When I ask “Why not?” They often they tell me that it is not for them.

In their minds, LinkedIn is for professional networking, for people working and people looking to work.

However, many stay-at-home-moms plan to return to the workforce at some point in the future.

A recent study in Harvard Business Review found that these moms are half as likely to land a job interview as moms who were laid off.

As more than 70% of jobs are found through networking — the loss of professional networks greatly reduces a stay-at-home mom’s chance of finding a job.

As internet growth explodes, recruiters are relying more and more on finding talent via LinkedIn. Mothers who intend to return to the workforce must be present and active on LinkedIn.

Step 1 — Build Your Profile: Become an “All Star” on LinkedIn

Think of LinkedIn as your online resume. What you will need for “All Star” status:

  1. Photo  

According to LinkedIn, Profiles with photos are viewed 21 times more often than those without photos — the difference between being visible and invisible in search results..

This is NOT your Facebook picture! Do not use a picture on a beach or with a glass of wine in your hand.

Choose a simple head and shoulders picture with good lighting. Professionally taken photos are preferred, but a good profile picture taken with a Smartphone could do nicely as well.

Pictures with your children do not tell the story of your being ready to return to the workforce. Additionally, be sure the picture is a recent photo – not from 10 years ago.

Bottom line: Iinclude a photo or most recruiters will not even bother to view your profile. For more details, read Why You Need a Photo on Your LinkedIn Profile (written by a recruiter).

  2. Add Skills  

Choose (and be endorsed) for at least 5 of your Skills (you can have up to 50 in your Profile). These are a major search criteria for recruiters — very important and useful, but easy to ignore.

See Secret to Powerful LinkedIn Profile SEO: Leverage Skills & Endorsements for more information.

  3. Complete the Experience Section  

Experience should include all of your work history and volunteer experience (usually not beyond 20 years in the past)- use all these organizations, companies – to build your keywords and SEO and build your connections.

• List your past full-time and part-time jobs, including descriptions of the work you did, highlighting your accomplishments. Don’t limit yourself to simply the job title, the employer, and the dates of employment. When appropriate, describe the employer (for example, “one of the top independent grocery stores in the area” or “4-member CPA firm”).
• During the time you taking care of your children, did you do some volunteering? Positions such as Secretary of Band Boosters, PTA President, and many other positions can be added to this section.
• You can also include part-time businesses (Do you sell Pampered Chef or other products?). Include how this experience has improved your selling skills.

List these experiences as you would any summer or part-time job and elaborate on the skills you acquired and the accomplishments made. Unlike the resume, LinkedIn does not limit you on space.

Taking care of children is indeed work. In the experience section, you also may choose to include a mom section. Recent research has found that women have a better chance of landing a job if they are upfront and share the fact that their gap in employment is due to taking time off to raise children.

  4. About  

LinkedIn gives you more room to sell yourself than a traditional resume. Express yourself!

Think of it as a cover letter. Written in first person (“I am” vs. “She is”), the About section lets you voice your personality. Filling out this section can help you stand out from other people with similar education, skills, and experience.

For more help, read 5 Secrets ot a Knockout LinkedIn Profile Summary.

  5. Education  

Be sure to include listings for all degrees and certificates earned, including the schools you attended, even if you did not complete your degree.

In this section, you can state that the degree is “in progress” and include a listing of courses completed. Including each educational institution helps build your network, as you become found and more closely connected to other LinkedIn members from the same schools.

Read Hidden LinkedIn Networking Power Tool: Education for details.

  6.Industry and Postal Code  

This helps recruiters by letting them know what industry you have experience in, and also helps you be found via SEO. The postal code lets employers and recruiters know you are within driving distance.

If you are planning to relocate, use the postal code of where you are planning to move, so that employers from that location will see that you are a local for them.

  For Extra Credit: Customize Your Professional Headline  

This is the “tagline” that is visible with your photo whenever your name appears inside of LinkedIn — in search results, in LinkedIn Groups, etc..

This is one of the most important sections of your profile for SEO, and one of the most viewed by recruiters. If you do not customize your headline, LinkedIn will auto fill it with your most recent position.

Don’t use “Mother of two kids” — instead use keywords or titles. Remember Steven Covey’s Habit – “begin with the end in mind” and use a headline that matches the job you want.

For more details, read Fast Formula for a Powerful LinkedIn Professional Headline.

Step 2 – Connecting and Building Your Network

The real power of LinkedIn is how it can help you connect and build your network.

