Her Next Chapters

95. Back-to-School Season: Time for a Career Reset for Moms

• Christina Kohl

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Your next chapter starts now.

Back-to-school isn’t just for kids. I share what this season looks like in my home right now: a son starting his final semester of college, another settling into his first rental for sophomore year, and a daughter thriving in her first job as an Interior Designer. With the house, calendar, and routines shifting, I name the mixed emotions of this stage and offer a gentle, practical way to step into your own next chapter.

You’ll hear:

  • Real-life moments from this week that mark transition at home
  • The identity shift of motherhood across seasons: hands on, hands nearby, hands off
  • Why “empty nest” is a misnomer and how to see new space as capacity and choice
  • A permission slip to equip yourself too: maybe a fresh resume format, updated headshot, or a simple morning routine
  • 3 reflection questions to clarify what you want next
  • A 45-minute reset you can do tonight: clarity sprint with a job posting, quick resume top-third audit, and a low-pressure network nudge
  • An invitation to journal your answers and not white-knuckle these shifts alone

Resources mentioned:

Next week:
Labor Day, why it matters, and how to turn caregiving and volunteering into resume gold.

Keywords: back to school, empty nest, motherhood identity, career clarity, resume refresh, return to work, midlife career change, women’s career coaching

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Grab the Strengths-First Resume Template - ideal for career transitions, whether you’re returning after a break, navigating a layoff, pivoting roles, or ready for a change.

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Email me directly at christina@hernextchapters.com

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kohlchristina


Welcome to Her Next Chapter

Christina

Hi and welcome to Her Next Chapter's podcast . I'm your host , Christina Kohl . I'm a mom of three and soon to be an empty nester . I'm also a certified HR pro who restarted my career after being a stay-at-home mom for over a decade . I created this podcast to connect with moms who have an empty nest on the horizon and are wanting to redefine their identity outside of motherhood , which might include a job search . On this show we'll have raw conversations about our ever-changing roles as moms . We'll hear from women who restarted their careers and share tips for a job search after a career break . So if that's you , you're in the right place . Friend , let's get started . Hi , friends , and welcome back to Her Next Chapters .

Christina

So this past weekend I cleaned out my craft table . You know the one you might have one yourself the drawer where the colored pencils go to multiply . So I have three kids , which means 15 first days of school , and every August I bought another pack because you know it's a new school year , you want to start fresh . And this weekend I gathered them all up , all those colors , and there was hundreds , if not more , and it really kind of hit me Like we keep restocking our kids for new year new pencils , new notebooks , new shoes . What about us ?

Back-to-School Reflections

Christina

So I don't know about you , but my social media feed is full of first day pictures . So , backpack as big as their body , kindergartners , high schoolers playing it , cool college move-ins that require an SUV , a dolly and snacks for an army . So at my house it's a season of big shifts .

Christina

My oldest is on day two of his final semester of college and my youngest is settled in his first rental house . He's waiting for his sophomore year of college to kick off next week . That was a very different move in than into a dorms , because it's an unvirtuous place . So that's a whole nother conversation . And then my daughter . I've got three kids . My daughter . She actually graduated last spring . So if you've been listening for a while , you've heard me talk about her graduation and she is absolutely loving her job as an interior designer . She is absolutely loving her job as an interior designer . So the house , with all these changes , and , to clarify , my oldest , two are living at home . So my daughter just graduated recently . She's looking at apartments and she'll be leaving the house before I know it . And my oldest is graduating soon . So he'll , as soon as he lands his career , job , you know he'll he'll have his transition period and be leaving home as well . Um , so my hope is that they don't all leave on the same day , cause that's a lot , but even still with them home . They have their own lives , their own schedules .

Christina

It's rare that all of us sit down to the table for dinner together , it's just everyone's kind of coming and going doing their own thing . So the house sounds very different , feels very different , the calendar is different and obviously my role looks different . And if you're feeling that way too , you're not alone . You might have kids that

Changing Roles in Motherhood

Christina

are , maybe they're going to middle school for the first time , and that's a big shift . You're not at the elementary volunteering , you're not seeing all the other parents that drop off , and it's just a big shift , as your kiddo is getting older and before you know it , they're going to be in high school and looking at colleges and be like my kids going to college , whether they're on campus or living at home doing it .

Christina

Time keeps going forward right , and through all of these phases , our role as mom , as parents , changes , and here's the thing that we don't say out loud enough when our kids start a new chapter , we do too . So motherhood is a lifetime of changing roles . Hands on , hands nearby , hands off , but you don't disappear as they grow right . We evolve too . Hands off , but you don't disappear as they grow right we we evolve too , and the space that opens up as our kids get more and more independent , it's not a void , it's not empty .

Christina

That's kind of a misnomer , just like stay at home Mom , I think , is a miss . It is a bad description because when I was a stay at home mom I was a stay at home mom . The last thing I did was stay at home . We were busy on the go . My neighbor commented like how often they would see my SUV driving up and down our street throughout . You know , multiple trips in a day . Same thing with an empty nest . It doesn't have to be empty . The space that opens up is for you to fill . It's your choice . It's your next chapter tapping you on the shoulder choice . It's your next chapter tapping you on the shoulder .

