My cv is very empty after being sahm. Would volunteering at scouts be a way to start progress in to more references?

[Wupity]

my kids all went to cubs and scouts but I didn’t volunteer as had too much else going on. Now my kids are at secondary school I am feeling pretty isolated and not sure how to build my connections to the community and build references for getting a job again one day .

also I think I would enjoy it as nice to be around little ones again

Anything like that, or try charity shops or any charities really. I don’t think a sahm gap is a huge deal anymore but good to do volunteer work if only to get a reference. Even just try applying for jobs op

Yes, you'll get safeguarding training, first aid, experience and confidence - heads really like that kind of thing.

I’d add volunteering in as a one-liner at the end eg
2020-present Parent volunteer at xyz
I wouldn’t go into long details

Can you do any free online short courses eg Google, Microsoft, to show you are refreshing skills?

Any volunteering will help, definitely, but it might also be worth giving more intensive volunteering such as Citizens Advice Bureau or something more project-based at say a museum or something? You may struggle to get the breadth of experience needed to answer a lot of interview questions doing a couple of hours a week at Scouts. However a DBS check, safeguarding training and first aid course will probably be offered with Scouts (especially if you are a leader rather that a parent Helper) which will be very useful and it sounds like you'll enjoy it.

It'll definitely give multiple ways to answer 'tell me about a time when you...can you explain what you understand by the word Safeguarding?...what would you do if...?'.

And the certificates evidence commitment to ongoing learning, etc, etc.

I got asked more about my volunteering than my previous jobs in a school/NHS at interview.

Yes volunteering got me back into work for sure. But it was in an office environment with a big charity with lots of training and a challenging role. Confidentiality and safeguarding training helped. You need to choose the right role (or do a few) as near as possible to your desired job. can be great though as can be flexible and gives you examples for interview. I included in cv with just a note (volunteer role) next to it

You might see if there are any governor vacancies at local schools? You don’t need to have a background in education. Most governing bodies are a mix of “parent” governors, who have a child at the school, and “co-opted” who usually bring other experience.

My child’s school is desperate for governors as they have had a few step down over the last year or so, and the ones that are left are either reaching a life stage where they don’t have the energy/want to free up more time, or working full time and volunteering on top and just don’t have any more hours to give!

I found it a very fulfilling experience, I had lots of training and support, and used a couple of examples in a job interview.
I did need a DBS check but it was organised and paid for by the school.

Yes definitely it’ll help. My voluntary work enabled me to answer interview questions better than my degree experience.

Long term do you know what sort of work you would like to end up in?

And as it’s a familiar environment for you You’ll hopefully feel settled and be able to build your confidence. Then look to see where you’d like to head.

Thank you for all these. I have already started volunteering doing admin for a charity. But I just thought I might do something else on top of this. partly it’s for getting experience for work and partly it’s just because I think I am now a very boring person and need more interest in my life.

I am really torn what to do in terms of work. I have an engineering degree and wonder if I should try to go back to that. It was quite stressful job though so not sure. Or if I should try to get a term time only job in a school or university. I saw an advert a while ago for library assistant at a university and wish I applied for that. I would love to tutor maths. I really enjoy helping my own kids but I don’t have any teaching qualification's.

I think the volunteering thing is a good idea.

While unemployed I was given 3 weeks voluntary work in an office centre (basically ringing up other volunteers to check they are still interested). I was not a SAHM but had been out of work for quite a while and really needed it. The first day I was to pick up the phone and take messenges. This will sound crazy but it took me a while to work out how to pick up the phone and use a message pad. I thought I did not have enough hands and I had been a secretary!!!

As an Explorer scout leader I'd say "yes, please volunteer"! As a manager, consider also being on the executive committee as Secretary/Chair/Treasurer which will give you more "office" skills.

Also, Parish Council?

OP if you've been out of work for 12+ years it might not be easy/possible to walk back into.an engineering job.

I would concentrate on what you want to do going forward, and then find some voluntary work connected with that.

I work in local government and regularly interview people for entry level positions in our directorate. If someone has had time out of the workplace that's fine, but I would expect to see an array of volunteering on their CV. If you have a STAR type of interview you need to have examples to hand in order to answer.

Thank you for all these. I have already started volunteering doing admin for a charity. But I just thought I might do something else on top of this. partly it’s for getting experience for work and partly it’s just because I think I am now a very boring person and need more interest in my life

If you are already doing admin for a charity, which may give you office type experience, then I would say definitely think about volunteering as a leader for scouts/cubs/beavers - whichever age group you think you would enjoy being with most.

I'm a cub leader, and it's a great way to meet new people, feel less isolated, become more involved in the local community. I've met so many lovely people through this role, and made great friends. The great thing about it is that you can give as little or as much time as you have to give. We have leaders who only attend meetings every other week for instance, and don' really get involved in planning as they don't have the time. Then we have leaders who spend a lot of time planning, arranging, running camps, going to exec and district meetings etc, all on top of the weekly meetings. It's up to you how involved you get. You also get training such as first aid, safeguarding etc, plus you can do other training such as archery permits etc.

Most of all, it's great spending time with the young people now that my kids are all adults. And I'm getting to do things that I probably wouldn't bother to do otherwise - camping, firefighting, ziplining, visits to theme parks etc. It's a lot of fun.

The only downside is that most of this takes place when your kids are off school - so evenings/weekends etc.

I was going to say something similar. I work for an "Arm's Reach Body" under Defra. We employ civil, mechanical, electrical and structural engineers. If you have an engineering background, but no recent experience, get some "management" voluntary experience (or paid in a different field) and consider management/project management roles with eg: National Highways, Environment Agency, Water companies, Network Rail, National Grid. You may need to go in at entry level, but with past professional experience (are you CEng?) and "life" experience, you could fly.

Last year I took on someone in a similar position to you, who had a good chunk of voluntary management experience, Holt's raising a young family, and she is going great guns.

As an aside, NH and EA are public sector and are good for flexible working; the others are at least partly privatised, I am not sure about their working patterns.

Thank you this is really useful. Yes I am chartered engineer.

Also think about joining local evening meetings and day conferences of your institution to get your head back in the game, make some contacts etc.

Good luck!!

How about looking at local FE colleges for work? They will recruit and put you through a post 16 teaching qual. You maybe able to do just a few hours as it’s FE.

Sorry what is FE?

@Wupity FE is further education college. It’s post 16 education and adult education.

If you’re in or near a city there’ll be one there.

They’ll run engineering courses like BTEC or the new T levels and offer maths GCSE or functional skills.

Oh yes we do have a college for these

Our local library has volunteers who help with maths, reading, IT etc. Might be worth looking at?

@Wupity Definitely have a look at possible volunteering opportunities near you 😊 it’s a great way to meet new people and could even lead you to career opportunities that you hadn’t considered 😊

As someone who reads a lot of CVs, can I also add not to try skim over the fact that you’ve had time out of work 😊 I see so many that try and alter dates or add in “work” to try and bridge the gap.

You took time away from the workplace to raise your family, now they are older, it’s time for you to get back into employment. While raising your family you’ve done x,y,z as a volunteer. Don’t be afraid to actually write it on the CV. It reads so much better!