"Ful time mum" on CV- yes or no?

[likeababyelephant]

I just received a rejection from a job a spent ages tailoring my CV for and writing a very good cover letter for. Only to be told there were others with better skills/more experience. This is for an HR entry level job btw.

I can't help but think that it's because I put "full time mother" on my CV. But I would expect recruiters to seek to diversify their workforce, especially as it's an HR job. Are they discriminating against mothers or something?

Should I omit this information from my CV. I feel like I have better/more skills as a mother than I did before I had DD.

I was believing this till i read the OP put "mother" in interests and achievements.

No don't put this, all mums are full time and this sounds incredibly unprofessional. Also due to the way some come across who give themselves this title may colour your employers opinion of you and spoil your chance.

Oh and picking up a comment further down I don't regard my children as an accomplishment. ds was planned, but only to the extent I stopped birth control and we had quite a bit of sex. dd was an accident. I'm very lucky to have them and they are fantastic almost adults that make me proud. Their achievements are their own.

Neither are on my CV as I was employed through my maternity leaves. I talk about them at work as do most other parents, so not hidden, but not relevant the majority of the time. I try not to employ my teenager management style at work, and I really wouldn't have done well to apply my toddler management approach to my colleagues (even when they appeared to be throwing tantrums!)

Also keep c.v brief and relevant. Dont waffle about previous positions unless relevant to the job your applying for. Believe me when you get 200 cvs for one post. Ones that waffle tend to go in the filing ( bin)

I'd do whatever possible to hide the fact I'd had a child on my cv.

You started your degree at 22-24?

So what jobs did you do from 18 to then?

Did you do any volunteering etc?

As a student you aren't expected to have a lot of work experience.

What Beebee said - use whatever jobs you did from 18 to 22, they'll at least show you have a work ethic.

bee

I started my degree at 22. Prior to my course I worked in retail, volunteered and did an unpaid internship.

The paid jobs I've had were actually quite difficult to get and I felt like I really needed to prove myself despite doing quite menial tasks. On top of that I was dealing with physical abuse from my ex so my self esteem was quite low.

Since having my daughter I have regained a lot of mental strength. I'm more confident, more determined, I work really hard and put a lot of effort in to what I do. Not something I can say I did before her.

If anyone has read my other thread, then you will see that I'm also dealing with a very complicated bereavement. My brother took his own life late last year- I found his body.

I guess seeing the rejection email jut made me feel even more crap so I decided to make this thread, trying to pin point as to why I got rejected. Me thinking it's because I mentioned being a mother on my CV. But I agree with what everyone has to say that it's not relevant to the role I applied for. And I'm aware of unconscious biases, I study paychology.

Btw I didn't intend to offend anyone by implying that working mothers are also not full time mother. I clearly was thinking when I wrote that, plus I feel like a full time mother as I'm doing parenthood alone.

I appreciate all the helpful replies. Thank you.

A lot of typos there

I am sorry you are going through such a difficult time babyelephant you sound like a remarkable person.

Don't take job rejections personally, as I said up thread, there can be over 100 applications for entry level roles. I hope some of the advice on this thread has been helpful for future applications.

I am so sorry about your brother

Good luck OP, you have way more skills and life experience than I had at 25 and as you've found out, having children actually makes you way more committed and organised in the workplace (you just can't state that!, silly) so I am sure you will be excellent in whatever role you get and going forward. Sorry for all the crap stuff you've had to deal with already, again something that I hadnt at your age and becoming a mother in my thirties was hard enough, but it does sound like you're using all that to spur you on and make you stronger. Good luck!

OP. That must be very hard.

I do think you probably do receive rejections because you stress so heavily that you are a mother on your applications.

Wee anecdote from me- I recruit too, and had to choose between 2 applicants just the other week. One came across as very experienced, very informed about the job. The other had very little experience - her first time applying for the type of position. I almost chose the first one- then she said something about having to drop everything if her son needed a cuddle.

Not the same as a CV, I appreciate. But you just don't.

Again, and good luck. No mention of motherhood on CV, at interview you explain that you "decided" to take time off from studies/jobs while your child was small. That gives the impression like I said yesterday that you are fighting fit and ready to get back on the horse.

Good luck, OP.

The job market is cut-throat but many employers do recognise that mature students often have more resilience and a wider range of skills than graduates who have never left education and are yet to experience the wider world.

Don't worry about it elephant. I'm sorry you got bad advice. IMO in the circumstances you describe there is no need to mention it on your CV at all, but if you choose to, I'd simply list it as '2013 - present, BA Teapot Painting (Break in studies 2014-15 for caring responsibilities)' or similar.

However, the entry level job market is challenging and you will get rejections, possibly many. You have to be able not to take them personally. Make the best application you can, then put it out of your head and move onto the next one. To be blunt, the entry level HR roles will be heavily sought and you may have to do some temp or administration work post-uni to get your foot in the door and build your history. Good luck.

Thank you guys

Would it be a good idea to post an ad on Gumtree as a job seeker looking for an unpaid/volunteer position in HR. Do many employers find volunteers this way or am I better off approaching a recruitment agency?

And is my psychology degree relevant on my CV. E.g. I wrote that I have theoretical knowledge of recruitment processes and other knowledge surrounding effective group work and other human behaviours relevant to being more efficient in an organisation.

What kind of roles are you looking for, OP? PT / summer work?

OP I've sent you a private message, no pressure but please get in touch if you want.

I wouldn't bother with a gumtree post, I would polish your Linkedin profile and contact HR professionals in your area.

To me that screams the type of person who will take time off because their child sneezed twice. Also 'mum' is quite informal language which I would not expect on a CV.

Putting something about completing your degree as a mature student with other commitments, or something about taking a break as you became a parent but have returned to study and succeeded, or just put career break due to personal issues which are now resolved.

'Full time mum' also says that your child(ren) is the most important thing in your life, which it is, but employers want them to be the most important thing in your life.

Your degree isn't directly relevant, no. For this type of role it's generally just about proving you have the capability to get a degree. You'd need a degree in HRM or a masters in Occ Psych for the subject to be an advantage.

Angelica I'm looking for a placement year.

For those in the know how (or would?) you explain a long break due to caring for a child with disabilities? Would you just put the standard 'caring responsibilities' or elaborate a bit more? Also how important is it to have linkedin? Do employers/recruiters look at it?

The sort of jobs you're looking st will be very competitive. I advertised an admin role recently, part time. I got 60 applicants in 24 hours. We're going to have to reject some incredibly qualified people

Also how important is it to have linkedin? Do employers/recruiters look at it?

I think LinkedIn's pretty good if you want to be headhunted - in our industry, you get a lot of messages from recruiters and seniors from other companies.

If you don't have LinkedIn, no-one really knows you exist in the employment-o-sphere.

I think I'd put the standard tigerskinrug. Unfortunately I think there is a risk that if you mention a disabled child some recruiters will be more likely to think you will take lots of time off or be unreliable. Not fair but I'd be pragmatic and not include it

Yes Stat that's what I fear, OTOH a 14 year gap to 'raise a young family' will also not go down favourably! I have gained qualifications in this time (post grad) but no paid employment.