Converting Mom Skills to Job Skills

VirtualVocations understands that making the transition from being solely a stay-at –home parent to a work-at-home parent can be an especially daunting challenge, especially when trying to update your resume’.   Your last formal work environment may have occurred years ago, leaving a sizeable gap in your work history.  You CAN utilize the skills you have learned over the years by managing your household.  The following is an example of how your skills can be developed into a format that will get your prospective employer’s attention.

Home Finances & Purchasing-If you have been a stay-at-home parent for long enough, chances are, you’ve had extensive experience in handling your family finances.  Don’t let that experience go unnoticed when you apply for outside jobs!  If you’ve dabbled in investing, include it!  If you handled paying the bills and balancing the checkbook, note on your resume’ that you have basic accounting skills.  If you did all the purchasing for your families needs, include your skills in comparison shopping and product research.  See below for examples on wording.

Budgeting-Accountable for the control and disbursement of an annual budget.  Extensive experience in checkbook balancing, and cash handling.

Purchasing-Analyzed and initiated purchase of low-budget to high-ticket items, including two automobiles, 950 square yards of carpeting, a twenty-four foot cubic freezer, swim club memberships, orthodontic and medical services, and six rooms of furniture.

Home Organization-Probably another area that all of us who have stayed at home have conquered in one way or another.  Make sure you highlight what you’ve done in this area like making travel arrangements, calendaring, meeting deadlines, making phone calls, running errands, etc.

Prioritizing & Organization-Organization skills include establishing schedules, calendaring, meeting deadlines and coordination of diverse tasks.

Training & Supervision-Now, some people may say this is quite a stretch to include in your “professional” skills area, but I say it’s one of the crucial areas!  How many people have gained the patience, innovation and ability to remain calm in stressful situations that those who belong to the stay-at-home parent’s workforce!  Be sure to be direct and detailed in the areas you really feel will benefit the employer that you have gained from managing your household and taking care of your children.  Your main emphasis should be on the fact that you have learned adequate management skills that can be utilized under pressure.

Training & Supervision-Trained, instructed and directed three junior associates, whose development was under my jurisdiction, in a wide variety of skills (from bicycle riding to writing term papers to managing a paper route).

Research & Personnel Selection-This area can include all of the experience you’ve gained in interacting and selecting quality professionals to help with your family’s maintenance.  From physicians to contractors to babysitters, this experience is invaluable because it has allowed you to hone your research skills and personal interaction with other professionals in their fields.

Recruitment, Interviewing and Selection of Personnel-Interviewed and hired a wide variety of professionals, including electricians, physicians, roofers, decorators, and baby-sitters.

Don’t resign yourself to a life ahead that includes flipping burgers at the local McD’s just because you’ve been at home taking care of the kids for the last 10 or 15 years.  Utilize the skills you’ve gained and create a professional resume’ highlighting your experience.  Employers will be impressed with the skills you have gained, and with the confidence and manner you portray yourself with.

Posted:Monday, July 16, 2007