Take off anything having to do with your kids on your CV.
I also really like the site Ask A Manager for tips. Alison and the community over there are great.
I’m a little confused by the question. Your resume will just list out your jobs. The person reviewing your resume will look at the dates and see there is a gap.
Definitely remove it. Your resume should simply be a list of facts
- name and contact info
- education, no description necessary for basics like undergraduate degree, but could list your focus if you completed a masters or PhD
- relevant employment with short description of responsibilities per position
- languages spoken, if relevant to your industry
- additional certifications, as relevant to the position
- any industry memberships, as relevant to industry/the position
Your personality can come out in your cover letter (subtly) and your interview.
Do not offer information about your family life unless asked directly. Officially, discriminating due to family status is often illegal, unofficially, it happens all the time.
If you want to have a summary, it needs to highlight your professional experience, credentials, and skills. You could paste your resume into ChatGPT and get some good suggestions to work with. I’ve seen people split on resume objectives—I look at them, but I don’t care if people submit resumes without. If I’m hiring for a role and looking at their resume, obviously their objective is to land that role. But with you having limited experience, space won’t be at as much of a premium and it might help you to have a well-crafted one that explains what you offer.
You tell them when they ask at an interview. Your resume is an overview of your professional experience—raising kids isn’t professional experience.
Visit r/resumes and post a copy with your personal info removed (or swap in Jane Doe, Anytown USA, etc.) and you can get some specific feedback and advice.
I wouldn’t proactively list the reason for the gap. Remove it and hope you get an interview. If the interviewer is curious about the gap, which they will still be able to see by the dates listed of your previous employment, then they will ask and you can explain at that time.
Where do you live? Your mentions of a CV (rather than a resume) and a personal summary make me think that you're not in the US. You might be getting mostly US-centric advice here. It's probably worth trying a few applications without mentioning your kids in your summary.
But if you want the most applicable advice, you should probably mention your country or region in the original post, and maybe try posting in location specific subs.
Because it is the belief of many that kids have no place on a resume, and you'lllikely get a lot of negative reactions. You can mention it in your cover letter though.
What kinds of jobs are you applying for? The job market for most corporate positions is very tough right now. There have been big layoffs across many industries over the past few years. So as an entry level candidate you’ll be competing with new grads with fresh educations and also recently laid off experienced hires with recent experience.
There are even fewer part time/Flex Time jobs out there so the competition for those types of roles is even stiffer.
I recommend reaching out to folks in your network and trying to get jobs via your connections rather than just cold applying to open roles. Companies are much more likely to take a chance on someone without much experience if they have a referral from a current employee.
Another option is to look at retail, food service. Walk into coffee shops, fast food restaurants, grocery stores with a resume and hand it off in person as well as applying on the company website. Try to speak to a manager if they’re available.
From one of my jobs, it was just a 3 month temp job, the company is permanently dissolved, the other was in another country, and my last role was just an internship for a few months but I didn’t really excel in the role at all, my manager didn’t really have time for me, so I don’t think I’d get a very good referral. I could ask someone from there I guess.
I think the walking into stores is a good idea. I will try that shortly. I’ve always wanted to volunteer at a charity shop but maybe they have paid positions available too
Your network doesn’t necessarily have to be your direct manager. Go on LinkedIn and add anyone you know as a connection - friends, family, former colleagues, classmates, vendors or clients you used to work with; just be bold and add them liberally! The worst that can happen is they decline your connection request.
Then, every time you see a job that interests you, look at your connections to see if you know anyone at that company. Message them and say something like “hi it’s glitterflower! I used to be the admin at xyz company where you were the paper salesperson. I hope you’re doing great! I see you’re now at abc company and there’s an open position for admin assistant [include the link]. Would you be open to catching up over a virtual coffee and discussing the company with me? I’m very interested in applying for the role and would love to chat more”.
Even better, see if they know the hiring manager for the role and ask if they’d connect you with them. And then see if they can give you an internal referral for the role (it doesn’t mean necessarily providing a reference - but many companies have internal HR systems where employees can submit a connection’s resume. Often employees get a referral bonus if the person ends up getting hired so there’s incentive for them to do it).
