Superb Suggestions On CV Writing For Mums Returning To Work No comments yet
If you have to return to work after being off for maternity leave for some time, the prospects can appear to be quite worrying. It can be so strange that you can feel almost as if you are removed, as if you have been on an extremely long holiday, for example.
Of course, you know that this time off has been anything but a time for relaxation and you might feel as if you have been working harder than ever. Nevertheless, it’s now time to get back to a career and you need to pay attention to your CV or résumé.
1. Look at this from a positive point of view. You have a number of skills now that you did not have before. Just add them up — time management, new project management, multitasking and coping – all have improved significantly. Never underestimate what you need to do to manage a busy home and bring up a young one and look at these skills as important additions to your résumé.
2. Those who are involved with coaching for women say that you should put together a “functional” résumé. This type of approach lists your skills and qualifications rather than focusing on a chronological list of employers. As such, you are definitely focusing on your experience and this should be stressed in the body of the document. List your employers without reference to dates and focus on your skills, experience and qualifications above all else.
3. Don’t be defensive when it comes to your time off for maternity leave. Some women think that employers look at someone who puts family before work in a bad light, but there are a lot more worrisome reasons for them to consider, including enforced unemployment, a lack of drive, etc. Be prepared to defend your position as being very acceptable to society!
4. During your absence from full-time employment you may well have dedicated some time to extracurricular studies, maybe evening classes, voluntary work, etc. Don’t be afraid to put this on your résumé and hold it in a positive light. If nothing else, it shows that you’re able to multi-task the role of mother and home keeper with other interests and duties and this strengthens your position in a prospective employer’s eyes.
5. Reveal how in control you can be, by showing that you have a plan to manage the time that you are away. For instance, it is far better to say that you had a plan to be with your new baby until a set date, a certain age, for example. This is far better than saying that you were prepared to stay at home until your child was ready, or to refer to some other nebulous plan. You need to show that you’re in control.
6. Research before you think about sending out résumés. How long were you away for? Your research should reveal what has changed in a particular line of business. This might be the time to catch up on your specific education, even learn a new system operating procedure. If you include this action on your résumé, it shows what you’re capable of.
7. You may think that you need to rely on contacts that you made prior to your career break and that any references you include should be “business only,” but this is not the case. Networking is important at all times and as you move within your usual circles during your “time away,” you will be amazed at what contact lists you build up, all of whom can confirm what type of character you have, how you conduct yourself and how reliable you are.
In our modern society, professional coaching advice from online life coaching experts can help you to focus on all that is positive in your life, so that you come up with a perfectly presentable résumé.
Amanda Alexander is Director of Coaching Mums and a highly acclaimed ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums who yearn for success, balance and fulfilment. Are you a juggling mom? Download our free eBook for working moms that will give you 5 simple and instant ways to balance your life right now!