Being a photographer definitely has some perks. I often get hired as an event photographer and some of the events that I work with are truly amazing and I am really happy to be able to attend them.
One of the most interesting events that I got to photograph was the Russian Speaking Mamas in Tech meeting organized by founders of professional and inspirational networking platform Russian-Speaking Women in Tech Silicon Valley - У Камина Lilia Shwarts and Julia Minkowsky and key volunteers Margarette EK, Alla Intenberg.
The meeting was dedicated to techie mothers (or mothers to be) and discussed how to effectively manage time and returning to workforce after spending a couple of years raising a child. For me as a mother of a toddler it was very helpful and inspiring event!
I got some great advice that I think would be helpful to anyone. Here are my favorite tips from that night:
Talk to your supervisors about your needs and problems. Nobody will help you if they don't know that you need help. I think this tip also works with your family at home!
Get things done at work and prioritize. When supervisors see your dedication to work, they are more willing to help you and be flexible.
If you're thinking about starting to work and can't decide if it's the right time or if you're looking for a job and can't decide which one to choose in terms of commute, benefits, working hours, etc. – just trust your gut. Making decisions takes a lot of energy, but we as women and mothers have a strong intuition, so trust it!
My favorite one – Choose a day every week or every other week to go on a date with your husband. With a kid it's not easy to find time for a date but we've started working on this with my husband and I can tell that spending time one-on-one makes a difference. We are learning to focus on us and not just the kid and I definitely see an improvement in our relationship.
Thank you Lilia, Julia, Margarette and Alla for organizing such a helpful and inspiring event!
See you next time, пока-пока!