After 16 years as a Stay-at-Home mom I find myself in need of employment. I had thought about hiring a resume company to help me put together something but find that the service is too pricey for our budget right now. Any ideas or tips for putting together a resume with a sixteen year “leave of absence”? Prior to leaving work I was an Admin Assist which is the type of employment I will be looking for now.
Thanks everyone for your great suggestions! Luckily I've been moonlighting as my husband's personal secretary, not to mention the hundreds of hours I've put in as a volunteer over the years - so my skills & computer knowledge are right on track. For me, the hardest thing about getting out and applying for a job, is knowing how to set up my resume to show that I've been very busy keeping my skills up-to-date. I'm confident in my abilities; I'm just not so sure how to lay it all out on paper.
You guys have supplied me with some great avenues to pursue. With a little help, I’m sure I’ll find just the right job; now it’s just a matter of getting out there and tracking it down.
Thanks again for all the great ideas.
I went to my local Community College (Brookhaven) for career advice and took the career personality test. They helped me with my resume and interviewing tips. I had a mock interview with a career counselor and was videotaped so I could work on my interviewing skills. This career department helped me go back to school for a Montessori Certificate. I had not worked in 22 years. I only had volunteer experience.
Just write your resume and list your role of SAHM with the dates of "employment" and a brief listing of your job-related tasks during that time:
- Coordinate activities for 3 children
- Developed and maintained household budget
- Planned and coordinated regular mother-child groups
- Volunteer positions/PTA roles, etc
I would second the idea of working for a temp agency to gain more current references and experience. You may also want to consider taking a computer applications course at your local community college (Excell, Word, Internet Explorer), etc to add to your experiences. Even if you have familiarized yourself with the applications, being able to say that you have "training" is far more impacting than "experience".
Microsoft.com has lots of tutorials on their website for improving your skills on all MS Office suite programs. These are free and you can do them in your own time. Temping is a fantastic way to get back into the swing of things. Visit your local Texas Workforce Commission office, they offer lots of help for people returning to the workplace, along with job listings, and skills assessments. Good luck, it's a tough world out there.
For free consult the websites Careerbuilders.com etc..They give you tips and buzz words to make your resume stand out. Keep your resume to one page :) From my experience as an asst...My boss who does recruting looks for the key buzz words depending on the business and position they are seaking to fill.
Good luck and Best wishes...I personally think finding a job is one of the hardest things to ever do...
Also, look at working at a temp agency to gain more current experience as you begin your search...
My church employment program offers free return to work counseling. They cover everything from resumes, cover letters, power statements, interview helps and they help a lot of stay at home moms returning to work in the same position as you. They can also help offer advice on how to brush up on skills and network. There is no pressure to attend the church at all. If interested, you can find a location near you here:
https://www.ldsjobs.org/ers/ct/stakes---wards.jsf?name=th...
to find a center:
https://www.ldsjobs.org/ers/center/find_center.jsf
you can start at a temp agency. they do have some permanent positions. after a few temps jobs, and you get good feedback, they can recommend you for something perm.
Contact a staffing company. They will be able to assess your skills and help with the resume. Since you have been out of the workforce for 16 years, technology has changed. You might have to start at a lower level than Admin Assist and work yourself up. If you decide to write your resume, use the skills that you developed as a SAHM. For example, budget, finances, organization, time management. Those types of things. While you were out of the workforce, you were skill working and developing skills. You just need to figure out how to translate those skills to the workplace. Good luck!!!
They have a lot of good free information and help on line for resume's. Good Luck.
Good advice, so far!
Also, make sure you are knowledgeable about modern office practices, machines, computer programs, phone systems, etc. I know you know that a lot has changed since you've been in the workforce. You will be competing with hundreds of people who have current experience, as well as schooling.
Good luck!
