Unemployable SAHM. Any advice?

[Bobbinbora]

I'm new here. And was hoping for some advice please. I can't seem to get a job since leaving my previous job after maternity leave. I've been a SAHM for 3.5 years.
I've applied for all kinds of jobs in my field and the feedback I have had goes a bit like this..

1. you've been unemployed for years
2. you have no recent experience of the job
3. you're too junior for this role (applying at management level)
4. you're too experienced for this role (applying for an exec level role)
5. you're too creative for this role
6. you'll get bored of this job
7. it's a risk employing you due to the lack of recent experience

And today's feedback was

8. we've decided to choose someone who is more committed to the role (i.e no children)

How on earth do people get jobs after being a SAHM? How do people pick themselves up after constant rejection?

I feel absolutely shit. I work in design & marketing btw but have also applied for any admin roles.

My worst response was "why on earth should we employ someone who hasn't had a job for over 3 years"

Help!

lionqueen thank you for responding to my post! I truly appreciate your feedback and it has made my day! Thank you so so much for confirming that 2 pages are OK.

It's definitely "who you know" isn't it! I contacted an ex colleague last week via LinkedIn. And also a recruitment friend got in touch with me just now. So will ask her to check my CV.

I can't really give you any advice but just wanted to say you are not alone!

I only properly started applying for jobs in may but haven't even managed to get a single interview. I'm trying not to worry too much just yet but maybe i should

Blimey, I have been a SAHM for 22 years. Have done a teeny tiny bit of my original career (teaching) during that time, but nothing for the last 9 years. I want to get back into employment (not teaching) and have recently done an extremely part-time job, filling in for someone, and am currently doing voluntary work to build up my skills. No idea what or if I will ever do paid work again, but reading this thread, it looks fairly hopeless for me.

I have no advice OP, just wanted to say how shocked I am that even 3.5 years out is considered too long in some employers' eyes. Oh and good luck!

I think there is just not the jobs out there that were once available. You also have to be really quite pushy in terms of selling yourself which doesn't always come easy/ The job I have now I only managed to hang on to because I was determined to prove that I could do it because I know they weren't sure whether I was right for the job to start with which was down to my lack of confidence/ Skills that I had forgotten I had like the ability to touch type have been really useful to me in my present job because I can get a lot of information down quite quickly. I'd not even mentioned it in my interview.

Dumble - there's a lot of us ex teachers who are struggling to find non teaching work :(

I just noticed that the top few threads in "Back to work" are all about parents struggling to find work after being a SAHP! definitely an issue isn't it

I'm not in exactly the same position as I'm working full time, but feeling a bit similar to everyone else here.

I finished my degree and took a job as a support worker, but got pregnant and had almost a year out maternity leave. When I returned, I realised that due to the cost of childcare (and the fact my OH isn't making tons of money in his job) my only option was to stay in my role (which offers flexible hours) until my DC is 3 and gets funded hours, or end up in shed loads of debt trying to make ends meet with an entry level 9-5 job somewhere with prospects. Where I work, there is no development pathway for support workers, so it's a dead end. So even for me - who is in work and is desperate to progress away from my current role - it's a challenge.

The roles I'm looking at won't even consider me, given that in most employers eyes outside H&S, I just drink tea with people for a living and take them shopping (which it definitely isn't). I really want to use my brain and I know I have much more to offer. All I did was have a child and I feel a bit punished for it!

Just wanted to point out that quite a lot of mums not only struggle to get on in their career if they have had a break, quite a few are forced to take jobs below what they are capable of due to the cost of childcare or lack of flexibility in more skilled roles. I now have the problem of having to explain to employers why I have stayed in this role longer than it is expected, as it would not be usual in the career I want to pursue (which is very different to H&S). I guess we all make that sacrifice, but employers need to stop making assumptions about mum's returning to work. I think some people think in a family there should be one breadwinner who is high earning, and the other does something at a lower level. In some cases both parents are starting out in their careers, or both are high earning, so one has to make a sacrifice, even if both want to do well in their careers.

It sounds like the OP has encountered some very rude people in her job search. I would say to that - lucky escape!

I am taking short online courses at the moment online. Some can be as little as £15 and may not be a professional qualification, but demonstrates an interest in the area you wish to move in to at least. Might be worth doing that along with some work experience?

Right tomorrow I'm doing my CV, coving letter and I aim to send it out to all Recruitment agencies in my region.

It's time to push I think. I've done it the application interview way and not got far. Going to try another approach.

Good luck Rinky! I have applied for a few jobs tonight. I found the ideal role at the local private school. It's so perfect for me but it does say "ideal for entry level candidates" so I wonder if they'll dish me the "oh you'll get bored too quickly" feedback.

I feel your pain op. I've been a SAHM for the last 9 years and have been job searching for the last 2 with no luck at all. It's soul destroying. Just today I've had an email from a company saying 'Thank you for applying but you are not the right fit for us at the moment', what does that even mean? They've never even met me ffs! I'm actually thinking of lying a little on my cv, I've been helping my dad in the admin side of his plumbing business, he doesn't pay me but I'm thinking of adding onto my cv that I'm employed by him and omitting the fact he is my father, just out of curiosity, to see if I actually get any further this way. I'm sure these employers see 'SAHM' and think I've been sitting on my arse watching Jeremy Kyle and This Morning every day!

twoweek Work is work and I would definitely pop the admin stuff on your CV! I totally would!

