cv after career break, lone parent and divorced, father has no contact.

[BellaSwanCullen]

There are gaps, one for a summer spent abroad, one due to an illness, was the only job I was let go in. Then bringing up the children. I want to go back to work, how do you make the breaks look positive? Also regarding the children and being a lone, divorced parent, the father has no contact, do you discuss this? Does it go against you?

The children are year six and year eight.

I'm not sure theres a place for divorce and lone parent etc on a cv

I didn't have much of a break (3 months off with DS), however, I have applied for 2 jobs as a lone parent (ds' father dead, so not divorced, but same work issues re childcare and c). I didn't mention it, and I wasn't asked. My instinct was not to mention it, tbh as although being a lone parent shouldn't count against you, I am not convince it wouldn't (and then how would you prove it). Although I may be being unnecessarily cynical.

I think your reasons for breaks are fine.

I'm confused as to why you'd think your marital status and the behaviour of your ex are remotely relevant to your ability to do a job, or of any interest to a potential employer?

As a lone parent with no other parent on the scene, you have to do all the caring for the children 100% of the time, alone, there is no other parent to share time off when the children are sick or on holiday's etc the back up is not there that married people have in an employers eyes, maybe as two people who are not lone parents questioned this and the only other person who got what being a lone parent is all about is another lone parent also

I will just have to hope that I don't get asked those questions in interviews BellsaRinging. Like you I wonder if it will be off putting to a potential employer.

It's not a question of 'getting' what being a lone parent is about at all. I assumed when I read your OP that you were interested in hearing from people who were experienced in recruiting, to get an employers view on what to include and how to frame your cv. Perhaps I assumed wrongly.

For the benefit of anyone else reading the thread who may be interested, when recruiting, I look for information on a cv that is relevant to the job, not a lot of waffle about personal relationships and childcare arrangements. A cv should be all about selling yourself and your skills and I would raise an eyebrow at anyone who felt their marital status was a selling point.

Employers aren't interested in exactly what your childcare arrangements are, only whether you can do the job or not.

You are correct Flowery!

I did mention CV in the thread title, I was also after interview explanations for the gaps in the cv and the loneparent situation, which was something another poster picked up on, maybe that was not made clear enough for everyone to pick up on.

I would not put waffle or childcare arrangements/personal relationships on a cv.