Christina

So do you guys remember and this may be fresh for you if you've just gone through it , because this episode is going live on August 20th , so it may be very fresh but the back to school shopping , especially when the kids were little , so new jeans , shoes that made them run faster , and a bonus if they lit up a hoodie they refused to take off . We made sure that they felt ready

Your Permission Slip for Growth

Christina

for who they were becoming . But what about us ? Well , I'm here to give you a permission slip and ask what is your version of the new school wardrobe ? Maybe it's a brand new colorful shirt that makes you feel alive and it makes you sit taller on Zoom calls . Maybe it's a cleaner resume format , an updated resume and a fresh headshot to go on your LinkedIn profile . Or maybe it's a new morning routine that includes 20 minutes of exercise before you start the rest of your day . It's a new season , new gear . It's for you .

Christina

So I just want to name the swirl of emotions , at least the ones that I'm experiencing , and maybe you can relate to this too . So , as I'm launching my kids right that we're kind of in the middle of their launch all three of them I feel immense pride and relief and , honestly , a little grief . I miss when they were little . I miss the hugs and the sticky hands and the chubby cheeks and the kisses . So it's different . I still get hugs , maybe not the sticky hands , but I still get hugs and kisses and love , but I do miss that time when they're little .

Christina

But I'm also filled with excitement and a little bit of fear . I'm still like some worry , like how are things going to turn out ? Are they going to land a job ? Where are they going to live ? All of those things can happen at once and all can be true . And if you've spent years running the invisible operations of family life , stepping towards your own goals , it can feel strange . But , friend , that feeling is not a stop sign , it is a starting line .

Christina

So take a breath and ask what did I put on hold that still matters to me ? And ask what kind of work could make Monday mornings feel less like of a dread and more like excitement . And if I were modeling growth for my kids , what brave step would I take this week ? So say your answers out loud , make them real , make them tangible , write them down , text them to a friend . We are not meant to white knuckle these identity shifts alone . And if you're like me and you're like listening where you're walking the dog that's when I usually listen to podcasts or maybe you're driving and running errands , maybe take time later and come back to this part , come back to this episode and use these questions as journal prompts and take time to this part . Come back to this episode and use these questions as journal prompts and take time to write down your answers .

Christina

And then , while we're getting practical and writing things down , if you are ready to return to the paid workforce , maybe you've been at home for a while with your kids and raising your family , or maybe you're working but you're just ready to make a change in your current career . Here's a simple 45

Career Restart Quick Tips

Christina

minute reset you can do tonight . So clarity sprint . Grab a job posting you actually like , circle the skills and results they care about and then list three stories from your life that match , whether it's paid or unpaid , from home or the office . If you let it , fixed it , coordinated it or improved it , it counts . And then next , a quick resume audit . Find your current resume and ask does the top third tell the truth about who I am now and what I want in my next role ? Take the time to update your headline to match the role that you want and then just rewrite one fluffy sentence and make it one that's a punchy with bullets , with action , scope and result . So give context through numbers .

Christina

Okay , and so this . This is just really brief , high level right . Just a little bit just to get you started . And then , finally , a networking nudge Another , take another , as my notes say 15 minutes , but honestly this can take you two minutes . Think of people that you haven't talked to in a while , that you want to connect with , and just send them a message . Just , I was thinking about you and wanted to check in and see how you're doing , just something to say hello . Just start reaching out to your network because , friends , you have a network . It might feel like it's gone dormant , but it is there waiting for you to tap in . So just take a few minutes , send a couple texts to say hello and maybe see if you can set up time to get together . These small steps will help move

Celebrating Kids' Milestones

Christina

you forward into your next chapter . You don't need a 20-hour plan to take a 20-minute action . You got this .

Christina

Before we close , I want to share a couple moments from this week . So , with my oldest , we are planning a celebration trip for when he graduates college , and so he and I spent a couple hours yesterday and he has the whole document and all the links and all the things , of all the things that he wants to do . So that has just been really fun and something we've been dreaming of for years . Mom , take a look and on her phone or photos of her first project where she's been the lead designer and the whole kitchen remodel is done and it's absolutely stunning and gorgeous . And for her to see her ideas come to life is just amazing . It's just kind of like parenthood right . Seeing our kids follow their dreams is just such a really neat thing . So that was really cool with her . And then my youngest seeing him settle into his rental very different than the dorm situation , like I said , a lot more independence and you guys , it's been such a blessing . He has called me probably three or four times just to talk and we've had the best conversations . And he's not even in the house anymore . We're having all these conversations more so than we did when he was living here and just down the hall . So these moments , these little moments along the way , have reminded me that my job has always been to equip them and cheer them on , and today I'm reminding myself and you to equip and cheer on ourselves too . Right , we need to be that for ourselves and friends .

Christina

If you want to nudge , I'm offering a limited number of

Free Resume Review Offer

Christina

free resume reviews this month , only for podcast listeners . We will look at your headline , your top bullets , how to translate unpaid work into strong accomplishments . Basically , it's your back to school supply kit for your career . So if you are interested in that , grab your spot via the link in the show notes . There's only a couple of these spots available , so grab it quick . And if you want deeper support and accountability , I am here for you . My one-on-one coaching has a couple of spots open for the fall . We'll make sure to get you clear , current and moving in the direction of your next career .

Christina

For your next chapter , check the link in the show notes if you're interested in learning more . All right , well , thanks for being with me here today . Share this with a friend who's in the thick of back to school transitions and make sure you're subscribed , because next Wednesday we're going to be talking about Labor Day , why it matters and how unpaid labor powers careers . Why it matters and how unpaid labor powers careers . We will turn caregiving and volunteering into resume gold . All right , friends , that is it for this week's episode . I will talk to you next time . Thank you so much for listening today . I hope this episode hit home for you and , if you haven't already , be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and say hello , so I can personally thank you for listening . Until next time , remember , your story is uniquely your own , and your next chapters are ready to begin .