If you have to return to work after being off for maternity leave for some time, the prospects can appear to be quite worrying. You can feel removed from the work environment, almost as if you’d been on a very, very lengthy holiday.
It goes without saying of course that the time you have spent away has been anything but a relaxing time and you feel as if you have been working all the hours available, as it is! Even so, it’s time to devote yourself to your career again and to look at the reconstruction of your résumé or CV.
1. Look at this from a positive point of view. You have a number of skills now that you did not have before. You are really good at multitasking, time management, project management and your coping skills have improved considerably! Never underestimate what you need to do to manage a busy home and bring up a young one and look at these skills as important additions to your résumé.
2. Those who are involved with coaching for women say that you should put together a “functional” résumé. In this way, your qualifications and skills are the subject of focus, rather than a listing of employers in chronological order. This type of construction puts the focus on experience and you should point this out in your document. List your employers without reference to dates and focus on your skills, experience and qualifications above all else.
3. Don’t be defensive when it comes to your time off for maternity leave. Employers do not look badly upon somebody who has taken time off to be with their family as they have a lot more to worry about, such as staff without any motivation, or who are forced to stay home. Be prepared to defend your position as being very acceptable to society!
4. During your absence from full-time employment you may well have dedicated some time to extracurricular studies, maybe evening classes, voluntary work, etc. Don’t be afraid to put this on your résumé and hold it in a positive light. This will show that you are well capable of being a home keeper and a mother at the same time and can dovetail your interests and duties through multitasking, which your employer will appreciate.
5. Show that you are in control of every situation by outlining your plan to manage that time off. For instance, it is far better to say that you had a plan to be with your new baby until a set date, a certain age, for example. This is far more preferable than saying that you are just going to be with your baby “until the little one is ready,” as this does not show much spirit. You need to show that you’re in control.
6. Research before you think about sending out résumés. How long were you away for? Find out if anything significant has changed in a prospective employer’s business. This might be the time to catch up on your specific education, even learn a new system operating procedure. Make sure that you include this on your résumé, as it will strengthen your position.
7. Don’t think that you need to restrict any references to business clients and you can also refer to contacts that you made during your absence, as well. By networking and moving in your regular circles during your time away from work, you will have built up a good list of contacts who will be able to attest to your character, composition and reliability.
In our modern society, professional coaching advice from online life coaching experts can help you to focus on all that is positive in your life, so that you come up with a perfectly presentable résumé.
Amanda Alexander, Director of Coaching Mums, helps pressure-cooked, stressed working mums who long for more hours in the day. Through her coaching programmes and online life coaching courses, Amanda shows mums how to create fulfilling and successful lives. For your simple 5 step guide to balance as a working mum, download our free eBook today!
Tags: business, coaching, family, parenting, work-life balance
