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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:
MrsELM21 · 01/06/2017 19:29

Full time mum makes me furious!! We are all full time mums, 'Career break' or 'Career break due to caring responsibilities' is plenty

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:31

Regarding the gap in employment re looking after children, why is this different to someone who works in a nursery? They look after children all day and acquire skills.

I would say you choose to employ yourself as working as a full time carer to your children. That way you cover all angles.

All parents are, well, parents. No way would a man ever say that he works and his children go to nursery. It would never cross their minds. A man with children goes home to children. And then works at being a parent. During it 24/7 is different though. I bet big lottery win money that if a man put down stay at home dad, his CV would be viewed more favourably.

Rioja123 · 01/06/2017 19:33

Not sure how you can be a part time mother? It's a bit cringe to be honest.

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:33

People have career's looking after children in nurseries though MrsELM

Erinys · 01/06/2017 19:34

I'm a sahp and I think it's a terrible idea. As shown in the comments you run the risk of getting people's backs up before you even get a foot through the door. Then there are also the mostly male contingent who think having babies melts brain cells (and quite a few of them seem to sit on recruitment panels).

I'm not looking to return to work at the moment but when I do the only things from this period I would put on my cv are things like the degree I'm doing part-time and voluntary work

UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 01/06/2017 19:35

Regarding the gap in employment re looking after children, why is this different to someone who works in a nursery? They look after children all day and acquire skills.

Because a) caring for children as your job is different for caring for your own children (ask anyone that's done both), b) OP is not applying for a job looking after children so skills she may or may not have acquired looking after children are irrelevant, c) unlike a job, no one is actually assessing how well you parent and you could be totally shit at it.

ArchieStar · 01/06/2017 19:35

I understand the logic behind it but it's awful wording, sorry. Putting "career break to raise a family" or something like that would be much more apt. "Full time mum" annoys me, it's like saying all working parents aren't full time as they work. SAHP is much better to use, as a PP has said, you can use the skills of parenting to your advantage in your interview such as improved time keeping skills as kept to a toddlers schedule etc.

Can't quite believe a uni careers advisor suggested "full time mum". Cringe!

EssentialHummus · 01/06/2017 19:36

I work in HR and spend a lot of time looking at CV's. A lot of people put full time mother on with a list of the skills they learnt underneath... caring, diet management, emotional support etc. Its not necessary and looks like you're trying to fill in blanks. I'd just state you have a gap in employment to raise a family but are now ready for the next phase.

CV writer here, and I second this. "Career break to care for family member" is fine. The only time I've ever seen "full time mother" done successfully on a CV, the lady in question was applying for a CM role, and even that took some careful wording.

AngelicaSchuylerChurch · 01/06/2017 19:37

I'm a full-time mother. I happen to go to work during the week. I don't stop being a mother when I am at work. I'm afraid that I would bristle if I saw that phrase on your cv.

MikeUniformMike · 01/06/2017 19:37

OP, do you have any work experience. If you do, try to use that.
If you have managed to look after a child and study, that's a great achievement but potential recruiters can be told about it at a later stage.
From my experience, the careers officers at school and uni were not very good.

I wouldn't try to explain a career gap. The important thing is what you have done to gain and improve work skills, and what you are capable of.

disneykid · 01/06/2017 19:38

Oh god no.

reallyanotherone · 01/06/2017 19:41

Leave off the fact you have kids altogether.

It's not relevant. And it will still put some employers off- putting it on your cv prioritises your children and will make them concerned you will buggering off when children are sick, in the school play etc. Know it shouldn't but it does.

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:42

Why is it a career break?

Can someone from HR explain exactly why it is?

zeezeek · 01/06/2017 19:42

Many years ago, in fact before I became a mother, I had someone apply for a data handling role in my team. It was a fairly basic job that required someone putting figures into an excel spreadsheet.

She sent a CV that had "being a mummy to my two little monsters" under achievements and her skills included hostage negotiation (I kid ye not), nurse, HR, time management and lifestyle coaching. All through being a mummy to two monsters.

I just wanted someone who would input data into a spreadsheet.......

UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 01/06/2017 19:43

Why is it a career break?

Can someone from HR explain exactly why it is?

? Because you chose to not work for a while. You took a break from your career. What part are you struggling with?

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:43

I second the children off the CV too.

But this doesn't explain the gaps in 'employment' or 'career progression'.

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:44

So looking after children is not work then?

What part of this are YOU struggling with?

kaytee87 · 01/06/2017 19:45

elendon looking after your own children isn't part of your career so it's a career break. Come on you must see that?

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:46

And if looking after children is seen as not work then why are nursery fees so expensive?

StatisticallyChallenged · 01/06/2017 19:47

I read and review quite a lot of CVs for a few types of role.

If there's a gap then it's good to have an explanation for it in some way; if there's a covering letter than IME this would be a better place (briefly - e.g. "looking to return to the workplace after a career break"), but if not it is fine to have it as a single line entry on the CV to explain the gap. But literally "Caring responsibility - August 2012 - June 2017" or similar. TBH I don't even mind "stay at home parent" too much.

All I want to know is where you were during that time so I know that you weren't in prison It's also offputting if someone has been unemployed and actively seeking work for a very long time, so an indication that this wasn't the case is, IMO, fine.

What I don't want to see is your children listed as an achievement (Bravo, your reproductive organs work), or a list of the skills you've gained unless they are particularly relevant. If you are applying for a career change in to childcare, for example, then fine. Tell me about it (I recruit for this area), but for office work, no, leave it off.

Babbitywabbit · 01/06/2017 19:47

It's a career break because, erm, it's a break from your career.
You are not choosing to employ yourself in a job when you are at home as a parent. That's a nonsensical statement. I worked 3 days a week when my children were small- I didn't become 'self employed' on Thursdays and Fridays when I was at home!

Elendon · 01/06/2017 19:47

So looking after other people's children is a career choice then?

Come on, you must see that!

UndersecretaryofWhimsy · 01/06/2017 19:48

It's not paid work. It's not part of a career. It doesn't demonstrate that you have skills that other people were willing to pay money for. All it demonstrates to an employer is that you have children. They're not interested in that. They're interested in what skills you have demonstrated in paid work, because you want them to give you paid work.

No one is saying having kids isn't hard work and being a SAHP isn't worthy. They're saying employers aren't interested in it and it doesn't make you special. You can argue with me all you like, but 99% of employers will put your CV in the bin if you list parenting as a job.

MaisyPops · 01/06/2017 19:49

Career break to be a stay at home parent is a good way of putting it.

Full time mother just sounds like either:

  • one of those cringey phrases people put on Facebook as their job (full time mammy to 2 beautiful darlings. #blessed)
  • Something the more obnoxious, insecure stay at home parents say to try, you know the type who say 'well I am a cook, cleaner, a nanny, a teacher, a nursery worker, an entertainer etc' AND I'm at work 24/7. GrinHmm

Keep it simple and neutral.

Babbitywabbit · 01/06/2017 19:50

Elendon I assume this is a wind up! Surely you understand that someone working as a paid childcarer is different to looking after your own kids? It's like me saying I'm a self employed cleaner when i get the hoover out and whip it round my house Grin I mean, I'd like to know who's going to pay me for that!