Fashion mogul Tory Burch shares advice for fellow moms re-entering the workforce
Tory Burch said that before she launched her namesake fashion empire, she was a stay-at-home mom who had "no idea" what she would be doing in the future.
She went on to re-enter the workforce, become one of America’s richest self-made women, and launch the Tory Burch Foundation to help empower female entrepreneurs. Now she wants to give advice to other mothers who took a break from the workforce to raise their children.
"If someone asked me 15 years ago what I would be doing today, I would say: 'I have no idea,'" Burch told "Good Morning America." "I was a stay-at-home mom playing tennis and taking care of three babies under the age of 4."
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"GMA" invited two moms looking to re-enter the workforce after some time off to personal coaching sessions with Burch. Here, the fashion mogul breaks down her top tips for them and for all moms hoping to revamp their careers after having children.
Tricia, a former teacher told "GMA" that she has been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, but she's hoping to re-enter the workforce in the field of fundraising.
"I have two beautiful girls who are ages 10 and 12, Erin and Emily," Tricia said. "Emily has a fatal blood disease called Fanconi anemia ... So our family deals with a lot of, a lot of stress due to her health."
"I don't regret the last 10 years for a second, it was the best decision I made for our family and for me, and now it's time for me," she said. "Now, it's time for me to get out there."
She said she thinks she needs to re-learn how to interview, how to write a resume, and "how to make myself presentable for potential employers."
Due to her daughter's disease, Tricia said she has spent a lot of time raising money for the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, and said that she would love to do fundraising "as a career."
Tricia said that she currently believes she's logged more hours doing fundraising and volunteer work than the amount of time she has spent as a teacher.
Highlight your skills on your resume, including skills you learned as a mom
Burch recommended focusing on the skills she has learned.
"I wouldn't even reference that you have more, 'This kind versus that,'" she said. "I would just say, 'This is what I've learned over the last 10 years ... And these are the skills I have.'”
Never discount the skills that come from being a mom, Burch added.
"It’s a huge skill set and it's a lot about patience, it's a lot of help multitasking," she added. "I'm very impressed with stay-at-home moms."
Find your passion, and embrace your ambition
Burch added that if Tricia is passionate about fundraising, be sure to emphasize that to potential employers.
"When you find your passion, that's what's going to make it come very crystal clear," she said. "I'll often talk about embracing ambition. It sounds like you need to find the confidence in yourself and embrace your ambition. And that can be being a mom, but it can also be being in the workforce."
You need to find the confidence in yourself and embrace your ambition. And that can be being a mom, but it can also be being in the workforce.
After meeting with Burch, Tricia said she felt the biggest thing she has learned is that "the last few years haven't been a waste."
Meanwhile, another mom, Heather, told "GMA" that she left behind her marketing job a year ago to spend more time with her twin daughters.
With her girls heading to full-time kindergarten this fall, Heather is on the job hunt and also looking to make a change in her career.
She said she worries that her "career break might be held against me." She added that she's also a little apprehensive about "making the career transition" from the field of marketing to human resources.
Practice 'talking points' before heading into an interview
Burch recommended practicing "talking points" around concerns you have on your resume.
"I also think part of what you've done in the past lends skills that you need," Burch said. "Everything is connected and I always say that ... if one part of the business isn't working it affects every part of the business and I think that working in marketing -- it’s a lot of skills you need for human resources."
It's all about how you spin it and sell yourself, Burch added.
"I think you have to just get your talking points down," she said. "Yours sound like you're your own best advocate, that's going to be really important."
Finally, be confident in yourself
Burch also emphasized how important it is to be confident.
"Being your best advocate, having confidence is something that a lot of women lack," she said. "And particularly the entrepreneurs that we work with, we always talk about building up your confidence.
"Having the confidence to also take people on your journey," she added, "and help them see where you're going is going to be really important for you."
