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Original poster

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

492 replies

likeababyelephant · 01/06/2017 18:57

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.

OP posts:
robinia · 04/06/2017 22:56

No reason at all for me to keep my hand in. I wanted to stay at home to look after my children and was lucky enough to be able to do so. I have a daughter and my choice to stay at home has definitely been the right one for her. Not quite sure why I should have kept my hand in for her ....
And I shall continue to put 'full-time parent' on my CV to cover the employment gap of 20 years which can hardly be described as a career break!

MaisyPops · 04/06/2017 22:58

robinia
You've made the right choice for you and that's fine.
You'd still be pushed to have me agree that 'full time parent' is the way to explain your choice. Stay at home parent, fine.
But full time parent has undertones of "well I put my children before my career unlike those part time parents"

robinia · 04/06/2017 23:16

I've never liked the phrase 'stay-at-home parent' (and 'stay-at-home' mum even worse). Has connotations of sitting on the sofa not doing a lot. It's just not me.
Full-time parenting is a simple reflection that instead of doing full-time work or part-time work I've been doing full-time parenting. As I see it there are not a lot of options to explain away 20 years of no work - sahp, ft parent, housewife (ugh), caring responsibilities (too vague) ....

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/06/2017 01:18

So you dislike the connotations that you might sit on the sofa, but think it's fine to use a term that suggests those who work outside the home are part time parents? Right

LedaP · 05/06/2017 05:41

Led a you keep dropping in that you fitted your own kitchen, is this a stealth boast?

Not even stealthy Grin Hmm

No one is denying sexism in the wirk place exists. We all know it does. I would bet the majority of women have been impacted by it. One if my regrets is that I left a business where the only sexisim i experience was from a few women who worked on my team who were incredulous that i worked full time and had 2 kids. I squashed those thoughts straight away. I now work at a company where everyday sexism is not common. However as part of the senior team i have made huge changes by challenging it, everytime, the last year.

I still dont want to hear about irrelevant topics during an interview or a CV.

Again doing something at home does not mean its a skill you can display in the work place or to a professional capacity.

robinia · 05/06/2017 07:33

To be fair, for the last few years I haven't been a full time parent as school has been in loco parentis between 9 and 3. I could put parent, housewife, voluntary worker and student to cover those years. But it's the most accurate description of what I do and why I have a long out of work gap.
I don't take offence when people say I don't work so I don't see why people should take offence when I say I'm a ft parent.

YoloSwaggins · 05/06/2017 10:29

To be fair, for the last few years I haven't been a full time parent as school has been in loco parentis between 9 and 3.

But you are still a parent when the kids aren't with you. Them being at school doesn't make you not a parent any more....so the whole "FT parent" thing, it's every parent.

Elendon · 05/06/2017 16:01

doing something at home does not mean its a skill you can display in the work place or to a professional capacity.

Unless you are a robot. Without social interaction skills or empathy. Do you never have a chat with your fellow workers about life other than work?

Elendon · 05/06/2017 16:02

Who ever gets to a professional capacity when it comes to raising the next generation of workers?

7461Mary18 · 05/06/2017 16:03

I suppose the point is that if you want HR to hire you (usually women who feel they are full time parents and who work full time) it might make sense not to put a phrase on a CV which will feel like a criticism of the person who might hire you!

YoloSwaggins · 05/06/2017 16:23

*doing something at home does not mean its a skill you can display in the work place or to a professional capacity.

Unless you are a robot. Without social interaction skills or empathy. Do you never have a chat with your fellow workers about life other than work?*

I think what this person was saying, is if you clean your own bog, look after your own kid and make yourself coffee, you can't call yourself a cleaner, nursery nurse and barista and put it on your CV.

Instasista · 05/06/2017 16:41

"Today 16:01 Elendon

doing something at home does not mean its a skill you can display in the work place or to a professional capacity.

Unless you are a robot. Without social interaction skills or empathy. Do you never have a chat with your fellow workers about life other than work?"

I'm not really sure what you mean by this- of course I talk to my co workers. They don't hire me through a professional selection process whenever I chat to them though?

Robinina I think your situation is really different- you're not going to be able to explain away 20 years out of the workplace, it will be the focus of your future recruitment and I will dictate the type of job you get when you start applying for roles. you can put what you like really, it's not going to make much difference to your prospects (although maybe "not in prison" would help, lol)

LedaP · 05/06/2017 17:24

yolo is spot on, thats exactly what i meant.

Not really sure what you were getting at elendon

Elendon · 05/06/2017 17:50

I would have more respect for you LedaP if you were absolutely sure what I was getting at. Being not really sure means you're not up to the task in hand. HTH.

Elendon · 05/06/2017 17:52

Yolo Your post is disingenuous and you know it. What an awful post. You should be ashamed of yourself.

I do take it you have cleaners in your work place?

LedaP · 05/06/2017 17:56

elendon i am not bothered about yoir respect. Its not something i require.

On this thread and several before you have posted stuff that many tell you doesnt make sense.

HTH Hmm

YoloSwaggins · 05/06/2017 18:09

How was my post awful or in any way untrue? It was strongly worded but I was trying to get the point across.

Some people on this thread tried to insinuate that the "skills" one learns at home doing everyday life/parenting somehow translate as professional skills and belong on a CV. They don't.

Elendon · 05/06/2017 18:13

But the stuff you post LedaP is a load of shite.

HTH.

Yolo If you can't see awful then you don't understand it.

VintagePerfumista · 05/06/2017 18:40

I have difficulty understanding your point(s) Elendon. Particularly the one at 16:02.

Yolo, on the other hand is saying what most of us were saying to the OP days ago, is perfectly clear, and I'm at a loss as to why she should be ashamed of herself.

The only people on these threads who should be ashamed of themselves are the GFs.

HTH.

LedaP · 05/06/2017 18:41

Thats your opinion. Not one i am particularly interested in.

Again, nasty is what you resort to when challenged. Rather than wondering why many people dont understand what you are talking about.

Elendon · 05/06/2017 18:43

I'm not interested in your 1950s opinion either LedaP. It's nasty and not 21st century. You really need to brush up on your skills.

Elendon · 05/06/2017 18:44

I do wonder how many excellent workers I would get rather than your rather prescriptive view LedaP.

Nancy91 · 05/06/2017 18:50

I've tried to catch up on this thread but I can't decipher your posts Elendon Confused

LedaP · 05/06/2017 18:51

elendon then stop quoting me. If my opinion is of no value to you.

I dont care what you think of my skills. My employers (past and present) are more than happy with my skills. The people who work for me in my employed job are more than happy working for me. Even applying and moving roles when I move, so they can work with me.

I own a business. Again, my employees are more than happy and people stay with us for years.

I have no need to get nasty with anyone. In RL or on the internet. Maybe its a skill you should work on.

Since i am not looking for you to employ me or asking you to let me to interview people/shift through CVs for you. I dont understand the relevance of wether you would employ me or not.

StatisticallyChallenged · 05/06/2017 18:59

Not sure why either Yolo or LedaP is getting a hard time. They're simply stating reality and advising on how employers view the skills of parenthood.