Still no luck here but a recruiter phoned me up today after he saw my CV. He told me I should be bloody proud of myself. That my CV is superb and he's so sorry that I'm having a tough time. He has made me so happy. So kind and down to earth. He also said after talking to me on the phone that it was clear that any business would be lucky to have me.

So! Not all recruiters are dicks. Yay!

The hunt continues.

Bobbin you should be proud, I'm glad you got that call today, it's nice to see that someone has seen your worth, we could all do with that kind of boost. Keep your head up and remain positive, you'll definitely get the job you deserve and good luck with the hunt 🤞

Oooh my husband is self employed. If I took over his admin (we've often discussed that) for a bit would that "count"?

Why not go self employed? That way you won't be at the mercy of others.

Bobbin wishing you all the best for the private school job- sounds a good fit.
Pizza- yes doing admin for dh's business is great-don't declare it as for your husband on cv!
Can I also recommend the " what colour is your parachute " website and book- it has some great strategies for identifying potential opportunities and ways to find work.

Absolutely put any work down on a CV! Today I spoke to a Recruitment consultant. Say this one was of the "I'm just out of school" variety and couldn't give me the advice and direction I needed because he'd had no life/job experience. Except he's employed 🙄.

It's frustrating but it's given me the push I needed.

It's so sad all these multi tasking women who've needed patience, negotiating and communication skills, organisational skills, budget management, time management and in a really stressful environment that's insisted on them adapting continually can't get jobs. None of us are useless or not worthy its the employers who can't see beyond paid work experience that are missing out!

I need to look into working for my husband more. There's a way he can pay me isn't that but no idea how complicated that is.

Have you tried applying for one of those back to work internship things? Maybe start your own business (so that you have at least something to put on your CV).

I know this is an old(er) thread but I'm in the same boat and was wondering how things were going for everyone?

I've been a SAHM for 13 years, and have no luck getting even an interview let alone a job. Was getting very depressed and down about it but am slowly realising that it's not me that's the problem, it's the current job market, the (useless) recruitment agencies, the internet job sites that enable 1000s of people to apply for any random job so a genuine candidate's cv is too easily overlooked, ageism and sexism.

But, how to overcome all of the above?

I also lack recent work experience and my 10+ years pre SAHM experience as an educated, qualified professional may as well not have happened.

It is a disgrace how sahps are treated and I believe there needs to be far more govt support and intervention to help people like us get back into employment. It's too big a hurdle to tackle singlehandedly although there are of course those who have managed it but they, judging by this and other threads, seem to be very few and far between.

I will be writing to my MP about this issue. It needs to be addressed on a national level.

Hi dimsum123,

I got this entry level job mostly by luck even though I am over qualified and experienced but I was able to start immediately and two other candidates could not (yes there was only three candidates and the recruiter told me I have the most relevant skills). However the manager was quite put off by my career break (I am not the best communicator neither) so took a long time to make the offer - the lowest end of salary bracket.

I have since proved myself to be useful even though I really dislike my current role. I am moving into senior department soon before the guys who work there before me. I am not saying I am much better worker than them because they work very hard too but you cant deny that I was in the wrong job right from the start.

You hear some big companies claim to help parents like us get back into work force, all is good but in the end it is always come down to whoever interviewed you think you can commit or not. I went to two of these interviews, have been told I have the skills and experience but not the right job for me? I have been working in this field for 10 years prior my career break!

This job hunting process has been so soul destroying, I really feel for those who are still looking.

Suggest don't give up. Sometimes you just have to be at the right place at the right time. With Internet applications, this has opened up opportunities for people to apply who live locally and further away, also from abroad. Employers also seem to be looking for people with all the added extras like flexibility to work odd hours, first aid, volunteering experience, charity fundraising experience, completing courses, good grammar, good pc skills (although not necessary for all job roles), enthusiasm, good communication skills. Employers don't want you to take a job and spend time training you and you leave for a better job. It's a numbers game, keep applying

Dimsum _ writing to your MP about job opportunities for SAHP. Surely employers are employing the best candidate for the job. What you should be complaining about are robots that are taking the jobs away from people. Secondly, to complain about jobs going off shore to other, lower paid countries.

Someone I know was unable to recruit people in his home country to do a certain type of work. Probably due to the unsocial hours and low pay (was minimum wage +). So his company sent him abroad to interview and recruit. He said there were hundreds of applicants, many hugely over qualified. But the wage would have been higher than that country and the people were willing to relocate, work unsocial hours.

I think people should read posts like this when considering giving up work to SAHP. There’s more to consider than childcare costs.

This was me, I’m shocked at how many people this happens to. 7 years I was out of work. I even retrained as a hairdresser which was no help what’s so ever. Iv recently managed to get myself a small part time evening job and loving it.