SAHMs and resumes

[sawyerthedestroyer]

I'm thinking about going back to work. I'm tuning up my resume and can't remember what to do about my employment gap for the last two, almost three years. Do I mention it in my resume? Wait until they ask about it in an interview?

Help?

[sawyerthedestroyer]

The only projects I've done while at home have been some light catering for H's department. I'm not entirely sure that counts for much of anything.

[eb777888]

Sept 12, 2013 10:37:26 GMT -5 @emilyabcd77 said:

I would mention it in there. I do the hiring for my company, and if I notice a larger gap like that, I am more than likely to just pass over the resume, if nothing is explained. I've had several that just put "Stay at home mom" in those dates, and then it makes me feel better about them. But don't be like the one individual who I had go into great detail about what she did as SAHM "cook dinners daily, attended play dates, packed lunches, paid bills, " there was more, but I can't remember what all she wrote, but it was very entertaining for me to read!

LOL! Pinterest, message boarding, arts and crafts, shopping, days at the park, driver to soccer practice and swim lessons, birthday party planning...


LMAO

[sawyerthedestroyer]

I was going to put my GBCN experience on there. That totally counts, right?

[texassmith]

I applied for a part time job a couple days ago and just mentioned it in the cover letter.

[onomatopoeia]

Sept 12, 2013 10:49:26 GMT -5 sawyerthedestroyer said:

The only projects I've done while at home have been some light catering for H's department. I'm not entirely sure that counts for much of anything.

Yes, it does!  I'm a program director (/HR/hiring department/copy machine technician, lol), and I would be happy to see that included on a resume, especially if it was coming from someone with a gap in their work history.   Even it it has nothing to do with the job you are applying for I'm assuming you had to have some scheduling, interpersonal, and project management skills to do that.

[DotAndBuzz]

Sept 12, 2013 11:00:52 GMT -5 sawyerthedestroyer said:

I was going to put my GBCN experience on there. That totally counts, right?

Networking!  lol.

[Aristotle]

I think it's best addressed in a cover letter. Just yesterday, actually, I extended an offer to a woman who had spent the last 8 years as a SAHM but she was very active in PTA, organizing play dates, serving as a volunteer on her kid's summer soccer team, etc. Even if half of it was bullshit, I thought it was smart of her to call attention to the things she did to remain a contributing member of society. It showed that she was proud of her time at home and had self-respect.

[amellis2]

Lurker posting again: I am always afraid to mention I have children in case they pass me over because I have children. I know legally the employer cannot choose another candidate over me solely based on our family's status, but if I never find out, then they have covered their butts. I call back to find out about the interview and they tell those chose someone who "had more experience."

Am I crazy? It's ok, you can tell me if I am. I have SAH for almost a year, so it wouldn't suprise me.

[jinkies]

I went back to work last year, after spending a year home with my kids. I addressed the gap in my cover letter. Something like "After taking the past year off to be with my children, I am looking to return to the work force." (I worded it better than that, but you get the idea).

In my case, it also provided some explanation to the hiring director as to why I was specifically interested in a part-time job-- they were very, very concerned about hiring someone who really want full time work and would continue to job hunt even after taking this job.

[WOT?*]

I had a three year gap. I addressed it in my cover letter (similar to jinkies and others) rather than on my resume. I've been a SAH again for the past 1.5 and if I decide to apply for another job (PT) I will do the same. It worked very successfully (except the boss-from-hell part) the first time.

[sunshineluv]

Sept 12, 2013 11:52:38 GMT -5 amellis2 said:

Lurker posting again: I am always afraid to mention I have children in case they pass me over because I have children. I know legally the employer cannot choose another candidate over me solely based on our family's status, but if I never find out, then they have covered their butts. I call back to find out about the interview and they tell those chose someone who "had more experience."

Am I crazy? It's ok, you can tell me if I am. I have SAH for almost a year, so it wouldn't suprise me.

I think that's a valid point, but let's say you get an interview. For sure they will ask about your gap in employmont, it would be really hard to say what you were doing without mentioning kids. It could be done, but I am not a smooth enough talker to make myself sound awesome without saying what my true gap in employment was.

It is just a gamble, will they care about a gap in employment more or less than the fact you have a family? Or neither. . .

[Deleted]

I would a million billion gazillion times prefer to hire someone who has been raising kids for the last 3 years than someone who has been doing nothing. At least raising kids is a good reason to be out of the work force.

And I would never not hire someone because they had kids. The best secretary in our office has two young kids. She may need more time off but she's worth it.

[Kristinmo]

Sept 12, 2013 13:09:27 GMT -5 elle said:

I would a million billion gazillion times prefer to hire someone who has been raising kids for the last 3 years than someone who has been doing nothing. At least raising kids is a good reason to be out of the work force.

And I would never not hire someone because they had kids. The best secretary in our office has two young kids. She may need more time off but she's worth it.

All of this.  An unexplained lapse goes straight in the trash.  

[Aristotle]

I guess I never really understood the concern over letting a potential employer know you have children. I think it is weirder to try to avoid it, especially if you have a gap.

[amellis2]

I don't avoid the gap. For my first gap, I went on a personal leave of absence ( I did) and helped care for my mom after a surgery ( I did.) I was just also caring my for new children as well. For the second gap, I have been saying that I my husband's job relocated and there were no available transfer positions, so I have been looking for work. All of that is true. I'm just not mentioning that I have children to care for as well.

I feel like I am concerned about this because I was terminated from my job when I came back from maternity leave. It put me in a bad place mentally about employers and now I think they are all evil.