Young moms often have a double whammy at work: they have children and they are usually the most inexperienced. It’s harder to get respect when people know it’s your first (or second) professional job and you have personal family issues that might interfere with work being your main priority. You (typically) can’t stay late, you have to keep your cell phone on in case there’s an emergency at daycare, etc.  

Let me share a few tips on how to turn those perceived negatives into a positive.  

1) View your youth as an asset. You haven’t been working there long, so you’re not programmed to see things a certain way. You can bring different ideas to the table because you’re not stuck in the “This is the way we always do things” mindset.

2) If you can’t stay late, try to get in early. I get to work at 8 a.m. (most days), a good hour and a half before my co-workers show up. The plus side is that I can get a lot of work done when the office is quiet and my mind is fresh. I don’t feel bad about jetting home at the end of the day because I know I’ve accomplished everything I need to do.  

3) Dress the best you can.  I know it’s hard, because you don’t have the money for a brand-new wardrobe. You want to look professional, but you don’t have $300 laying around for a suit. So build your wardrobe slowly (more on this in a later post). Upgrade from your favorite stores (all you Wet Seal lovers, I’m talking directly to you) and try buying some quality clothes. Start with a few basic pieces – some nice pants and a fitted jacket.   

4) Flaunt your organizational skills. Keeping a child alive and happy is a tough job, but you manage to do it. By now, you can probably do four or five things at once without breaking a sweat. Don’t be afraid to take on a project at work that requires you to multitask. You can do it!

5) Do five minutes of work after the kids go to sleep. I regularly check e-mail around 8 p.m. just for this very reason. I get a lot of e-mails after I leave the office, and I like knowing that as soon as people walk in the door in the morning, they’ll see a response from me.

6) Ask lots of questions. Don’t worry about this making you look even more inexperienced. It won’t. No one expects you to know everything – who does? By asking questions (and remembering the answers!) you’ll appear very inquisitive and ambitious.