One mother I know discovered that the hiring manager of a company she was applying to, was the wife of her daughter’s baseball coach. This gave her an inside chance to have her resume reviewed, over hundreds of other applicants.

Connect with former colleagues, college classmates, and supervisors, but don’t stop there.

Here is a list to help you get started:

• Family members
• Parents from soccer
• Mom’s from your play kids’ groups
• Facebook friends

Get a notebook, and write down everyone you know. Then search for them on LinkedIn, and connect (when you are sure you have found the right person – see the value of the picture?).

The power of LinkedIn, is that it allows you to see who your connections are connected with.

  Don’t Forget Groups  

Groups are a great place on LinkedIn to connect with other people in your industry, to learn, and to contribute to industry discussions. LinkedIn allows you to join up to 50 Groups. Join groups related to your field or personal interest.

  Connect with past Alumni and Colleagues  

Similar to Groups, LinkedIn’s Alumni section will allow you to find fellow alumni and filter for alumni who live in a certain area, work in your industry, for your target employers, etc. Following companies and joining alumni groups from your past companies also allows you to be closer connected with past co-workers.

Read LinkedIn Networking Power Tool: Education for details.

  Posts – to Share or Not to Share?  

Don’t skip this powerful part of LinkedIn. On Facebook, your friends and family have a pretty good idea of what you are up to.

A post on LinkedIn does the same — only in a professional way, when used appropriately.

Don’t confused Facebook with LinkedIn! Focus on sharing, liking, and commenting professionally. In general, stay positive and focused on professional topics (not the broken washing machine or your son’s first day of school).

Share how you just volunteered for the Boys and Girls Club 5K race or a blog post you wrote (or found, writen by someone else) illustrating your industry knowledge.

LinkedIn has even given all members the ability to write long posts or blogs. Take advantage of this, to increase your visibility, credibility, and SEO.

Read How to Leverage LinkedIn Status Updates for Your Job Search (written by a recruiter) for more information.

The Bottom Line on LinkedIn for Stay at Home Moms or Moms Returning to Work

LinkedIn is essential today! As the workforce and job search have changed so dramatically in the past decade, LinkedIn needs to be a polished tool in your job search toolbox. It is critical to stay connected and for recruiters and hiring managers to be able to find you online. Be sure to stay current and active — doing so will increase your chances of landing your next job.

More About LinkedIn:

• Improve Your Ranking in LinkedIn Searches in 10 Steps
• Refusing or Accepting LinkedIn Connections
• Grab Employer Interest (and LinkedIn Traffic) with Your Success Stories
• The 25 Best Keywords for You in Your Job Search
• To Be Hired, Be Reachable – How to Safely Publish Your Contact Information on LinkedIn
• FREE eBook: Smart Personal Branding with LinkedIn

About the author…

By day, Rachelle Lappinen, working mother of two, serves as a college and career advisor for GEAR UP. When Rachelle is not writing her blog or advising her students, she enjoys camping and going to the theater with her children. Follow Rachelle on Twitter at @RLappinen, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her blog SolutionsByRachelle.

The post LinkedIn for Moms: Profile & Headline Tips appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Is it a mistake to accept the first offer?

Or, do you risk alienating your new employer if you push for a better salary or compensation package?

Numerous studies show that a substantial “wage gap” exists.

Women are paid, on average, 79% of what men are paid to do the same job.

How to Close the Wage Gap

Since employers are not going to uniformly decide to pay women equitably, negotiating that starting salary seems like a very good idea.

What You Stand to Lose if You Do Not negotiate

According to Dr. Linda Babcock, author of “Women don’t ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation – and Positive Strategies for Change,” a woman stands to lose anywhere from $500,000 to over $2,000,000 of income over her lifetime.

Every bonus, every salary increase, and even future positions are based on your starting salary, so the lower that starting pay is, the lower future pay increases will likely be.

By not negotiating your pay, you also run the risk of resenting your job.

This is especially true when you realize that co-workers are making far more than you for the same position.

Most employers also expect that you will negotiate — after all, they almost always offer the lowest possible salary due to the need to keep costs down.

By not negotiating — according to Cynthia Shapiro, author of “What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here? 44 Insider Secrets That Will Get you Hired” — the employer may question whether or not you are the right choice.

Understand that salary is only one part of a job’s “total compensation package” which usually includes benefits like paid vacation time, paid sick time, help with medical coverage, and more.

Why the Wage Gap Exists

While institutional sexism still exists, many other factors have great effect on women’s wages.

