After five and half years as a SAHM, I’m finally stepping back into the workforce, teaching part-time at the local state university. I’ve written before about my conflicted thoughts on being a SAHM. Including, the difficulty of resuming my career at some point. In the last few months, it felt like the right time to reconnect with my career, and certainly the extra money is needed.

However, landing this part-time job wasn’t quite so easy. I soon realized having nothing on my resume for five and half years meant I had to hustle a little more to land a job. When this teaching opportunity first came up, it seemed like a great fit with my previous work experience and passion for health. I sent out my resume, and hoped for the best. But I received a polite “thank you for your interest but not at this time” type of response. I was disappointed, but I also understood why they would pass on me based on my resume alone.

I kept stewing over what I could do get this job. I tried to think of what other friends might do, and then I hit on my solution. What would I, pre-kids, have done? Before kids I was the woman who had no problem applying for jobs just outside of my qualifications. When I landed the job and proved my worth, I negotiated for higher pay and received it. So I harnessed the same attitude and came up with a plan. That weekend I revamped my resume, my wardrobe, and drafted a quick pitch about my skills.

The following Monday I went to the university department’s office. I convinced the office staff to let me camp out and wait for the individual responsible for hiring. When they came in I quickly introduced myself, handed them my resume, and asked to walk with them to their office. I gave a one minute pitch highlighting my skills and desire to work there. Then quickly left so I wouldn’t over stay my welcome.

My logic for this plan rested on my work experience hiring staff years before. I was often swamped with work and didn’t have time to sift through resumes and schedule interviews. I appreciated anything that could speed up the process. I’m not sure if this approach would work in business, but I figured it was worth a shot at the university.

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At first, I heard nothing but after a month I received an email to schedule what I thought was a phone interview. My mom came over and watched my little guy, and I had my phone conference without distraction. However, a minute into the interview, I was really confused. It didn’t seem like typical interview questions. Then they clarified this wasn’t an interview. They were offering me the job! The questions were to get the HR paperwork rolling.

I started teaching this semester and have really enjoyed connecting with students about a topic I’m very passionate about. I know this isn’t a full-time job or big pay. For someone who has been working full-time, it would be a step down. But it’s the perfect fit for me right now, and I’m excited about the doors this may open in the workforce moving forward. I’m also tremendously grateful to my mom for watching my little guy while I teach. I can trust he’s in good hands, and save more money. It’s been an interesting transition, but my new job is working out well.