Tips for Stay at Home Parents Who Desire to Return to Work

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By Kristin Shopp, Resident since 2014

Are you a stay at home parent considering a move back to work? Have you been frozen by your fear of failure, or have you been applying for dozens of jobs with no other action? Most parents say that starting a job search after being home with the children for a period of years is a real struggle. Stay at home parents face diminished self-confidence in their abilities and feelings of guilt about putting their children into day-care. Many feel that they have not kept up with the latest trends in their field, and most have do not have an updated resume. Add to this the very real bias that occurs on behalf of the employer against parents who have had a career gap to stay home with their children and it can feel that the dice are really stacked against them. This bias was noted in a study in the Harvard Business Review, where employers were half as likely to interview applicants who were stay at home parents compared to those who had been laid off for the same period of time.

The stay at home parent needs to utilize the same methods as any other effective job seeker does in their search, but in order to overcome the employer bias and create the maximum number of opportunities they must spend twice as much time on their job search! This penalty for a career gap may not seem fair but it is the reality, and achieving your goal requires that much more focus and commitment in your approach:

1. Network! Networking is the most important part of a job search-it is estimated that 85% of jobs are found through networking. Take the time to rekindle relationships with your previous employers, and friends, and notify them of your job search. Review your network of friends and parents at your school and in your community to see if they might be a valuable contact for you. Do not go with your hand outalways offer to help others as well.

2. Update your resume. Consider working with a resume coach as they can help you to sell your best accomplishments.

Research resumes online and select an updated resume format that is suitable for your field. There are many online resources and examples. Include your volunteer work if applicable.

3. Create a spreadsheet and use it to list your network contacts, jobs you have applied for, and meetings you have had with contacts or employers.

4. Update your LinkedIn profile with the same information as your resume. Participate in Linkedin’s networking groups and frequently post on your profile.

5. Prepare your elevator pitch- a short speech up to 30 seconds that tells an employer or someone else who you are, what you have been doing, what you are looking for, and what you have to offer. This pitch can be used with modifications for your cover letters when needed.

6. Have conversations with recruiters in your field so they can be looking for positions on your behalf.

7. Build your skills by taking classes in your field that will bring you up to speed on the latest jargon or technology. These will build your confidence and will allow the business lingo to flow in your speech more naturally.

8. Help overcome your interviewing fears and build your network by asking for informational interviews at employers of interest. The informational interview is a lower pressure way to have a conversation with a potential employer and gain information that will facilitate your understanding of what the employer is looking for in an employee.

9. To ease the transition into work, you may consider contract or part-time roles. Sites like Flexjobs and Upwork have many home-based contract opportunities, and the Mom Project specializes in matching working mothers with employers.

The time you have spent at home with your children is priceless, and despite what you might think, you have been building skills during this time that are desired by employers. The road back to employment will likely be a bit longer and bumpier than you like, but if you stay focused, you WILL achieve your goal!

Kristin Shopp has twenty years of experience in the career field as a recruiter, career coach, and talent acquisition manager. She is currently a stay at home parent for her children at Walnut Acres Elementary.