How I Landed My Dream Job as a Working Mum
I have been ambitious for as long as I can remember. Even as a little girl I used to dream about leading something, being properly good at a subject, being the one in charge. What I did not know then was quite how long, or how winding, the road to that dream would be, because I would end up chasing it in a second language, in a new country, with a young family to raise along the way.
Not so long ago, I finally landed my dream job. And because so many of you are working mums quietly wondering whether your own big ambition is still possible with everything else on your plate, I wanted to share, honestly, what actually got me there.
I dreamt it on the train to work
When I moved to the UK more than 20 years ago, I was learning English while working as a nanny for 2 adorable children, and I would sit on the train to work daydreaming about a completely different life. I pictured myself as a field expert in food technology, managing a team, in a lovely office. Given my background it was not a mad dream, but I could barely string a sentence together in English at that point, so it certainly felt ambitious.
That daydreaming mattered more than it sounds. Naming exactly what you want, the role, the impact, the sort of place you want to do it in, gives you something to walk towards on the days when it all feels impossible. So dream big, and be specific about it. You cannot aim for a target you have never let yourself picture.
Get genuinely good at the actual job
Ambition on its own is not enough, you have to be able to do the work, and do it well. I have spent years building the technical foundation my field demands, and here is the part that always surprises people: I have not stopped, even now that I have reached the milestone I dreamt of. I am currently teaching myself proper data analytical skills to be better at my job, because being ambitious, for me, has always meant never quite being satisfied. Invest in your craft, keep sharpening the tools of your particular trade, and you will quietly set yourself apart.
It's often who you know — but it has to be genuine
You will have heard that building a network is about who you know, and it is, but really it is about how honestly you connect with them. I will be truthful, I do not click with everyone, none of us do. What has always worked for me is simply being myself and finding one real thing to talk about with someone new, because that is where a genuine connection starts.
Here is proof it pays off: I landed my current job through someone I had worked with fifteen years earlier. Fifteen! The connection was real, we had kept a genuine regard for one another, and when the moment came, it opened the door. So go to the events, the seminars, the conferences, and build relationships you actually mean, because you never know which one will matter years down the line.
There's no way round the hard work
Rome was not built in a day, and neither is a career. I know that is not the fashionable thing to say, but it is the truth. When I was 27, I worked three jobs at once to save the money that got me to the UK in the first place, and hard work has been the through-line of everything since. Challenges will come, they always do, but rolling your sleeves up and meeting them head-on is exactly what shows an employer what you are made of.
Learn to make yourself understood
Communication is the cornerstone of all of it, and this one is personal for me. My English was far from good when I started out over here, and to this day I still check every piece of writing I send for errors, because that care shows professionalism. When I put forward an idea or an opinion, I work hard to be clear, because being right is no use at all if you cannot make yourself understood. Practise saying what you mean, and never shy away from sharing your thoughts and your wins.
Never stop learning
The world keeps moving, and our industries move with it, so you have to keep learning or quietly get left behind. My dad, bless him, told me back in the 80s, before most of us had even heard of Microsoft, to learn English and to learn how to use a computer. He was right. I am proficient in Word and Excel now, and yet here I am still upskilling, working my way through Power BI, Power Automate and SharePoint to keep pace with my field. Stay curious, chase the courses and the certifications, and treat learning as something that never really finishes.
Make your CV work for the specific job
Your CV and portfolio should tell the story of your journey, your skills and what you have actually achieved, and, crucially, they should be tailored to the exact role you are after. I rewrote my CV from scratch last summer for the job I have now, shaped entirely around what that role needed and leading with the achievements that mattered to it. A generic CV says generic things, so make yours speak directly to the job you want.
Expect the no's
Rejections are part of every single journey, mine included. I applied for several roles, including moves across different teams at my previous employer, before I landed the right one, and I will be honest, each no stung. But every time, I asked for the feedback, took it on board, and adjusted, and that persistence is exactly what carried me through in the end. Do not let the setbacks stop you. Treat them as information, not verdicts.
A few honest final thoughts
If I could sit across the table from you with a cup of tea, this is what I would say: your dream job is not some far-off place you either reach or you don't. It is the sum of a hundred small, stubborn efforts, the ambition, the graft, the genuine connections, the learning that never stops, and the willingness to be told no and go again. I did it as a working mum, in my second language, and if you are sitting on a train somewhere daydreaming the way I once did, please do not talk yourself out of it. If getting settled here is part of your own story too, you might find my guide to getting British citizenship helpful alongside this.
I would genuinely love to hear what your dream job looks like, so do tell me in the comments below. And if you would like more like this, do sign up to my newsletter and I will pop the next one straight to you.
Frequently asked questions
How do you land your dream job as a working mum?
Start by naming exactly what you want, then build the real skills the role needs, keep your professional connections genuine and warm, and tailor your CV to each specific job. It takes patience and a fair bit of graft around everything else you are juggling, but it is absolutely possible.
Is it too late to change careers once you have children?
Not at all. I built my career while raising my family and learning a second language, and I am still upskilling now. Your experience, including everything motherhood teaches you, is an asset, not a setback.
What is the best way to network when you have no time?
Quality beats quantity every time. A handful of genuine relationships, kept up with honestly over the years, will do more for you than hundreds of shallow contacts. Even one real connection can open the door when the moment is right, as it did for me.
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