As Mother’s Day approaches, we’d like to honor and appreciate all of the amazing mothers at Green Key Resources. Our organization is full of wonderful parents, who juggle children and a career every single day, and it’s important to acknowledge their drive and flexibility. We know it’s not easy.
Being a working mom comes with its fair share of challenges, many of which stem from handling multiple responsibilities at once. “It’s the time commitment,” says Clare Wright, Principal at Green Key and one of the heads of Professional Support. “Trying to be there for your kid, as well as work, and giving your 100% to both. It’s also been very hard to find childcare since the start of the pandemic.”
Maggie Trofa, Human Resources Director at Green Key, elaborates, “I think there’s a sense of guilt that you’re not doing enough in either realm – parenting or work. And you feel like you almost never get a break because you’re going from morning childcare to daycare drop off and then diving into your workday. And then to daycare pickup and evening childcare. You finally get a chance to breathe once the baby goes down only to wake up early again the next morning to start all over again! I wouldn’t change being a mother for the world but being a working mom is a balancing act.”
While juggling these tasks is nothing short of difficult, many mothers credit new work from home opportunities for allowing them to be more involved parents. Clare emphasizes the pleasure of now being a “school pick-up mom,” something she wasn’t able to be when she still worked in the office. Krista Zielinski, Principal at Green Key and one of the heads of Pharma, agrees, saying, “It’s nice getting that one-on-one time with my son now. I love getting the chance to pick him up and see him do his homework.”
“When I was still commuting to the city, I had to miss so many events,” says Brittany Leader, Principal at Green Key and one of the heads of Healthcare. “Now I’m able to be present for every single school event, even though I’m still a working mom. It’s invaluable to me.”
When asked what advice they’d give to new mothers returning to work after maternity leave, Brittany tells us, “Be patient with everything. Don’t expect things to be exactly the way they were before you left.”
Krista stresses the importance of having a plan for both yourself and your family. “You have to figure out your childcare arrangement and what that looks like for you. You don’t want to be stressed about anything during that time. As a leader in my division, I let everyone know they can put work aside if they need to. Our jobs at Green Key will never be in jeopardy simply by becoming a parent.”
“Make sure to have open conversations with your manager,” adds Clare. “Give yourself grace. Every single manager at Green Key is flexible enough to understand if you need time off.”
Maggie agrees, attributing Green Key’s awareness that family comes first. “It’s a relief knowing that I don’t have to feel guilty if I need to run to daycare or a doctor’s appointment for my son. My boss [Adina Goldman] has been amazing at letting me navigate first-time parenting challenges and rapid changes.”
At the end of the day, many working mothers are simply trying to set an example for their children. “I try to make them understand that in order for us to have nice things, mommy has to go to work. I want to teach them that hard work pays off,” Krista mentions.
Green Key wishes all moms a very happy Mother’s Day this year and appreciates all the sacrifices they make to work and raise children at the same time. If you’re a working parent looking for a flexible schedule with amazing opportunities, we might just be the place for you. Don’t hesitate to check out our internal jobs and see where a career in recruiting can take you!