First, we are the caregivers.

Many of us stay out of the workforce for months or even years to raise our future citizens, as well as take care of our elders. This results in years of lost salary increases. Women also choose occupations that offer more flex time and therefore less pay, to be better able to care for their children.

However, the biggest reason that affects the wage gap is the fact that women simply do not ask for more pay. According to a poll of over 2,000 participants, by Salary.com, 46% of men always negotiate pay, while only 30% of women do.

Obstacles Stay-at-Home Moms Face

Some employers discriminate against mothers who stay at home to take care of their children by valuing them less than their peers. It would be unthought-of for an employer to low-ball the salary of a cancer survivor, offering them less pay due to illness and time out of the office.

1. Employer Discrimination

However, the stay-at-home moms are not alone in facing this salary discrimination. Currently, the long-term unemployed have been dealing with the wage gap created by the large breaks in continuous employment on their resume.

Employers rationalize this gap in pay because of the time and money it takes them to get you up to speed again.

2. Job Seeker Low Expectations

Many mothers accept lower pay without understanding the level of salaries currently being paid, grateful to receive a salary after years out of work with their children. However, accepting lower pay can have a huge impact on any future raises and promotions.

This starting pay will affect your future wages for the remainder of your career and also lower your retirement and social security benefits.

Reasons Women Do Not Negotiate

Many times, women will say – “I don’t really care about the money, I just want the job.”

Other times, women just do not want to take part in tough negotiations, being afraid that it will create an unpleasant relationship with their new employer.

However, the biggest reason women fail to negotiate is that it makes them uncomfortable.

Over 55% of women feel apprehensive over negotiating salary, but only 39% of men do — according to a survey by Salary.com.

Salary Negotiation Tips for the Stay-at-Home Mother

Start out with including a short, get-up-to-speed time in your initial employment agreement, maybe three months, with the agreement to be re-evaluated at the end of that time, and then transition the salary from the starting pay up to the market value.

1. Salary is always negotiable

No hiring manager expects you to accept the very first offer for a professional, salaried position. The job of the hiring manager is to hire you at the lowest possible cost, so the first offer is almost always a low-ball one.

2. Know your value

Prepare for negotiation by knowing your value and the market value for the position you are applying for. By researching, you will be more calm and confident and less likely to back down.

3. Use a collaborative approach

Avoid statements such as “Is that the best you can do” and instead use a collaborative approach by using the word “We.” A statement such as “Thank you so much for the offer! I am excited about the opportunity. I really appreciate the stock option plan, the 401k plan, and the health benefits. But I was hoping for $75,000, as it is near the market value for someone with my level of experience. Is there anything we can do here?”

4. Role play

Before you call to negotiate your salary, role-play the conversation with a friend. Research shows that role-playing before an interview or important conversation results in candidates being less anxious and more confident. Therefore, practice!

5. Negotiate like a woman

Negotiating like a stereotypical man — in an aggressive way — likely will not work and may backfire. Society has bad words for women who negotiate like this, from the “B” word to “pushy,” “high-maintenance,” and being called “not a team player.”

On the other hand, men who negotiate in this fashion are often called “go-getters” and “ambitious.”

While this is not right, it is often a reality that we live with. It is commonly believed that women are not as effective in negotiating as men. However, studies show that women really are just as effective in negotiating.

Bottom Line

The key to negotiating as a woman is to remember to have respect, and to imagine you are negotiating for someone else. In effect, you are, because you are negotiating for your family’s and children’s future!

More About Salary Negotiation

• Winning Negotiation Strategies for Your New Job (free ebook)
• Answer This Interview Question: What Is Your Current Salary?
• Answer This Interview Question:What Are Your Salary Expectations?

Read more working moms articles.

About the author…

By day, Rachelle Lappinen, working mother of two, serves as a college and career advisor for GEAR UP. When Rachelle is not writing her blog or advising her students, she enjoys camping and going to the theater with her children. Follow Rachelle on Twitter at @RLappinen, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her blog SolutionsByRachelle.

The post Salary Negotiation Strategies for Stay-at-Home and Working Moms appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Going from answering questions like “Why can’t I have chocolate milk before bed?” to “Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult client?” can be challenging.

I work with many mothers who thought they had a few more years to stay home with their kids and are now in job search mode due to a spouse being laid off.

There are many things to take into account, from research and preparing for possible interview questions, to dealing with explaining why there is a gap in your work history.

The Employer’s Concern

Employers want to be sure that you will be a reliable employee who does a good job, consistently.

