OnRamping for Your Encore

A friend of mine was considering returning back to work after a long hiatus raising her 2 boys. She said she would do anything to start getting back into the work world. "Perhaps, I will start walking dogs," she said. This is a woman who has a Master's Degree and is certainly capable of something more challenging.

I told Millie Froeb and Catherine Clifford this same story and they weren't at all surprised. They said they hear women all the time sell their abilities short, which is why they created YourOnRamp.

YourOnRamp is a community of professional women who balance their work and life with flexibility and creativity. Whether a woman is onramping, offramping, or just managing the day-to-day at home or at work, YourOnRamp provides the networks, resources, and job opportunities to succeed.

My mother, my honorary content researcher for women's issues, sent me an article by Newsweek titled - Getting Back on Track. "Women who take career 'off ramps' to raise children often have trouble finding 'on ramps' when they are ready to work again. Now companies in need of talent are finally addressing the problem."

In response to so many talented, highly educated women leaving the corporate ladder climb to stay home with their children, companies are devising new strategies for women workers. Lehman Brothers, Booze Allen and other large firms are seeing a drop off in interest from women who have said no to the 60 hour work week, instead they are saying yes to flex-time and telecommuting. In order to retain and attract new talent, they are learning to adapt to the needs of these woman and offer them a respected place within their ranks.

Read my article Financial Women Pioneers about women whose trail blazing paved the road for this new generation to demand more flexibility and options.