Women's Career Paths are Fluid, Nonlinear

December 1, 2006. I loved Sue Shellenbarger’s Work & Family column in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, November 30th, “More New Mothers Are Staying Home Even When It Causes Financial Pain.”  I am so glad that she highlighted the fact that women of all income levels are feeling this pull and have choices to make, even if it’s much more financially painful for some than others.  Journalists who write about current trends on women opting out of the workforce are sometimes criticized as hurting the feminist cause because their articles tend to focus more on the affluent rather than the every day working mother. But any argument about whether media coverage of the issue is “classist” misses the point, which is that women’s career paths are fluid and nonlinear.  Very few young women who leave the work force to have children will opt (or can afford) to stay at home forever.  Shellenbarger reminds us that mothers rich and poor alike debate the merits of continuous full-time work.  Unfortunately, the kind of part-time and project jobs that women need at certain points in their lives are hard to find except on a case-by-case basis.  As a result, corporations are missing out on a huge pool of talented labor.  The small business world, on the other hand, is welcoming more and more of these women into its fold every day.  Women who start businesses on their own terms, buy a business or a franchise, or seek project or even permanent employment in small companies are finding what they need: flexibility, control, and income. Women who speak out about their attempts to pace their careers or move in and out of the business world are helping to redefine career success, and that’s a good thing for all of us.

Comments

[Ken Larson]

There are many good points in your article. I would like to supplement them with some information.
For an all-volunteer site, dedicated to small businesses who wish to succeed in federal government contracting, please see the below site:

http://www.smalltofeds.blogspot.com/

The federal government will contract in excess of $80B to small businesses in the next fiscal year.
There are over 50 agencies or "Departments" in the federal government.

Each of these agencies has a statutory obligation to contract from small business for over 20% of everything it buys.
Contracting officers must file reports annually demonstrating they have fulfilled this requirement. Not fulfilling the requirement can put agency annual funding in jeopardy. Small business has a motivated customer in federal government contracting officers and buyers.

Large business, under federal procurement law, must prepare and submit annual "Small Business Contracting Plans" for approval by the local Defense Contract Management Area Office (DCMAO) nearest their headquarters. These plans must include auditable statistics regarding the previous 12 month period in terms of contracting to small businesses and the goals forecast for the next year.

The federal government can legally terminate a contract in a large business for not meeting small business contracting goals. Approved small business plans must accompany large business contract proposals submitted to federal government agencies. Small businesses have motivated customers in large business subcontract managers, administrators and buyers.

There are set-aside opportunities available for small entities,veterans, disabled veterans, women and minorities.

All it takes is navigating the system, persistance, asking questions, registering, marketing, teaming and working hard.

Small Business America is good at that.