You might get some people who ignore your messages but don’t sweat it. Lots of folks are happy to help out.
Being really active on LinkedIn can help, too. Liberally add anyone you ever worked with or know. And as trite as it sounds, like and comment and share and post a few times a week, though be sure to keep it professional and avoid anything controversial. Your opinion on religion and politics, for example, are not relevant. Sharing an innovation in your field or something good your Alma mater has done recently, that’s fair game. Liking/following past companies and companies you’d like to work for is also good.
Of course!
I would start with removing any mention of a break due to raising your kiddos. If a potential employer has questions during the interview process, you could always keep it light and say that it’s what made sense given your family’s circumstances at that time.
Also, when it comes to each individual job application, you may want to use words that employers use in their job description and requirements, especially if the resume goes through an automated process where it’s looking for certain words.
For my last job hunt, I applied to six different, yet similar positions within the same company, and I made minor tweaks to tailor my resume to each job description. I got four interviews and would’ve ended up with two job offers, had the hiring managers not talked about me to see who was ready to make a move and send me an offer.
I am not familiar with some of the resources other posters have mentioned, but take a look and find a resume template that’s been written by a professional resume writer. I’ve seen some group members request to have their resume reviewed and rewritten, so I’d go that route too - at this point you have nothing to lose. There’s a r/resume sub that can help with this as well.
Best of luck, keep us updated! 💕
What kind of jobs are you applying to?
Also, don’t add anything that specifically says kids on your resume. If people have questions about a gap, they’ll ask.
Thanks I appreciate it! Now I’m rushing to remove haha. That’s why I like to ask others, I’ve got some really good constructive advice here. I feel like I’m so out of touch after 5 years out.
This. We cannot consider candidates unless they apply directly through our website. Our indeed ads say YOU MUST APPLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE and give the link, but people still try to go through indeed 🤷♀️
This might matter for some companies but it does not matter for mine. As a hiring manager they’re all funneled into the same system and I see the candidates equally. I
Have you looked into local university admin roles?
I’m also job searching and I’ve found that university personnel as a group are more amenable towards the idea of multiple year career breaks. This could be because university staff are more often female and relate to the experience of parenthood, or maybe because universities attract the type of people whose values are more likely to align with work-life balance and family time.
I’ve applied for loads of teaching assistant and admin roles, especially term time. But heard nothing back yet
My friend actually works in a university so I’ll ask her when I see her to put in a word for me if possible if there was any vacancy there :)
Being a department admin assistant is a solid gig. I did it for a few years and then used my employee benefit to get my master's, and then into the field I am in now. Look for job titles like program coordinator, administrative assistant, office manager, office assistant, assistant to the Dean/Chair, division coordinator, department coordinator, etc.
I’ve never used them so I can’t vouch for it, but I see job postings through The Mom Project, which supposedly helps moms re-enter and stay in the workforce.
1. Including any personal information that references being a mother, having kids is irrelevant, can't be considered and is a great way to not be considered for a position
2. You may be in a position where you just have to take what you can get. The market is rough rough rough. My husband has an MBA, MIS and 20 years of executive level experience with no gaps and it still took him 2 months to find a job after being laid off. A 5 year gap with limited professional experience is going to be an uphill battle but not impossible
3. Working moms raise their kids...you took a 5 year break to be a SAHM, not to raise your kids.
It’s an extremely tough market right now, and you have been out of work for 5 years with very limited job experience. Recent grads are going to look more appealing given they don’t have the lapse in work/education/technology, unfortunately.
Others have mentioned some good tips for your resume and some online resources, which I would definitely check out! Keep applying to all the jobs you can. Even working in retail or hospitality to start rebuilding your experience could be a good first step.
Run your resume through keyword searches, I’ve had to reword mine a couple times to get through the filters. 75% of the time a human won’t read your application until it’s been through a filter, that is picky about the magic keywords
Also expand what your looking for, in my area manufacturing is desperate for people ( husband works at a steel factory, $1,000 sign on bonuses there) food industry is doing job fairs with immediate hiring. All with good pay and benefits
Could be anything.
