Not all that long ago, it was commonplace for mothers to give up work altogether when their kids came along. Wages and living costs were such back then that the man could more than afford to cover finances for the whole family. And, that meant Mum didn’t have to worry one jot about whether her C.V. would be ‘appealing’ to employers when it had a childcare gap in it. Heck, she would never need to get the thing out again.
Now, though, for both personal and financial reasons, many mums do decide to go back to work. Admittedly, not all do this straight away. There are still plenty of us who take extended career breaks until our kiddies reach school age. But, the majority of us intend/need to reenter the working world at some stage. As such, the damage that this career gap can do is at the forefront of many of our minds.
Even explaining gaps of a few months on your C.V. is difficult during the interview process. Doing that for a five-year gap in a competitive market can be even tougher. In fact, many mums experience real struggles when trying to get back to work. But, it doesn’t need to be the same for you. That’s because the time you take off with your kids needn’t be a black hole for your employment future. Keep on reading to find out why.
You could keep one foot in the employment world
Considering employment with young kiddies isn’t easy, but it is possible. There are plenty of part-time job roles out there which only require you to work one or two days a week. You could even become a bank worker, and accept shifts as and when you’re able. Failing that, you could embark on one of the many side hustles out there, like blogging or copywriting. These are all things which still leave you in some control over your time, and allow you to maintain a balance between work and home. You could then arrange one or two days of childcare a week, or even arrange to work when you know your partner is home. As easy as that, you can keep one foot in employment without your kids ever needing to suffer for it. It may seem small, but an employer will give you more time of day if you can fill that gap with something like this. If nothing else, the effort you put in here proves that you’re determined and hardworking. Few employers could ask for more than that.
You could use this time to study
There’s no denying that qualifications have become less prevalent of late, but that’s not to say that they don’t still matter. Being able to cover gaps by saying you were studying will undoubtedly see you through an interview. This is especially true if you were studying something like business which is relevant to most fields. Of course, you’re at home because you’re caring for your kids. You really don’t have time to sign up for actual classes at college or university. But, with options like this M.B.A. programme now available 100% online, that’s no excuse. Instead of having to head to class each day, this ensures you can get your studying done while your kids’ nap or sleep. There’s no denying that completing a course and being a full-time parent could be a little rocky at times. But, it’s entirely possible, and it could be a game-changer when you do come to apply for jobs later on.
You could become a prevalent volunteer in kid-based activities
Any parent spends a fair amount of their time at various toddler groups and soft play sessions. The chances are that you have something like this set up at least two or three times a week. Lucky for you, these sessions needn’t be wasted time. Forget sitting around gossiping with other parents while your kids go off and play. Get proactive. More often than not, clubs like these rely on all the volunteers they can get. Many of them are run by a group of parents who don’t get a penny for the time they take over arranging this. By approaching the people who seem to be in charge, you could soon find yourself on the organising committee. That alone is sure to cover at least some of those holes you’re worried about. In an ideal world, you could even work your way up to a volunteer ‘management’ role. This would see you arranging things like locations and meeting dates. This may not be the same as running an office of workers, but it’s not as far off as you might think. It’s certainly the closest you’re going to come right now.
Recognise that your children could be your unique selling point
At the very least, it may be worth remembering that the time you take off to be a parent needn’t leave a gap at all. That’s because raising children requires a unique set of skills in itself. By recognising what these are, you can start to look for positions which value the qualities you’re embracing daily. An obvious option here would be something like childcare. This literally takes everything you’re doing right now and turns it into a viable career. It’s also worth thinking about skills you need like organisation, diplomacy, and working under pressure. This may sound like clutching at straws, and perhaps it is, but it can work better than you might imagine. This is especially the case if the boss you’re applying to has kids of their own. They’ll be all too aware of how much time and patience you needed to display to spend all day every day. In this respect, merely working out how you’re going to present this information is all it takes to get this right. Instead of focusing on employment history, you may want to highlight the skills section of your C.V. That could well see you soaring through to the interview stages.
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