If you have been a stay-at-home mom for several years, be ready to answer why you took time away from the workforce.

Deal directly and forcefully with “the employment gap” question if this is your first job after staying home.

For example, if there is a 6-year gap, address it head on, or the employer will assume the worst. Give them an honest answer, such as

“I decided to leave my last job and become a stay-at-home mother until my children reached school age. I am now ready and excited to return to the workforce!”

Never act apologetic! Tell them “I was raising children” — but don’t assume the interviewer will want to hear about your life as a stay-at-home mom. Avoid providing too much information, particularly information that is not relevant to your qualifications for the job.

11 Tips for Your Next Job Interview

Following these ten tips should help you succeed in your next job interview:

1. What to wear:

Dress one or two levels higher than the position you are interviewing for. For more tips on what to wear to your job interview, read Choosing the Right Interview Outfit.

2. What to bring:

Bring several copies of your resume, printed on resume paper, and references printed on the same. If appropriate, also bring your career portfolio with writing and project samples.

3. How to prepare:

Research the company on the Internet. Use LinkedIn and Twitter to find people who work there, and learn about career paths of current and former employees. (Read The Winning Difference: Pre-Interview Preparation for more details.)

4. Arrange back-up child care.

Be sure to have a back up to your back up on child care. You won’t make a great impression if you need to reschedule your interview due to a lack of child care.

5. How to answer situational questions:

Have 7 to 10 STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) stories to use as answers to many interview questions. Write out these stories and practice reading them aloud, especially the day before the interview. For more information, Google “Preparing for STAR Answers for your job interview.”

6. Prepare questions to ask the Interviewer. 

Be ready to ask well thought-out questions about the job, company, and career path. Do not ask questions that can easily be answered from the “About Us” section of the company website, which you should be very familiar with, but instead, use ones that show that you are really interested. (Read 50+ Possible Good Questions to Ask in Job Interviews and 45 Questions You Should NOT Ask in a Job Interview for ideas.)

7. Prepare good answers about your strengths and weaknesses.

Use the job description as your guide, finding your strengths among their needs. The answer about a weakness is best dealt with by using one that you have improved on and turned into a strength, or one that is not essential to the job. Avoid cliches, such as “I am a workaholic.” (Read Smart Answers to Interview Questions, which includes the greatest weakness and greatest strength questions, and many more.)

8. Practice smiling and making eye contact.

This may seem obvious, but when you are nervous, you may seem shifty and untrustworthy, and forget to smile. A lot of people do not naturally smile in conversations, and you should know if you are one of them. Practice with mock interviews via Zoom or Skype, making a conscious effort to smile and connect. Use a mirror during your rehearsals. Grab a friend or family member to help, if possible!

More: Mock Interviews: Questions to Ask, How to Practice, and More

9. Do a test run.

One or two days before the interview, drive to the location at the same time of day, taking note of traffic and where to park. It is unwise to trust a GPS or Google Maps alone and take a chance on being late. Have a backup set of directions printed on paper if you are relying on electronic directions. If at all possible, allow extra time for problems such as a flat tire, etc. You really want the job, right?

10. Find ways to relax before the interview.

To take off the nerves, practice deep breathing. This will relax you, and will also help to open up your airways, making your voice sound better, more confident. Don’t know how? Just Google “relaxation breathing techniques.” There are instructions and even videos explaining it in detail.

11. Get a good night’s sleep.

Prepare things days ahead of time, such as clothing, resumes, and your portfolio, so that you will be well rested for the interview. It is best, if at all possible, to have no preparation tasks left to accomplish the day before the interview, so you can completely relax.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer About Work Life Balance

When considering life balance – such as what happens when you need to take time off to pick up your child, consider the advice of Liz Ryan, in her article “Five Questions To Ask Before You Accept A Job Offer.”

Sometimes, we are so excited that we got an offer, that we forget about what is really important to us. Some of the questions that Ms. Ryan suggests you ask are:

• How do you handle communication after hours and on the weekends? At one of my jobs, I stayed in pretty close touch with my boss when we had big projects brewing, so we’d text and email on the weekend. At my last job we didn’t do much of that. How does it work here?
• How do you handle time off requests for a person in this position? I don’t have any specific plans coming up but I wanted to find out how you deal with situations when somebody needs a few hours or a day off work, for instance. Can you tell me about that?

Some organizations are more flexible than others. It’s best to know which kind the employer is before you accept the offer.