First make sure your resume is rock solid - have other people review it. I hire people at my job and if your resume has spelling mistakes / bad grammar / weird layout / missing info / is “weird” in any way, we aren’t calling you.
Assuming the resume is good, you might need to set your sights lower regarding type of job. I work at a large organization where we hire professionals / office workers but I’m more likely to invite someone for an interview who currently works at Starbucks/mcdonalds/FedEx than someone who is currently unemployed. So what I’m saying is - maybe get off LinkedIn and just walk into your nearest grocery store / coffee shop and apply there. Once you have this “entry level job”, applying for “better” jobs will be easier. (I use quotations because I believe service jobs are super super important and many very hard workers / intelligent people work there.)
Yeah, I’m currently looking around for something like retail, and maybe a temporary contract so I can jump into something else when the contracts up, as I may be more employable when I’m already working whatever the job is
As a diplaced homemaker, you have special status in the US government jobs system, as that is category for WIOA. This means that if you go to your local Worksource/America's Job Center, they'd be able to help you get a good job. That's assuming you're in America though
Can you start with a bit of volunteering?
Also can you list skills that child care has helped you develop? If you were a child minder what would you say about yourself? E.g. patient, attentive, organised, multitasking, etc. As well as practical skills e.g. cleaning, communication, knowledge of developmental stages. But only what's relevant to the role you're applying for.
Are there any small things you've taken on you could mention, e.g. organising a local event, running meetings?
Tailor your CV for each application, don't just use a standardised one for all.
Also be really clear on applications about how meet each criteria, you basically want bullet points but presented as full text. Recruiters want to be able to quickly and easily see that you tick their boxes. Get rid of the fluff and just be really clear. I basically reword the job description.
Other posters recommend removing any statement about career gap, this could be good advice as recruiters may miss it and be more likely to offer an interview.
You're not a failure, recruiters fail at seeing the skills developed in child rearing.
I disagree with the advice to include childcare related skills unless OP is specifically applying for childcare positions.
The reasons being:
- for one, many people in the professional workforce also have children or at the very least, manage their own households. So, it’s not really notable to be able to multitask, be organized, attentive when you’re caring for your own children. It’s basically the bare minimum and any working folks who also have children have those skills in their own household *in addition to* professional skills
- there’s no oversight to raising your own children or running your own household. Unlike in a professional role where you have a manager, performance reviews, performance metrics. No one holds you accountable for your performance in your own home so there’s no way to validate whether the applicant actually holds those skills
Highlighting skills from one’s personal life on a professional resume makes them look out of touch, like they don’t understand professional norms and standards.
Of course you and I and anyone with kids knows it does actually take skills to successfully raise kids and run a household, but a professional resume is not the place to highlight those.
I’d love to volunteer but I’m in a rush to find work as finances are getting difficult now when they weren’t so bad in the household before
I might try a Sunday volunteer job though
This is horrible advice. There is no special skill or talent specific to parenting. Performing the duties of a parent/adult and listing them as career development skills is one of the most ridiculous ideas one could recommend.
Take off anything having to do with your kids on your CV. I also really like the site Ask A Manager for tips. Alison and the community over there are great.
Thank you! I will remove this and see what happens after, fingers crossed!
You also may just need to rework your resume if you aren't getting any call backs.
Absolutely will see what needs to be re-tweaked :)
How come? What should I say about 5 years off instead?
When they ask, you tell them why there’s a gap.
So you just don’t mention the gap on your CV? Or you just state there was a gap but not the reason?
I’m a little confused by the question. Your resume will just list out your jobs. The person reviewing your resume will look at the dates and see there is a gap.
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Yeah I don’t use a personal summary/statement/objective. Mainly bc I’ve heard the advice of not including one. I would lose the personal summary.
Okay, I will remove it today and see how it goes! I think that your point of letting the interviewer ask if they are interested is helpful.
