Are you a S.W.A.T ?

Whilst reading Aurora’s latest newsletter I came across the term S.W.A.T mum. Now, I know what some of you are thinking, especially those of you who are mothers: some days we do indeed need to engage the skills mastered by the elite forces of the ‘Special Weapons and Tactics’ team just to keep our toddlers or teens in check.

However, this is not what Aurora has in mind. S.W.A.T. stands for "Smart Women with Available Time".

Those women who have chosen to give up careers to become stay at home mothers, or accompanying spouses, following partners across the globe and consequently quit working. They are professional, qualified women with years of experience in the work place who opt to take time out. Subsequently, whilst looking after children, or after setting up a new home abroad, they have the time and the desire to return to the working world, but not on a full-time basis. Enter the S.W.A.T. team.

Whilst this is yet another acronym to add to the collection (SAHM and WFHM to name but two) there is a growing challenge for employers across the globe to lure these women back to work. In the Netherlands, this is a hot topic. There is a skills shortage and talent is opting to stay home. The reality is that many women find that the reasons they left their full-time jobs are still valid reasons blocking a return to that world, even on a part-time basis.

As a result, many skilled women are looking for an alternative. They are setting up on their own, creating businesses they can run from home. Expatriate women and mothers are starting out on new career paths that fit around their lifestyles, their travels and their families. These are smart women indeed!