Recently I was doing some career coaching with a woman who felt it was the right time to re-enter the workforce. With the youngest of her three boys starting school she decided to explore her work opportunities. We chatted about how being a stay-at-home mom or taking maternity leave does not lessen your employability and that there are tips that can be helpful in re-entering and/or returning to the workforce. A good starting point is to consider where you may want to apply or how you want to advance your career and to tailor your resume accordingly.

If you have been away from the workforce for an extended period of time you will need to work on creating a competitive resume. The issue for some moms is that they feel there are “gaps” on their resume. It is true that this can be problematic when submitting an application. It can appear you have a poor employment record and/or time where you may have lacked in skill development. BUT…let’s be real folks – there is no stay-at-home mom sitting around eating Doritos and watching soap operas all day long! Being a full time mother and caregiver is a job and in turn you develop a wealth of skills while broadening and expanding upon those highly sought after employability skills.

When you have determined some places you plan to apply you will need to do your research. You will want to find out everything you can about the employer and what they are looking for in an employee. You can get this information from the job posting, a website, the sector council website and/or by doing an information interview with someone experienced with that employer. This will allow you to use the “buzz” words the employer is screening for. In some cases a computer program may be the initial screening mechanism and you want to present yourself as a match – the ideal job candidate.

When updating your resume you want to stop making the resume about you but make it about what the employer wants. This may sound strange but you want to craft a document that speaks to the person who is hiring. You want the reader to find what they are looking for within 10-30 seconds of scanning your resume. If you are still using an “Employment Objective” at the top of your resume it may be time to cut this out. It is not what you want but a chance to spell out why you are the person the employer wants. Create a section at the top of your resume that summarizes your key qualifications in three to five bullets. Think about the potential employer and what they are seeking in an employee and highlight what skills and/or qualifications you have that will catch their attention. This may be the perfect opportunity to highlight the value in your time at home. Maybe you did some volunteering, helped to organize some events, participated in fundraising, or did some entrepreneurial part-time work.

It is important to remember to focus on all that you have to bring to the workplace and not in what you are lacking. Being home with your children is not a “gap!” It is all about how you present yourself and the wealth of work/life experience you have developed. Allow your resume to be a true reflection of who you are and all that you have to contribute in the workplace and I’m sure you will land that interview.

Tricia