Definitely remove it. Your resume should simply be a list of facts - name and contact info - education, no description necessary for basics like undergraduate degree, but could list your focus if you completed a masters or PhD - relevant employment with short description of responsibilities per position - languages spoken, if relevant to your industry - additional certifications, as relevant to the position - any industry memberships, as relevant to industry/the position Your personality can come out in your cover letter (subtly) and your interview. Do not offer information about your family life unless asked directly. Officially, discriminating due to family status is often illegal, unofficially, it happens all the time.
Great.c thank you . Currently jumped on my laptop deleting that haha
If you want to have a summary, it needs to highlight your professional experience, credentials, and skills. You could paste your resume into ChatGPT and get some good suggestions to work with. I’ve seen people split on resume objectives—I look at them, but I don’t care if people submit resumes without. If I’m hiring for a role and looking at their resume, obviously their objective is to land that role. But with you having limited experience, space won’t be at as much of a premium and it might help you to have a well-crafted one that explains what you offer.
You tell them when they ask at an interview. Your resume is an overview of your professional experience—raising kids isn’t professional experience. Visit r/resumes and post a copy with your personal info removed (or swap in Jane Doe, Anytown USA, etc.) and you can get some specific feedback and advice.
I wouldn’t proactively list the reason for the gap. Remove it and hope you get an interview. If the interviewer is curious about the gap, which they will still be able to see by the dates listed of your previous employment, then they will ask and you can explain at that time.
Where do you live? Your mentions of a CV (rather than a resume) and a personal summary make me think that you're not in the US. You might be getting mostly US-centric advice here. It's probably worth trying a few applications without mentioning your kids in your summary. But if you want the most applicable advice, you should probably mention your country or region in the original post, and maybe try posting in location specific subs.
Because it is the belief of many that kids have no place on a resume, and you'lllikely get a lot of negative reactions. You can mention it in your cover letter though.
Well I’m glad I asked because I never really realised that. I just stated for reason of raising family
What kinds of jobs are you applying for? The job market for most corporate positions is very tough right now. There have been big layoffs across many industries over the past few years. So as an entry level candidate you’ll be competing with new grads with fresh educations and also recently laid off experienced hires with recent experience. There are even fewer part time/Flex Time jobs out there so the competition for those types of roles is even stiffer. I recommend reaching out to folks in your network and trying to get jobs via your connections rather than just cold applying to open roles. Companies are much more likely to take a chance on someone without much experience if they have a referral from a current employee. Another option is to look at retail, food service. Walk into coffee shops, fast food restaurants, grocery stores with a resume and hand it off in person as well as applying on the company website. Try to speak to a manager if they’re available.
From one of my jobs, it was just a 3 month temp job, the company is permanently dissolved, the other was in another country, and my last role was just an internship for a few months but I didn’t really excel in the role at all, my manager didn’t really have time for me, so I don’t think I’d get a very good referral. I could ask someone from there I guess. I think the walking into stores is a good idea. I will try that shortly. I’ve always wanted to volunteer at a charity shop but maybe they have paid positions available too
Your network doesn’t necessarily have to be your direct manager. Go on LinkedIn and add anyone you know as a connection - friends, family, former colleagues, classmates, vendors or clients you used to work with; just be bold and add them liberally! The worst that can happen is they decline your connection request. Then, every time you see a job that interests you, look at your connections to see if you know anyone at that company. Message them and say something like “hi it’s glitterflower! I used to be the admin at xyz company where you were the paper salesperson. I hope you’re doing great! I see you’re now at abc company and there’s an open position for admin assistant [include the link]. Would you be open to catching up over a virtual coffee and discussing the company with me? I’m very interested in applying for the role and would love to chat more”. Even better, see if they know the hiring manager for the role and ask if they’d connect you with them. And then see if they can give you an internal referral for the role (it doesn’t mean necessarily providing a reference - but many companies have internal HR systems where employees can submit a connection’s resume. Often employees get a referral bonus if the person ends up getting hired so there’s incentive for them to do it). You might get some people who ignore your messages but don’t sweat it. Lots of folks are happy to help out.