How to Handle Illegal Interview Questions

Be ready for illegal interview questions. For a working mom or a mother returning to the workforce, illegal interview questions could deal with marital or family status.

You can refuse to answer these questions, be evasive, or answer honestly. Often, a good response is, “Is that relevant to the job I’m applying for?”

Bottom Line on Job Interviews for Moms Returning to Work

In the end, remember, an interview is a two-way conversation. You are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. This is especially the case if you are looking for full time work, where you will be spending most of your wakeful hours with these people.

More About Moms Returning to Work

• Salary Negotiation Success Strategies for Stay-at-Home and Working Moms
• How Stay-at-Home Moms Can Network to Their New Jobs
• Resume Guide for the Transition from Stay-at-Home to Work

Answering the Common Job Interview Questions:

Questions About You:

• What Is Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment?
• Tell Me/Us About Yourself
• Why Should We Hire You?
• What Do You Want?
• Why Do You Want THIS Job?
• What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
• What Is Your Greatest Strength?
• Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job?
• What Is Your Current Salary?
• What Are Your Salary Expectations?
• When Can You Start?
• Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
• Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions
  • Tell Me About a Time When You Failed
  • Tell Me About a Time When You Were Successful
  • Tell Me About a Time When You Motivated Someone
  • Tell Me About a Time When You Convinced Your Boss

Handling Special Career Situations:

• Why Did You Quit Your Last Job
• After a Layoff: Why Did You Leave Your Job?
• After Being Fired: Why Did You Leave Your Job?
• Explain Your Gap in Employment

Questions About Them:

• What Do You Know About Us?
• How Did You Find This Job?
• Why Do You Want to Work Here?

Questions for You to Ask Them:

• Do You Have Any Questions? — choose from 50+ good questions to ask them
• 5 Absolute Must-Ask Questions for the End of Your Next Interview
• The Second Interview: 5 Key Questions to Ask
• 45 Questions You Should NOT to Ask in Job Interviews

Interview Preparation:

• 3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist
• The Winning Difference: Pre-Interview Preparation

About the author…

By day, Rachelle Lappinen, working mother of two, serves as a college and career advisor for GEAR UP. When Rachelle is not writing her blog or advising her students, she enjoys camping and going to the theater with her children. Follow Rachelle on Twitter at @RLappinen, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her blog SolutionsByRachelle.

The post Interview Tips for Stay-at-Home Moms Returning to Work appeared first on Job-Hunt.

According to Richard Bolles, author of “What Color is Your Parachute,” the job market has changed significantly since 2008. Therefore, what used to work, doesn’t anymore.

Now, for any given job, the average number of people applying is 118. How do you stand out from the 117?

Re-entering the workforce involves learning a whole new process now.

One cannot just expect to start applying online and receive a job offer in a few short weeks.

After assessing your transferable skills and writing your resume, it is time to focus on the most effective way to find a job – networking.

According to Bolles, more than 80% of jobs are found through networking. Research backs up that statistic.

Reconnect with your network. Being out of the workforce for a long time can create a feeling of isolation, but, remember, you are not really isolated. So reach out to your current and past network!

7 Ways Moms Can Leverage Their Network for a Shorter Job Search

Think of everyone you know.

Get back in touch with your former co-workers, and also your mom’s group, members of the PTO, Boy Scout and Daisy leaders, other soccer parents, and more.

All of these people are part of your network. You never know who is married to the HR director of the company you are looking to work for.

1. Create a LinkedIn Profile

Remember, when you are a stay-at-home mom, you are working. So create one, or update your existing LinkedIn Profile to support your job search. Include your volunteer activities, board memberships, and freelance projects.

[Read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to LinkedIn for Job Search for more details.]

2. Don’t Forget Facebook

Facebook is under-estimated as a good platform for job seekers:

• Start with filling out your professional profile, by clicking “edit profile” and looking at the top of the screen for “Work and Education.”
• Most people only list their current job, but Facebook offers many slots for more details.
• Classify your friends – create two lists – “Professional” and “Friends.” This will allow you to target updates to each list.
• Post content and respond to others – “Like” other people’s posts – people want to help people they like – be engaging!

[Read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Facebook for Job Search for more details.]

3. Use Social Media to Network

After you create your profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, as well as Twitter, use these platforms to network with your connections.

• Upload your contact lists and connect with your friends, former co-workers, the parents of your children, etc.
• Join groups, post content and take part in discussions.
• Use LinkedIn’s alumni tool to re-connect with alumni.

