With husbands getting laid off or their salaries shrinking, many moms are revving up to go back to the workforce in 2010.

Shari Storm: If you are facing re-employment after taking "time off" (ha) to raise your children, you are probably feeling intimidated by the prospect of convincing someone that the skills you are honing as a mom are the skills any company needs in an employee.

Here are three pieces of advice to make your job interviewing easier:

Don't forget you are part of the most sought-after, highly regarded market segment in our country. Moms control between 82 percent and 85 percent of all household spending. Companies are finally coming to the realization that moms hold the purse strings for their husbands, for their kids, and oftentimes, for their friends. Moms are a notoriously referral-based market niche. Make one mom mad and you've made lots of moms mad because they talk and they listen to one another. Many companies want to figure out how to make moms happy and get their business and their referrals. Thus, it's in your favor that you are one. Play up your involvement in the PTA, moms groups, and other parent communities.

Don't underestimate the skills you have learned using Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, etc. Moms were one of the first groups to embrace social media. Social media is a new and intriguing idea for many companies. Many companies have listed Facebook, Twitter, and blogging as marketing initiatives for 2010. Your hobby could be an important business skill for a future employer. Demonstrate that you are technically and socially savvy by stating relevant data on your followers, visitors, and commenters.

Never assume the man interviewing you doesn't appreciate the skills required in raising children. The days of the "Honey I'm home!" dad are long gone. Men are coming to a greater understanding of the wisdom, patience, multitasking, and resourcefulness it takes to be a good parent. Have concrete examples of how your parenting days have provided you with good business skills. My favorite line? "You don't know negotiations until you've had two children and one piece of toffee."

Shari Storm is the author of "Motherhood is the New MBA: Using Your Parenting Skills to be a Better Boss" (Thomas Dunne / St. Martins Press). Storm earned her Masters of Business Administration from Seattle University. In addition to being an executive at a $400 million financial institution, Storm is a mentor for Seattle University's graduate program and writes for Working Mother Magazine blog. Storm has three young daughters.