Résumés for Moms: Handling an Employment Gap

resume-gapEven with the many opportunities afforded to women in the workforce, the decisions we face surrounding motherhood and career can be quite complicated.

One such decision for many women is whether to continue working in a formal capacity once they have children. For a variety of reasons, many professional women are stepping away from the workforce at some point during their childbearing years. According to Sheryl Sandberg, 43 percent of highly qualified women with children are leaving careers or off-ramping for a period of time.

As someone who is included in this 43 percent — and who has already done my fair share of off- and on-ramping in less than two years of being a mom — I feel acquainted with the tensions surrounding a leave of absence from work outside the home.

One of the questions I hear most often from moms in a similar situation is: what should I do about the gaps on my résumé? When I start looking for work again, what is going to fill those “gap years” in the eyes of potential employers? If I’m at the front end of an employment gap, how can I set myself up to return to work down the road? Or if I’m at the tail end of one, how do I start looking for work after a period of staying home — even after 5-10 years?

As a writing specialist — and current stay-at-home mom — I’ve encountered many moms who are facing these questions. I thought it might be useful to compile a few tips. (Disclaimer: I’m not providing instructions for formatting your résumé, as that varies greatly by profession. However, these tips can be broadly applied and contextualized based on industry expectations.)

First: let’s talk about résumés.
Helping others with their résumé — and updating my own — always places me in a philosophical tension. On one hand, résumés and cover letters are valuable tools. They provide employers with a log of our professional experiences and document our marketable strengths.

On the other hand, our culture places far too much stock in résumés, viewing them more as a measure of worth than as a helpful tool. So, let me just say this: you are not defined by your résumé.  A résumé is merely a piece of paper! It plays a very specific purpose, and that is to land you an interview/job. It does not — and cannot — define your status or capture your intangible contributions to the world.

In light of that, there’s no need to be ashamed of a gap on your résumé. Many women have stories of how they successfully re-entered the workforce, and some even changed their professions for the better along the way!

What that context, here are tips for dealing with an employment gap on your résumé.

  1. If you can, think ahead. If you’re at the beginning of an employment gap — or considering leaving the workplace for even a short period of time — try to think about how you might continue to develop your skills. Sometimes you need to take time off to simply do the important work of changing diapers and rocking babies to sleep, but perhaps there are ways to keep up on your professional skills in the meantime: could you take an online course? Organize a neighborhood event in your area of interest? Volunteer in a way that uses your specific skill set? Creatively using this season can help you jump back into formal work when you’re ready.
  2. Avoid listing “mom” (or “domestic engineer”) on your résumé. There are differences of opinion about this, but I think it’s best to keep “mom” off your actual résumé – especially if you have the opportunity to write a cover letter. Your role as a mom is probably harder than any job actually listed, but including it likely won’t do you favors in the eyes of an employer. Depending on your field, you might be able to highlight some of your activities as a mom in your cover letter. For example, if you’re applying to be a preschool teacher, it’s probably relevant that you’ve structured opportunities for learning through play with your own preschoolers. Even then, keep these examples short and relevant.
  3. Address any employment gaps. Even while “mom” doesn’t appear on your résumé, you should address the reason for any leave of absence. Letting your employment gap speak for itself only allows your potential employer to make assumptions. Instead, address gaps directly in your cover letter. For example, “I resigned my accounting position three years ago in order to stay home with young children, but I am eager to return to full-time work.” At this point, you can describe relevant ways you used your skills while away from the office.
  4. Market your unpaid work. As mentioned in tip #1, there are many ways to utilize your skills that do not come with a paycheck. Include these on your résumé and clearly connect those experiences to the specific job requirements. (That part is very important!) Did you serve as president for the PTA? Have you volunteered as part of your neighborhood association? Include a description of specific tasks in these roles that are relevant to your future work. I recommend that people study the requirements of the job listed and think carefully about how your experiences demonstrate your competency in these areas. Yes, this means you need to update your résumé and cover letter for every job to which you apply!
  5. Find a way to freshen up your skills. If you haven’t worked in your industry for awhile, an employer might assume your skills are outdated. This can be remedied by demonstrating that you’ve made an effort to stay up-to-date. For example, if you’re returning to teach in the classroom, you might spend a year as a substitute teacher or take a professional development course. Or, ask if you can volunteer or shadow in a setting similar to your desired job.
  6. Build relationships. We all know connections matter when it comes to landing a job, and you don’t have to be fake or creepy to develop them. Simply use your time away from work to continue building relationships with people around you! You could ask someone who works in your area to coffee and pick their brain about how you can prepare yourself. You’ll not only gain valuable advice, but you can build a connection that might help as you begin looking for work.

If you still feel nervous about how you’ll handle your résumé gap, know that you’re not alone — I have fears myself! Navigating a leave of absence from work outside the home is certainly not easy, but it’s definitely not impossible. Have confidence that your time away from work has been valuable and that you’ll have much to contribute as you return.

For other thoughts on this topic and additional resume assistance, visit these links:

Jenna
Jenna lives in Midtown with her husband and two kids (ages 6 and 4). She has an M.A. in English and too many overdue books at the library. She has been working with writers for over a decade, as a high school teacher, college instructor, and writing coach. She loves good coffee, serious conversation, and not-too-serious fiction.

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.