Unsure of where you want to take your career? Feeling lost or stuck? Career Coach Patricia Tiernan shares four practical questions to help you identify suitable work as a mum and get clearer on what kind of job is right for you.
Many career coaching clients arrive at the same question: “What do I want to be when I grow up?” It’s a big question, and most of us look for the answer in the wrong places. We hope we’ll wake up one morning with everything pointing in one clear direction, or that scrolling job sites will make the right role magically jump out. As a mum, there’s often an extra layer of worry too — weighing up how any change might affect your family.
It’s worth acknowledging that life is different now that you’re a mum, so it makes sense that what you want from work — or how you want to work — may have changed too. Be kind to yourself, and take stock of what you actually want from your career by working through these four questions.
#1. What does your ideal job look like?
Try dropping the need to pinpoint a job title for a moment. Instead, allow yourself to explore what’s really important beneath any title. Write out what your ideal job would look like, without naming a role. Keep it within reason, but let yourself describe everything you hope for in a fulfilling job.
If it’s hard to capture in words, try cutting pictures and words from old magazines and papers and arranging them on a large sheet of paper to represent your ideal job. Be as reflective, vivid and specific as possible, and consider:
- What kind of workplace is it?
- What are the working hours?
- Where is it geographically located?
- What are the work responsibilities?
- What skills are needed?
- What are the work conditions?
- What is your salary?
You may also enjoy: Unsure if Now is the Right Time to Start a New Job?
#2. What are your core values?
Relating your values to your work choices can help you figure out what would genuinely motivate you — and even what gives your work a sense of purpose. Our values act as a compass for staying true to ourselves. When we honour them regularly, life tends to feel more fulfilling.
Examples of work-related values include flexibility, honesty, meaningful work, and autonomy. If you’re finding it hard to name yours, a short work values questionnaire can help clarify them. What are your top three core values, and what would honouring them at work actually look like day to day?
#3. What are your strengths?
What have been your core achievements, in work and in life? What skills or strengths did you draw on to get there? What have others complimented or noticed in you?
The skills we enjoy using most are often also our strengths. Think back to a time you were so absorbed in what you were doing that you lost track of it, or felt a real sense of contentment. What kind of activity gave you that energy — helping someone, analysing information, leading a team, organising, writing, problem-solving? What are the top three skills you’d most like to use in your next role?
#4. What areas of work do you want to research further?
Brainstorm every job idea that connects to what you’ve described so far — from the obvious to the unlikely. Bounce ideas off people you trust and see what roles they think might suit your personality. Narrow the list down to what genuinely interests you, then start researching.
Speak to people connected to the industry where you can, use LinkedIn to see how others have progressed into that field, and look into what skills and education the roles typically require.
Once your research is done, narrow it down to the options that feel like the best fit for you, and think about the small steps you can take toward them. If working through these questions alone feels too difficult, a career coach can help support your thinking. And if you’re ready to start actively job hunting, our related post on effective ways to search for a job is a good next step.
Has this exercise helped you get clearer on suitable work or your ideal job? Let us know in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I figure out what kind of job suits me as a mum going back to work?
Start by setting job titles aside and describing what your ideal working life actually looks like — hours, environment, responsibilities and conditions — rather than jumping straight to a role. Pairing this with a clear sense of your core values and strengths gives you a much better starting point than searching job boards alone.
What if I don’t know what my core values are?
That’s common, and it’s worth working through a short values exercise rather than guessing. Think about times you’ve felt most motivated or most frustrated at work — that contrast usually points to what matters to you, such as flexibility, honesty or doing meaningful work.
How do I identify my strengths if I’ve been out of paid work for a while?
Look beyond your job history. Consider achievements from any part of your life — parenting, volunteering, organising, problem-solving — and notice what skills you used and enjoyed. Strengths often show up in what energises you, not just in a CV.
Should I get a career coach, or can I work through this myself?
Many people can work through these questions alone with time and honesty. A career coach is worth considering if you’re finding it hard to get unstuck, want an outside perspective, or need support turning your answers into a concrete next step.
Related Articles
- Unsure if Now is the Right Time to Start a New Job?
- 5 Effective Ways to Search for a Job
Save This for Later
Not ready to make a move just yet? Bookmark this article or save it to your favourites so you can come back to these four questions whenever you’re ready to think through your next career step.
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