Most importantly, use these social media tools to reach out to contacts and connect with them in person.

4. Establish Your Support Network

Before you start to network, you need to have child care in place, and a back-up to your child care. Once you start setting up networking meetings, you don’t want to have to cancel your meetings due to a lack of child care.

Reach out to family, friends, members of your church, and the parents of your children’s friends.

Don’t be afraid of asking for help! This is a part of the networking process too. Networking is about helping others without expecting immediate help in return. During your time at home with your children, you helped many, and helped educate our future citizens.

Now it is time to reach out and ask for help, and build your own support network.

5. Create a List of Everyone You Know

After so much time at home, you may feel that you don’t know anyone who can help you in your job search. Write out a list of everyone you know, from your hairdresser and yoga instructor to the leaders of your daughter’s Daisy Troop and more.

You never know who is connected to someone who has the power to hire you. One of my job seekers landed a job through the mother of their son’s best friend. Include members from your church, your family and their co-workers, your former co-workers, and school and corporate alumni.

This is where the power of LinkedIn comes in – helping you find out who is connected to who.

6. Improve Your Communication Skills

Actually practice improving your communication skills. A great and safe place to do that is an organization like “Toastmasters International.”

Here, you can practice improvisational speech – through table topics – where you are asked to speak for 1 to 2 minutes on a random subject. You can also practice your presentation skills and earn a designation of “Competent Communicator.”

Join a job-seeking networking group, sometimes called a “job club,” where you can practice networking in a safe environment.

7. Create a Brief “Elevator Pitch”

You may have heard of the idea of an elevator pitch. Amy Cuddy talks about this in her famous TED talk.

The idea is to have a 30 to 60-second pitch you could quickly give in the time it takes an elevator to go from the first to the top floor.

In our Twitter, etc., social media-filled world, people’s attention spans have decreased. You will want to develop a quick, short, and to-the-point elevator pitch, and then practice it.

[For how-to details, read How to Write an Impressive Elevator Pitch (with Examples).]

Keep Expanding Your Network

Of course, this is not a full and comprehensive list of networking sources and skills needed for your job search. For more ideas, Google “Using networking to find a job” and you will find many more! Also, watch for future posts for more in-depth ways to use LinkedIn, social media, etc., to network your way to a job.

More About Networking

• 10 Elements of an Effective LinkedIn Profile
• LinkedIn Networking Power Tool: Education
• 4 LinkedIn Ice Breakers
• 10 Steps to Better Ranking in LinkedIn Searches
• Secret Networking Powerhouse: Employer “Alumni”
• How to Make Employee Referrals Work for You << the best/quickest way to find a job!

About the author…

By day, Rachelle Lappinen, working mother of two, serves as a college and career advisor for GEAR UP. When Rachelle is not writing her blog or advising her students, she enjoys camping and going to the theater with her children. Follow Rachelle on Twitter at @RLappinen, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her blog SolutionsByRachelle.

The post How Stay-at-Home Moms Can Network to Their New Jobs appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Many mothers dread the question, “What do you do?” Mothers may respond by sharing what they used to do before they had children, or respond that they are a full time mom. Career coaches have been instructing moms to hide the gap of time taken off for child care from their resume.

Discussing taking time out of the workforce for child care is usually left out of job interviews due to the guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). While this may seem unfair and unjust, it is often a reality, as many employers fear that skills may have deteriorated.

A very good way to deal with this resume gap is to volunteer.

Bonus: Volunteering allows mothers to keep — or improve — their skills while balancing their varying schedules.

Volunteering Opportunities for Moms

There are many opportunities for stay-at-home moms to volunteer, from managers of children’s sports teams, Rotary Clubs, Boys and Girls Club and many more.

Volunteering does not just have to be in the nonprofit world.

• Lawyers can take on pro bono assignments.
• Teachers can tutor their children.
• A journalist or writer can start a blog.

By volunteering on projects or roles for organizations, mothers can stay current in their industry. A local organization here in MA, called Jericho Road matches volunteers and organizations based on the skills of the volunteer and the needs of the organization.

7 Benefits of Volunteering

Studies have shown that volunteering increases job search success. Here are 7 reasons to start now:

1.Your self-esteem will improve.

Getting out of the house during a job search is key to having a healthy self-esteem. Additionally, you will have a chance to interact with adults, something that many stay-at-home moms miss.

Volunteering will give you a place to go and a purpose beyond the important care of your children. You will feel good about helping others, resulting in a healthy mental outlook, which will then shine through in your interviews.

