How many of us can relate to this career mom's dread of the "white space" on her resume following the birth of her first child? This fictional letter to a future employer struck a nerve. In a former life, Janie Porter was a successful TV reporter. But she wants the world to know that in her three-year hiatus from the office she has been working—hard—at being a mom.
She readily admits that her current role as a parent is simply incompatible with her previous career, a sobering fact for many moms who are forced to rethink, and occasionally revamp, their careers after starting a family.
Porter goes one further, filling in the dead space by detailing her new skill set, which includes powers of negotiation to "convince a toddler to eat broccoli, go potty in the toilet and wear shoes outside."
Breaking a big story on a deadline or interviewing a big shot has nothing on the pressure that comes with being a parent. In the face of a tantrum, Porter has the newfound ability "to lace my frayed nerves into a soft blanket of calm."
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