To ask what you put on your CV, SAHP

[WeeOrcadian]

As the title says, basically.

I'm dipping my toe back into the grown up world of employment and I'm hesitating over my CV. I've been a SAHP for just shy of 3 years. The plan was to go back to work about a year ago but Covid put the kibosh on that.

Anyway, what would you recommend / advise me to put on my CV for that time - I've googled it and seen mixed advice ranging from "put SAHM" to "don't put SAHM" and I'm already anxious about applying for jobs, this isn't helping.

Any and all advice welcome!

I put 'career break taken to raise children' on my CV. I also did a lot of voluntary work because I had a very long break so I listed those but was clear it was voluntary. I think most employers will be understanding about covid prolonging the break.

As @ProfYaffle

The reason there is mixed advice is because all employers/hiring managers are different. There isn't a secret rule that's being hidden - some employers will think one way, others another.

Personally, as a hiring manager, I wouldn't expect to see it on a CV but I would expect to see the gap covered in the covering letter/email. My view is that the CV covers the job requirements - what skills and experience someone has - it's not their life story. But I would expect gaps to be explained, and that's what the cover letter is for.

But that's me, others will think differently!

As a hiring manager I'd be interested in why you think you have the skills to do the job. So on a cv / application form I'd expect to see stay at home parent from X to Y date. Then a list of skills / experience gained which is relevant to the job (NOT a list of general life-admin things - managing family finances for example is not relevant to a work context) Eg, studied X course and gained skills /knowledge in Y, volunteered at Brownies, organised events for the PTA which involved doing xyz. Basically, as with any candidate I want to see you have read the job description and have thought about how you might fit into the role.

The very phrase SAHM makes me cringe. It just states you are a mother who stays at home - pretty limiting description if you actually have a career and qualifications. I'd say it was a career break to raise your child until ......

I recall getting an application from someone who called themselves a SAHM and proceeded to list all the activities that involved (house cleaning, active play dates etc It was cringeworthy as they were pointing out they did things everybody has to do wether they worked or were unemployed. They listed it all as if it was hard work and they were superhuman - which just gave the impression they had no idea what real work meant.

I did the same as ProfYaffle. Something like 'career break while caring for young family' and a summary of the voluntary and freelance work I'd done. I had a longer break than you and not during lockdown - I'd say a couple or 3 years is fairly normal

Cv should be tailored to job you are applying for. So you note experience etc. I would simply include "career break" in the job history section. Definitely do not list stuff you did as a SAHM like life admin, as everyone has these things to do whether working or not. Only list things relevant to the actual job like training or education, voluntary work specific or relevant to the career path etc.

I do a lot of recruitment and agree with the suggestion of putting something along the lines of a career break to raise young children. And yy to including details of any courses/volunteering/freelance work that you might have done during that time, and a definite no to any cringeworthy attempts to big up the ordinary stuff that you do as a SAHP as being relevant to the workplace. It isn't.

Three years out really isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It wouldn't put me off as an employer.

@StoneofDestiny

I recall getting an application from someone who called themselves a SAHM and proceeded to list all the activities that involved (house cleaning, active play dates etc It was cringeworthy as they were pointing out they did things everybody has to do wether they worked or were unemployed. They listed it all as if it was hard work and they were superhuman - which just gave the impression they had no idea what real work meant.

This is cringeworthy.

I have just gone back to work after 8 years of being a sahm, and a carer for my mum for the last few years too.
I was just honest - used one sentence to say it
This was a huge firm, who I think are probably more likely to have inclusive policies for getting mums into the workplace.
Good luck.

I found it quite easy going finding work after being a SAHM and I did it longer than 3 years. Luckily I'd studied and volunteered so still had plenty for CVs. My working history before staying home with my children wasn't ignored either. Try not to worry too much, if you have a hard time, do some volunteer work. Even a few hours a week, it adds skills and references you can use. Good luck

Career break is fine. Note that the covering emails/letters are usually discarded after the first screening so often those who decide on whether to interview won’t see them (depending on the organisation).

