By A Friend of Moms.

News spread that several moms were going to miss our office’s holiday party for their kids’ classroom parties. I don’t have to contend with a child’s schedule yet, but I felt bad that there was a conflict. Mothers in the workforce make enough sacrifices, and holiday cheer was not going to be one of them. We moved our date, because kids or no kids—women need to stick together.

Women have to either do it all or choose. We expect them to raise babies, manage households and care for aging loved ones by default—all while juggling their career. It may be a sweeping generalization, but I’m guessing some can relate.

Women in tech can do it all

I know tech is male-dominated because I’ve worked in it. Despite some progress, women still only represent 25% of that workforce¹. Could it be in part because we have to choose between field and family? As we know, tech isn’t the only line of work that faces this decision. Two female engineers at GE rose above this challenge through job sharing². Bobbi Eldrid and Lynda Kaufman have been job mates for almost 20 years. During that time, they simultaneously raised families and fostered meaningful careers.

The work-life balancing act

Like many of us, balance is what these two moms were seeking. Indeed.com cites that 66% of full-time employees in the US feel they don’t have a good work-life balance³. 73% say flexible work options would increase their job satisfaction⁴, according to Zenefits.

I work full time and am an entrepreneur on the side. People ask when I’m going to have children and I ask myself how will I have time? What about my career goals? I’ve heard you have to pick your priorities, but that sounds a lot like sacrifice to me. Perhaps the job-sharing model is exactly what’s needed to help strike a balance.

Job sharing through Job Pairing

Job sharing is gaining traction with companies that value the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. Professionals are able to maintain their career, and devote time to what’s important to them—they don’t have to pick one over the other. The Job Pairing platform helps by creating job pairs through a matching process. Pairs are then equipped to pursue job-share opportunities. Find out more about Job Pairing and the job-sharing model at jobpairing.com.

Sources

¹https://www.ncwit.org/sites/default/files/resources/womenintech_facts_fullreport_05132016.pdf
²https://www.ge.com/reports/two-moms-job-sharing-ultimate-career-move/
³http://blog.indeed.com/2019/11/18/how-to-beat-overworking/
⁴https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2019/10/workers-value-flexibility-more-than-employers-realize