I still remember sitting in that interview room, my heart pounding harder than it did the day I gave my first presentation in college. After years of pouring myself into motherhood, I thought this was my big comeback moment. I was ready, excited, and hopeful. But what I heard instead left me frozen — “We can offer you the role, but at 50% of your previous salary.”
It felt like someone had just stamped “less valuable” on my forehead.
Before kids, I had built a career that I was proud of. Long hours, late nights, challenging projects — I had proven myself. But when I decided to take a break after becoming a mom, I underestimated how the world would see me later.
No one told me that a career break would become a label. That employers would assume I’d forgotten my skills. That they would measure my worth not by my potential, but by the years I had been home changing diapers and cooking meals.
And the toughest part? For the first time in my life, I questioned whether I deserved a seat at the table anymore.
But that sting — those words — did something unexpected. Instead of breaking me, it forced me to rethink what “career” really meant. Did I really want to settle for half of what I had worked so hard for?
That’s when I made a choice: if the corporate world didn’t see my worth, I would build something where my value wasn’t up for debate. I stepped into the world of social selling and network marketing — not because it was “easier,” but because it gave me back two things no interview could: control over my time and ownership of my growth.
It wasn’t glamorous at first. It was awkward, it was messy. But slowly, it became my way to restart without apology.
Here’s what I learnt from that experience that every mom returning to work should know:
1.Your skills don’t expire. Just because you’ve been home doesn’t mean your experience is erased. Reframe your motherhood years as skills — time management, negotiation, problem-solving.
2.Don’t undersell yourself. If someone offers you half of what you’re worth, ask yourself if it’s really the right place for you.
3.Build on your terms. Whether it’s freelancing, a side hustle, or a flexible business, you don’t have to squeeze yourself into a box that doesn’t fit your life anymore.
4.Confidence comes later. You won’t feel ready on day one. Start anyway. Confidence builds with action, not before it.
When I look back at that interview now, I don’t feel anger anymore — I feel gratitude. That rejection pushed me to create a path where I don’t need anyone else’s permission to grow.
And to every mom reading this who’s scared about restarting, let me say this: You are not starting from zero. You are starting from experience.
So the next time someone tells you that your career break makes you “less valuable,” smile and remember — you get to decide what your worth is.
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