I recently returned to work, after been sahm and then self employed. At interview i was asked my job history..i explained i took 5 years to spend time with young Dc. I got the job so it didnt put them off.

3 years off isn't long, just state for caring responsibilities. There are lots of companies with formal return to work programs too. They are usually open to men or women, but have more women as we are more likely to have career breaks.

Thanks for the replies, I'll update my CV later today.

I'm a bit nervous about applying, especially with some replies saying to add any volunteering work etc.... I've not done any, nor any qualifications. I haven't been having 4 hour naps etc, I have a long term disability so that's impacted me to some degree too (this isn't a pity party, just pertinent info) but the most I've done is donated to food / clothing banks.

Maybe I'll refresh myself on Word, Excel etc and see if I can fluff that side of things up so I don't feel like there's nothing I can add.

I wouldn't add things like 'time management' etc, surely it's a given that you can do basics like that as an adult.... Well I sometimes manage to!

personally I would never mention children and just out 'career break'. Don't emphasize it was to be a SAHP, you could have been being a carer or travelling/doing voluntary work. I'd respect a simple 'career break' on a professional CV as a female hiring manager way more than the people who go on about the PTA etc. That can come in the interview/covering letter.

3 years isn't very long though. I didn't have a proper job for about 7 years which is why I'd got voluntary and other stuff to put down. I haven't ever been asked about it - only my relevant experience to the job.

I put that I had taken time out to raise a family.
I had also been playgroup treasurer and various school volunteer stuff so I made sure I listed that with the various skills used in each.

I can’t have put them off as I got the job

Good luck!

I think one of the reasons there's so much mixed advice on this is that the way taking time out is treated/perceived is changing. So 5 years ago, if you hadn't been single handedly running a PTA raising £50k/annum while also being a SAHP to 3 children, your time was considered wasted. Today it's a lot more realistic.

So you simply put the time frame and that you took a career break for caring responsibilities / to raise young children. Leave it at that. If you did do freelance work during that time, then put "part time freelance work [insert details]" and if necessary, reference that it was part time to fit with caring responsibilities.

If, while you were off, you did things that were relevant, include them, sure, but I wouldn't put them in the career section. Create a section for additional activities or volunteering or whatever is relevant, and add there - eg any courses you took would go into educational, volunteering etc.

Unexplained gaps in CVs always make me wonder if someone was imprisoned / sectioned / bone idle / something undesirable.

Always best to explain a gap on your CV - "career break while caring for young family" means the hiring manager isn't wondering wtf you've been doing with your time.

@Mamamamasaurus word is so basic and a given that I wouldn't even put it on your CV. I also wouldn't mention excel unless you're amazing and have specialist knowledge.

[quote tigerbreadandtea]@Mamamamasaurus word is so basic and a given that I wouldn't even put it on your CV. I also wouldn't mention excel unless you're amazing and have specialist knowledge. [/quote]
Thanks for this, I've left it off 👍🏼

@LordEmsworth

The reason there is mixed advice is because all employers/hiring managers are different. There isn't a secret rule that's being hidden - some employers will think one way, others another.

Personally, as a hiring manager, I wouldn't expect to see it on a CV but I would expect to see the gap covered in the covering letter/email. My view is that the CV covers the job requirements - what skills and experience someone has - it's not their life story. But I would expect gaps to be explained, and that's what the cover letter is for.

But that's me, others will think differently!

That seems sensible to me.

I’ve started job hunting last month after 6 years as a SAHM. I also had years out before that when my older children were born.

I put career break due to birth of 1st/2nd child in the smaller gaps in my CV in my employment history section. Then in my skills and objective statement at the top of my CV I put ‘After spending the last 6 years raising my children, I am now seeking xxxx’ etc.

Employers want an explanation of gaps in your employment IMO.

I have had 3 interviews so far, and another 2 lined up, out of 8 I have been invited to. 3 of them I decided not to progress. I was pretty gobsmacked I got such a good response tbh!