I nervously glanced at the bottom right corner of my laptop screen. It read 17:26. I rechecked my wristwatch hoping for a miracle, but alas, it too read 5:26PM. I was due to send out a presentation and was waiting for input from colleagues.

With each minute that passed, my heart rate increased. My 2.5-year-old daughter would be waiting for me wondering, "Why is Mamma so late today?!" Finally, I saw a new mail popup on my screen. I quickly collated all the inputs and sent out the presentation.

As I hastily packed my bag, I noticed the empty floor. There were only a handful of people still working. My boss joked, “Megha, you are still here at this time? Probably the first time in the year, right?” I brushed off her banter, rushed out, and almost ran to the basement to my car, praying that the road would be clear. Driving like a maniac I reached home after 2 hours, and finally gathered my daughter in my arms.

While driving, a thought hit me. I usually leave the office at 4:30PM under the disapproving glances of my colleagues, some even suggestively looking at their watches. But, no one is there at 8:30 in the morning to do the same. They all walk in by 10am and they actually leave before 5:30 in the evening. And I, the melodramatic woman that I am, keep feeling guilty about clocking fewer hours in the office! I also make up for the lost time by taking late night calls every day, and working till the wee hours of the morning, after my daughter goes to sleep. I spend 30 mins on lunch. I take no tea breaks, I don't sit and chat at other people’s desks. During my working hours, I work. Why? Not because I am hard working and disciplined by nature, but because I VALUE my time. Each minute spent on office work means an extra minute to spend with my daughter at home. Even if it means I need to sacrifice my lunch or tea time.

This wasn't written with the intention to glorify myself, but to ask everyone out there to stop judging working mothers. As it is, we battle a lot of guilt for leaving our small children in other people’s care. I know colleagues who are averse to hiring working mothers on their teams. Here is why I can prove those people wrong:

Working Mothers have Good People Skills – Behind every successful working mother, there is a team of women – their mothers, maids, school teachers. And they coordinate with each of them to get the maximum amount of work done. So, if you need work done from an irate worker, put a working mother on his/her back. She will shadow the worker and get it done for you.

Working Mothers are the Best Managers – Balancing work, home, kids, husband and family is no mean feat. Give them a project to handle and they will manage it with ease given their excellent time-saving and management skills. However, you need to give them power and flexibility for them to work wonders.

Working Mothers are the Most Efficient – Making the most of their time in the office, they can deliver much more than their male counterparts. Productivity-wise, they are way better as they cannot afford to waste time on revisions of their work.

Working Mothers can Multitask – While taking office calls; they can feed their baby, iron, do laundry, cook, and even shop. And worry not about them not listening – women get extra intuitive skills when they become mothers!

Working Mothers will Never Call in Sick – They never take leave for themselves. They will come to work with 103 fever just to save up on their leave. Leave that might be needed in case a child is sick or their family needs them. Nowadays, in nuclear family setups, fathers also take an equal amount of leave.

And if that isn't enough, watch how these women WOWED their interviewers with the skills they picked up during their break!

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nME45AdUdxs[/embed]

So, everyone out there, try and look at Working Mothers in a different light and you will see their true potential!

If you’re looking to start your career, or for new and exciting roles to showcase the skills you’ve gained along your professional and personal journey, you can find them at www.JobsForHer.com. Create your profile, upload your resume and start job-hunting today!

This article was contributed by Guest Blogger Megha Kapadia. Please find the related link attached here.