“At work, you think of the children you have left at home. At home, you think of the work you’ve left unfinished. Such a struggle is unleashed within yourself. Your heart is rent.”
Golda Meir
Sunday, May 9th is Mother’s Day, a day started nearly 150 years ago in the U.S., when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day called Mother’s Work Day to raise awareness of poor healthy conditions in her community, thinking mothers would be the best advocates. After her death in 1905, her daughter (also named Anna), began to lobby prominent businessmen and politicians to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. In 1914, her hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday. Today, it is celebrated in more than 46 countries around the world.
At the time of its conception, women had little independence or power. They were expected to frame their lives around their husbands and family. In the U.S., they were not allowed to vote until 1915. It would be 1920 before this right became part of the United States Constitution. Today, women have the right to choose to enter the workforce, stay at home in full-time parenting roles, or to delegate their time to both. For some, the choice is made for them, as finances warrant the fast road back to work. For others, numerous factors emerge that contribute to the final decision.
According to AARP (AARP Bulletin Today, February 10, 2010), women are on the brink of outnumbering men in the workforce. Economics points to both long-term changes in women’s roles in society, as well as massive job losses in many male-dominated industries as the root. As of January 2010, women held 49.9% of the nation’s jobs during the course of this current recession, excluding farm workers and the self-employed according to government data. According to Heather Boushey, editor of The Shriver Report, a partnership by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress that explores women and the workforce,
“Women, particularly mothers, are breadwinners or co-breadwinners in 63% of families and 39.3% of mothers are actually their family’s breadwinner. They’re either a single working mom or a married mom who brings home as much or more than her husband.”
If you are a mom preparing to return to the workforce, you may have concerns about addressing that time period on your résumé. Here are some tips on preparing a great résumé that will market your value and ROI to potential employers:
- Showcase relevant activities
- Community/Volunteer Involvement (Charities, Fundraisers, Outreach):
Not having been paid for your experience does not lessen its value. Treat volunteer work like a paid position. If you held leadership roles or positively impacted organizations and their initiatives, highlight your success stories and key skills developed through these. You can include this under a heading like “Relevant Experience”. Listing volunteer with paid experience will fill any employment gaps. - Professional Development and Continuing Education:
Establish your commitment to the field by including membership in professional associations or participation in professional events. Demonstrate that you’ve maintained current skills through online learning, independent study or other coursework. - Self-Employment, Freelance or Work-at-Home:
If you did the books for your husband’s business, include it (give the name of the business; no references to whether it was your spouse). Perhaps you’ve done some consulting/freelance work relative to your job target, i.e. website design, interior decorating, taxes, etc. Sell it. - Choose the best résumé format:
Recruiters and hiring folks tend to prefer the chronological résumé which gives a historical timeline of your work experience, but this may be tricky if you have been away from the workforce for a time. You may wish to use a hybrid or combination format, which incorporates the best of both the chronological and functional formats. It typically starts off with a skills summary, followed by a section that highlights skill clusters and concludes with a chronological section at the bottom of the resume that includes specifics about education, places of employment, job titles and dates of employment. The skill clusters provide you with a structure that highlights your most relevant skills (ROI to employer), while de-emphasizing dates and gaps in your work history. An example of a possible lead-in…
Career Focus: Association / Non-Profit Management
Professional Summary
2007 – Present: Juggled multiple tasks as President of the school PTA and Chair of Rotary Club’s Membership Committee. Negotiated sponsorship with major local business facilitating Rotary Club’s membership increase from 32 to 94 within 6 months. Founded and led neighborhood’s first Watch group, contributing to a 12% crime decrease (cited by city’s police department). Managed books for local food shelf program; implemented an aggressive reorganization that increased cash flow by 28%. Completed coursework toward Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
Prior background highlighted by 9-year career path in project/operational leadership with United Way, Catholic Charities and Garvin Housing Partnership.
Core Competencies
Advocacy, Fundraising, Budget Allocation & Oversight, Foundation Management
Corporate Giving, Membership Retention, Public Relations, Event Management
Talent (Staff & Volunteer Management), Public/Private Partnerships, Mission Planning
- Connect with professional associations:
There is a well-known saying that everyone is connected to everyone else in the world by no more than six degrees of separation. Research professional and business associations of interest, sign up for their Internet newsletters, visit their websites, read their blogs, connect through LinkedIn or other social media sits. Contribute to discussion forums, and attend meetings where you can. Meet and network with those can help you. - Stay current with your computer skills and education to remain marketable:
Use the Internet and various software programs regularly. Stay current with what the educational and work requirements/certifications are for your field. You can often keep up with online coursework—one of the beauties of technology! - Maintain your network/connections:
If you have been out of the workforce for some time, it is very important to continue to cultivate relationships with those in the business world. Occasional lunch dates, passing on referrals and keeping in touch with cards, on LinkedIn, Facebook or other ways can help you stay connected. Create an elevator pitch about what you want to do, and give it to not only your former business contacts, but to everyone you meet, from parents at your kids’ schools to your hairstylist. - Interview as a Professional:
Do not focus on being a mom out of the workforce. You are now a job seeker in charge of your job search campaign—a professional amongst professionals. In preparation for interviews, practice, practice practice! Know your success stories relative to your goals. Ask a friend or family member to role play. Video tape it to see how you present yourself and how you sound. Think about potential tough questions and proactive answers.
For you moms going back into the workforce, kudos! You are embarking on a new life chapter. View it as a positive event, prepare yourself, and enjoy the adventure!
“All mothers are working mothers.”
Author Unknown
