you have too many things to do and not enough hours in the day, it can feel impossible to make time for self care.  This tip may seem counterintuitive, but the truth is that we are happier, healthier, and more productive when we are rested and refreshed.  Spending time taking care of yourself is such an important part of your competitive edge and the time you spend caring for yourself will pay off in many different ways down the road. 

We know that adding a job search to your already busy schedule is no small feat, which is why we hope that some of these tips help you create more time in your week.  Any small step is an important one so keep going and remember that we’re with you all the way!