by Karen Salmansohn, Columnist for A.M.-N.Y.

Working mother -- Isn't that redundant? Even today's most savvy mom can feel confused about the benefits and trade-offs that come with working part-time. If you're considering cutting back to a more "flexible" schedule, here's the inside scoop.

1. Be ready not only for a pay cut -- but a "benefits cut." Often this amounts to losing the equivalent of 25 percent of your pay. The result: Day care expenses might exceed your earnings!

CareerBuilder.com

Starting any new job can be as nerve-wracking as it is exciting. While you're anxious for a fresh start and to meet new people, you're nervous that you won't be able to do the job or you won't fit in with co-workers. Things inevitably work out, but that initial doubt can be daunting. People returning to the work force after an extended absence have an additional concern: Will they even find a job?

Yes, they will, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey of employees who have recently returned to the work force. Of surveyed workers who returned to work after being gone at least one year, 45 percent found a job in less than one month. Thirty-three percent took between one and six months to find work, while only 14 percent took longer than one year.