2. Increase your networking opportunities.

Networking is truly the key to a successful job search. According to the book What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles, over 60% of jobs are found through networking, while only 4 to 10% of jobs are found on the Internet alone. Hiring managers prefer referrals, as someone who has been referred is a known quantity. Consequently, the risk of a “bad hire” is lower.

Volunteering will give you a way to network while doing something you can feel good about. You need to grow your network using all avenues, both in person and on LinkedIn.

3. Build your resume.

This is also a way to add new experience to the resume and bring current relevant experience close to the top of the resume, showing employers that you are engaged.

4. Keep your skills fresh.

Employers are concerned that time away from work results in a lack of skills or skills that are not up-to-date. Many employers will not hire job seekers without current relevant experience.

In many cases, recruiters view volunteering as valuable as paid work experience, particularly when the volunteering activities are related to the professional goals, like someone seeking a marketing role managing a nonprofit’s social media marketing.

5. Find mentors and support.

By volunteering, you will build your support group, something that is critical in a job search. An added plus is that these mentors can serve as references, endorsing your skills and your work ethic.

6. Be hired by the organization.

Treat the volunteer position just the same as you would a real job, and make yourself indispensable. Seek to take on more responsibility for the higher-ups to notice.

Every organization is different. Some will respond by hiring you, others may need to wait for money to be freed up, grants to renew, or budgets to increase. A friend of mine was volunteering for a local organization, when the CEO position became open. She was encouraged to apply, and landed the position, over other candidates with more experience.

7. Discover a new career path.

Many job seekers have told me that by volunteering they discovered a new career path. Volunteering allows you to become a known candidate. If you did not like your job before you had your children, here is your chance to gain the needed experience to transition to a new career.

For Example: Mother of 4, Volunteer Became a CEO

Volunteering while raising 4 children helped Pamela Boisvert, CEO of MassEdCO in Worcester, secure her first job after college.

When Ms. Boisvert applied for her first job after college while raising three children, she was looking for a part-time position that would allow her to be close to home and be able to pick up her children from school. She did not research the organization, and when asked about what she thought about the employer — EOC — she embarrassedly asked what EOC stood for (Education Opportunity Center).

Ms. Boisvert’s resume was sparse, with only her college degree and one part-time job which she left after 6 months to have her 4th child. Yet despite the gap on her resume and her interview blunder of not researching the organization, she got the job and is now the CEO.

What made the difference? Ms. Boisvert was very involved with the League of Women Voters, and volunteered in leading roles.

Bottom Line

While volunteering can help build current experience and enhance your resume, raising children is important work. Current studies have actually found that mothers are more likely to receive job offers by honestly sharing the fact that they were out of the workforce to raise children, increasing their chances by 30 to 40% – as reported by the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. Add volunteering, and you can further increase your chances of finding a job by 27% – according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

About the author…

By day, Rachelle Lappinen, working mother of two, serves as a college and career advisor for GEAR UP. When Rachelle is not writing her blog or advising her students, she enjoys camping and going to the theater with her children. Follow Rachelle on Twitter at @RLappinen, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her blog SolutionsByRachelle.

The post Volunteering to Increase Job Search Success appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Above all, your resume should communicate your personal brand.

Transform your resume from the traditional chronological or functional format to a resume based on transferable skills.

Focus on what skills you used outside of the work place that are easily transferable to a job — event planning, conflict resolution, and negotiation, to name a few.

Stay-at-Home Mom Resume Examples

Use these sample resumes to craft your own with your work history and professional skills. For example transferable skills from your time as a stay-at-home mom, keep reading. To learn more about transferable skills and find additional examples of transferable skills, read What Are Transferable Skills?

Here is a formal resume and an ATS resume that can be easily read by applicant tracking systems:

• Sample Formal Resume for a Stay-at-Home Mom
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for a Stay-at-Home Mom

For more information about how these resume samples were written and tips for tailoring them to your needs, read Resume Sample: Mom Returning To Work, Making a Career Change.

How to Choose the Best Resume Format

Consider using a “combination” resume, which includes both functional and traditional chronological resume aspects, with a Summary of Qualifications section.

In the Summary of Qualifications section, you focus on your qualifications and skills relevant to the job you are applying for. This section can be supported by your previous professional experience.

The Summary of Qualifications can also be supported by the transferable skills you gained during the time you spent raising your children. (Yes! You did gain transferable skills raising your children! More on that below.)