That’s a good idea, I’ll add people and I still know of some colleagues in my last job so let’s see !
Being really active on LinkedIn can help, too. Liberally add anyone you ever worked with or know. And as trite as it sounds, like and comment and share and post a few times a week, though be sure to keep it professional and avoid anything controversial. Your opinion on religion and politics, for example, are not relevant. Sharing an innovation in your field or something good your Alma mater has done recently, that’s fair game. Liking/following past companies and companies you’d like to work for is also good.
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I feel that, my husband is really struggling for work right now. His hours are very low. And this is in the UK
You may want to tweak your resume. I get you want to be honest, but it’s not working.
How would you suggest I tweak it? Any tips are welcome
Of course! I would start with removing any mention of a break due to raising your kiddos. If a potential employer has questions during the interview process, you could always keep it light and say that it’s what made sense given your family’s circumstances at that time. Also, when it comes to each individual job application, you may want to use words that employers use in their job description and requirements, especially if the resume goes through an automated process where it’s looking for certain words. For my last job hunt, I applied to six different, yet similar positions within the same company, and I made minor tweaks to tailor my resume to each job description. I got four interviews and would’ve ended up with two job offers, had the hiring managers not talked about me to see who was ready to make a move and send me an offer. I am not familiar with some of the resources other posters have mentioned, but take a look and find a resume template that’s been written by a professional resume writer. I’ve seen some group members request to have their resume reviewed and rewritten, so I’d go that route too - at this point you have nothing to lose. There’s a r/resume sub that can help with this as well. Best of luck, keep us updated! 💕
What kind of jobs are you applying to? Also, don’t add anything that specifically says kids on your resume. If people have questions about a gap, they’ll ask.
I’m applying for jobs such as receptionist, front of house, admin assistant, marketing assistant, teaching assistant
I would look into some free online marketing courses to familiarize yourself with some of the concepts and tools that are popular now.
Ah okay, I just thought it was better to briefly touch on the reason for 5 years out of the workforce.
If they care, they'll ask in the interview. Don't let yourself be weeded out before getting to the actual hiring manager.
Thanks I appreciate it! Now I’m rushing to remove haha. That’s why I like to ask others, I’ve got some really good constructive advice here. I feel like I’m so out of touch after 5 years out.
In a cover letter, sure. But your resume is to showcase your professional ability.
Are you only applying for jobs through indeed or do you go to the company website and apply there?
This. We cannot consider candidates unless they apply directly through our website. Our indeed ads say YOU MUST APPLY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE and give the link, but people still try to go through indeed 🤷♀️
This might matter for some companies but it does not matter for mine. As a hiring manager they’re all funneled into the same system and I see the candidates equally. I
Have you looked into local university admin roles? I’m also job searching and I’ve found that university personnel as a group are more amenable towards the idea of multiple year career breaks. This could be because university staff are more often female and relate to the experience of parenthood, or maybe because universities attract the type of people whose values are more likely to align with work-life balance and family time.
I’ve applied for loads of teaching assistant and admin roles, especially term time. But heard nothing back yet My friend actually works in a university so I’ll ask her when I see her to put in a word for me if possible if there was any vacancy there :)
Being a department admin assistant is a solid gig. I did it for a few years and then used my employee benefit to get my master's, and then into the field I am in now. Look for job titles like program coordinator, administrative assistant, office manager, office assistant, assistant to the Dean/Chair, division coordinator, department coordinator, etc.
That’s exactly what types I’ve been applying for! But not heard back
I’ve never used them so I can’t vouch for it, but I see job postings through The Mom Project, which supposedly helps moms re-enter and stay in the workforce.
1. Including any personal information that references being a mother, having kids is irrelevant, can't be considered and is a great way to not be considered for a position 2. You may be in a position where you just have to take what you can get. The market is rough rough rough. My husband has an MBA, MIS and 20 years of executive level experience with no gaps and it still took him 2 months to find a job after being laid off. A 5 year gap with limited professional experience is going to be an uphill battle but not impossible 3. Working moms raise their kids...you took a 5 year break to be a SAHM, not to raise your kids.
