Returning to work after a career break? Here's what stay-at-home moms get told: the years home don't count, you'll come back at a lower title, and you should take whatever salary is offered. Leah Tilstra rejected all three — and walked back into engineering at Abbott with a senior title and a sign-on bonus after twelve years raising four kids.

How did she pull it off? She refused the apologetic part-time re-entry, used one old work relationship to land the right R&D team at Abbott, and walked into salary negotiations with a clear number and the willingness to be told no. The mantra she carries into every high-stakes interview: "They didn't know me yesterday, but they'll remember me tomorrow."

ABOUT GUEST: Leah Tilstra is a mechanical engineer and senior R&D engineer at Abbott, working on artificial heart valves in the TAVI space. Early in her career, she climbed quickly through medical device roles then made the intentional decision to step away for twelve years to raise her four children and support her family's move from Texas to Minnesota. During her career pause, she didn't just stay at home. Leah ran a nonprofit preschool, built a sewing business, coached middle school athletes, and led a moms' community group.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

• [00:14:10] The pharmacy wake-up moment that pushed Leah from "testing the waters" to returning to work full-time
• [00:21:29] The networking move that helped a stay-at-home mom return to engineering after a 12-year career break
• [00:37:13] How to negotiate salary and a sign-on bonus after a long career pause — even when the company offers less
• [00:38:57] The one-line confidence script she repeats before any high-stakes room or interview
• [00:27:10] The "Sift My Wife Does" Google Doc that names the mental load every working mom is carrying

GUEST LINKS

• Instagram: @illegallyblondie
• Facebook: @illegallyblond
• LinkedIn: Leah Tilstra

CONNECT WITH HIR

• Instagram @ herintentionalreset.co
• Facebook @ Her Intentional Reset.co
• Website: www.herintentionalreset.com

If HIR has been valuable to you, you can support the show here: Kofi Support The Show

• No pressure — just making it easy for listeners who want to say so.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

• https://uppbeat.io/t/hemlock/the-way-forward
• License code: RVGOVVHKDJFBKVJC