Attributes of typical candidate for flexible work arrangements:
- Female
- Ages 27-54
- Holds an MBA, sometimes multiple graduate degrees, also many are licensed CPAs
- At least 5 years experience, most have 10 or more
- Middle-level to senior-level management
- Areas of specialization: marketing (includes advertising and public relations), finance, and human resources
- Our candidates typically demonstrate great depth and breadth of experience rather than one narrow career focus, making them versatile multi-taskers who are flexible and not easily flustered by last-minute changes, multi-tasking, or deadlines
- Highly motivated to build a long-term track of success based on strong work ethnic and strong self-image
- Fierce commitment to both work and family make them highly resourceful, productive, focused, an asset to any company
- Creative outside-the-box thinkers due to willingness to tackle all types of situations and assignments, they exhibit a roll-up-their-sleeves attitude that translates into excellent management skills because they lead by example
I am an example of an MBA mom. When my daughters were pre-school age I was able swing three full days per week at a pharmaceutical company in Westchester. This particular arrangement allowed me the time I wanted and needed to have with my daughters, while still maintaining a critical work focus. (I always said my career was a “lattice” vs. a “ladder.”! That’s another topic!)) I convinced (it took a while, but I was persistent!), the then, Director of Marketing, to hire me as a consultant, and after a 3-month period of time, and of course, at a critical commercial launch period for a key product, they decided to make me part of the staff. I clearly defined what I needed and negotiated upfront why this would work for the company, and how this worked for me. They were thrilled when I was able to create patient and healthcare professional campaigns that resulted in increased market share and sales for the company. Over an approximate two-year period, the product had sales of about $50 million and was a blockbuster for this company. It was clearly a “win-win” for both of us.