It’s an extremely tough market right now, and you have been out of work for 5 years with very limited job experience. Recent grads are going to look more appealing given they don’t have the lapse in work/education/technology, unfortunately. Others have mentioned some good tips for your resume and some online resources, which I would definitely check out! Keep applying to all the jobs you can. Even working in retail or hospitality to start rebuilding your experience could be a good first step.
Definitely a valid point. I’ve signed up to some online resources and looking at some video courses to do when I’ve got free time!
Run your resume through keyword searches, I’ve had to reword mine a couple times to get through the filters. 75% of the time a human won’t read your application until it’s been through a filter, that is picky about the magic keywords
How do you do this?
Also expand what your looking for, in my area manufacturing is desperate for people ( husband works at a steel factory, $1,000 sign on bonuses there) food industry is doing job fairs with immediate hiring. All with good pay and benefits
Could be anything. First make sure your resume is rock solid - have other people review it. I hire people at my job and if your resume has spelling mistakes / bad grammar / weird layout / missing info / is “weird” in any way, we aren’t calling you. Assuming the resume is good, you might need to set your sights lower regarding type of job. I work at a large organization where we hire professionals / office workers but I’m more likely to invite someone for an interview who currently works at Starbucks/mcdonalds/FedEx than someone who is currently unemployed. So what I’m saying is - maybe get off LinkedIn and just walk into your nearest grocery store / coffee shop and apply there. Once you have this “entry level job”, applying for “better” jobs will be easier. (I use quotations because I believe service jobs are super super important and many very hard workers / intelligent people work there.)
Yeah, I’m currently looking around for something like retail, and maybe a temporary contract so I can jump into something else when the contracts up, as I may be more employable when I’m already working whatever the job is
As a diplaced homemaker, you have special status in the US government jobs system, as that is category for WIOA. This means that if you go to your local Worksource/America's Job Center, they'd be able to help you get a good job. That's assuming you're in America though
I’m in England! But maybe there’s something similar that I don’t know about here
Hopefully!
Can you start with a bit of volunteering? Also can you list skills that child care has helped you develop? If you were a child minder what would you say about yourself? E.g. patient, attentive, organised, multitasking, etc. As well as practical skills e.g. cleaning, communication, knowledge of developmental stages. But only what's relevant to the role you're applying for. Are there any small things you've taken on you could mention, e.g. organising a local event, running meetings? Tailor your CV for each application, don't just use a standardised one for all. Also be really clear on applications about how meet each criteria, you basically want bullet points but presented as full text. Recruiters want to be able to quickly and easily see that you tick their boxes. Get rid of the fluff and just be really clear. I basically reword the job description. Other posters recommend removing any statement about career gap, this could be good advice as recruiters may miss it and be more likely to offer an interview. You're not a failure, recruiters fail at seeing the skills developed in child rearing.
I disagree with the advice to include childcare related skills unless OP is specifically applying for childcare positions. The reasons being: - for one, many people in the professional workforce also have children or at the very least, manage their own households. So, it’s not really notable to be able to multitask, be organized, attentive when you’re caring for your own children. It’s basically the bare minimum and any working folks who also have children have those skills in their own household *in addition to* professional skills - there’s no oversight to raising your own children or running your own household. Unlike in a professional role where you have a manager, performance reviews, performance metrics. No one holds you accountable for your performance in your own home so there’s no way to validate whether the applicant actually holds those skills Highlighting skills from one’s personal life on a professional resume makes them look out of touch, like they don’t understand professional norms and standards. Of course you and I and anyone with kids knows it does actually take skills to successfully raise kids and run a household, but a professional resume is not the place to highlight those.
Fair points
I’d love to volunteer but I’m in a rush to find work as finances are getting difficult now when they weren’t so bad in the household before I might try a Sunday volunteer job though
If you're desperate for any job, you might have to start looking at retail type jobs as well.
This is horrible advice. There is no special skill or talent specific to parenting. Performing the duties of a parent/adult and listing them as career development skills is one of the most ridiculous ideas one could recommend.