How to Avoid Raising Resume “Red Flags”

To help avoid employers finding red flags on your resume, place the work history section of your resume directly under a professional qualification summary. If you choose, you can go into more detail in a cover letter or in the interview, but use caution.

An interviewer cannot ask personal questions not relevant to the position, such as questions about family, marriage, children, etc.

Remember, the purpose of the resume is to get the interview. The purpose of the interview is to get a second interview, and ultimately get a job offer.

For more information, read How to Manage Resume Red Flags.

How to Format Your Resume

Don’t use a functional resume – a resume that does not list any dates or career chronology. While I emphasize starting with a summary of qualifications, I do not suggest leaving off dates.

Instead, what I suggest is using a combination resume:

• The top third of the resume contains a Summary of Qualifications, highlighting your fit with the opportunity.
• Follow the Summary with a listing of your positions with dates.

For more about why the combination resume works best, read How to Choose the Best Format for Your Resume.

Your resume will have gaps on it, but those gaps are not dead time.

What Filled “the Gap” Between Jobs on Your Resume?

Stay at home mothers find ways to be involved, from leading a Daisy group, to serving on a PTO, to volunteering at a local food shelter. These activities help to fill gaps on your resume, keeping your experience recent and relevant.

These experiences can be included on your resume as “Relevant Experience.” During your time out with your children, you can also consider creating a consulting company, and list all the volunteer, pro bono, and consulting projects.

If you have little or no work experience, you might consider leading off with your education, especially if it is relevant to the position you are applying to.

Remember, the resume is not a static document! Sections can, and should be moved easily. With this approach, you may consider using the old-fashioned career objective – as long as it is focused on the position you are applying to, and is not vague with canned language.

For more details How to Handle Employment Gaps on Your Resume.

Stay-at-Home Mom Transferable Skills for Your Resume

Remember, being a stay-at-home-mother is one of the hardest jobs, and a job that is rich in transferable skills:

1. Multi-tasking  

What is a stay-at-home-mother’s number one skill? Multitasking! As a mother, you need to use every moment wisely, especially when you have just 15 minutes between activities. You can get a load of laundry started, respond to teacher’s emails, and prepare lunches for the next day, among a myriad other tasks!

2. Communication  

Communication skills you’ve developed or increased: speaking effectively, speaking other languages, facilitating group discussions, persuading, interviewing, listening, writing.

3. Research  

Research skills you have used: creativity and idea generation, identifying resources, gathering information, setting goals, specifying needs.

4. Organization  

Keeping everything running as smoothly as possible: handling details, coordinating tasks, managing groups, leadership, setting realistic deadlines, reviewing progress, adapting to change.

5. Managing people  

Being a mother is the equivalent of being a full-time supervisor. We are teachers, mentors, and behavior managers. Through the years, we learn how to redirect our children from inappropriate behaviors to making positive choices. These people-management skills are perfect real life examples for the resume.

6. Negotiation  

Moms know how to bring others together and reconcile differences. In dealing with schools, doctor’s offices and local businesses, while advocating for our children, moms develop strong ability to persuade others through respectful communication.

7. Collaboration

Moms know how to compromise. Meal time is a perfect example – we give our children the chance to have a choice, but limit the choices (do you want juice or milk with your dinner?). We enhance these collaboration skills through our service with Band Booster Committees, leadership roles in our children’s school PTO, and through volunteering on various boards.

This is not a full and comprehensive list of transferable skills a mother gains through raising children and running a household. Just Google “stay-st-home-mom transferable skills” (with the quotation marks), and you will find many more!

The Bottom Line on Resume for Stay at Home Moms

Spend the time to identify your transferable skills, and highlight them in summary section at the top of your resume. Leverage your networks, and hand that resume to people who can refer you for the right job.

More About Resumes:

• Resume Sample: Mom Returning After a Gap, Making a Career Change
• How to Make Employee Referral Programs Work for You (with Sample Messages)
• Guide to Effective Resumes and Cover Letters
• How to Triple the Value of Your Resume
• How to Choose the Best Format for Your Resume
• Why a General Purpose Resume Doesn’t Work
• Keyword Secrets to Get Your Resume Noticed

About the author…

By day, Rachelle Lappinen, working mother of two, serves as a college and career advisor for GEAR UP. When Rachelle is not writing her blog or advising her students, she enjoys camping and going to the theater with her children. Follow Rachelle on Twitter at @RLappinen, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her blog SolutionsByRachelle.

The post Stay-at-Home Mom Resume Examples and Tips appeared first on Job-Hunt.