The mid-2008 job market is a tumultuous place. On the one hand, employers complain about a shortage of talent so dire that the media has dubbed the phenomenon "The Talent War." At the same time, qualified job-seekers bemoan the tedious and insulting processes that employers subject them to before even a phone interview is granted. What gives?
Employers DO need people, in some cases to the point of desperation. The bad news is that corporate HR and recruiting departments haven't figured out how to simply identify and interview talented people without running them through the Seven Trials of Hercules first.
The byzantine selection processes knock too many good candidates out of the pipeline, as they fail to hear back from employers or simply opt out of overly complicated, demeaning selection hurdles. And already challenging job searches are often especially tough for moms returning to the workforce.
Fearful HR folks and corporate recruiters can be quick to treat returning mothers like modern-day Rip Van Winkles, perhaps believing that five or ten years away from the workforce transforms an intelligent woman into a relic who'd be undone by the latest version of Word.
It's a ridiculous bias—After all, how many office types spend their days juggling babies, schedules, budgets and household logistics with the precision that most moms do?—but a prevalent one. In a climate where hiring managers don't want to take a chance on anyone—including an applicant with sixteen out of seventeen 'must-have' skills listed on the job requisition—returning moms are often seen as dicey contenders.
The silver lining to this returning-mom obstacle is that a clever marketer—that’s you—can rise to the challenge by making her returning-to-the-rat-race story a plus in her job-search efforts. There are three critical elements to promoting your returning-mom status as a positive feature:
1. Number one, you've got to be clear about your returning-mom ID in your cover letter and your resume.
2. Further, you've got to trumpet your accomplishments and skills acquired during your hiatus from the paid workforce.
3. Thirdly, you need to specify in your materials that you're chomping at the bit to return to the workforce now.
SAHM in Summary
You'll start by describing your SAHM (stay-at-home mom) status right in the summary at the top of your resume. Your summary might say:
I'm a tech-focused marketing pro with new-product launch experience and a passion for opening new channels and markets. I specialize in creating compelling B2B marcom materials and sales tools that equip local sales teams to educate and inspire end users. I have ten years of background in growing firms, and I'm excited to return to the workforce now after raising my son and sending him off to kindergarten.
Don't mince words. One of our chief action items as job-seekers is to reduce uncertainty among screeners and hiring managers who read our resumes and cover letters. Put it out there in the most direct fashion: "I was at home, and now I want to come back to outside-the-home work."
Your summary is the place to say this. I don't recommend listing your SAHM time as an actual job on your resume, complete with accomplishments. That wastes valuable real estate that you could be using to share details of your pre-SAHM assignments. If your summary answers the two top-of-mind questions "Why is this lady's most recent job from 2002?" and "Why is she writing to us now?" with the answers "Because I had a baby" and "Because my child is old enough for me to return to work," you'll have made huge progress in winning an employer over to your side.
SAHM in Cover Letter
The second to-do item on your plate is to share what you did that is relevant to the work world, while you were out of the paid workforce. Your cover letter is the best place to do this. If you volunteered, taught an ESL class, organized a neighborhood mom's group, wrote a blog, or otherwise kept busy with non-kid-related stuff while you were home with your children, say so.
Keep your cover letter upbeat and business-y, but make sure to let an employer know if you acquired any new, marketable skills during your time at home. As much as the skills themselves, your roster of acquired-at-home skills shows that you're the intellectually curious type that forward-looking employers want on their payrolls.
Lastly, you'll want to emphasize your desire to return to the workforce now. This is an easy step to forget; lots of moms assume that sending a resume itself indicates to an employer "Here's someone who wants to work." You can do more to let a prospective employer know that you're ready for a shift away from your kitchen and into the workplace. We gave an example in our summary language, above, but you can touch on this point in your cover letter, as well. For instance, a sentence like "I'm excited to be re-entering the workforce and bringing my customer service management skills to a client-focused organization" conveys your enthusiasm—not resignation!—to picking up a briefcase again.
Smart Employers
It goes without saying that you'll dress professionally for the interview, be punctual, and spend no more time than the average candidate would gushing about your amazing offspring. Smart employers know that hiring moms is a stroke of genius—What mom wants to disrupt her family schedule by changing jobs, if her employer treats her well?—and it's worth your while as a returning mom to keep up the hunt until the right (read: respectful, employee-centered and results-focused, rather than hours-in-the-chair oriented) employer hoves into view. It may take a little while to find that perfect opportunity, but it's worth it.
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Ask Liz Ryan is a human resources and leadership consultancy, and think tank focused on the new-millennium workplace. The Ask Liz Ryan online community reaches over 30,000 men and women on five continents with business, career and life advice. For more information, contact Liz Ryan at liz@asklizryan.com
