- By Matthew P. Binkewicz
- Around Town
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Ask IMOAsk IMOLansing's Advice Column
Dear IMO,
I have been a stay-at-home parent for several years. My wife is a lawyer, and I am a social worker. We decided that I would stay at home with the children until they reached an appropriate age. Our children are now in school full time, and I am considering going back to work. Do you have any thoughts on this topic? Can you provide any help?
Thanks,
Andy
Dear Andy,
As a stay-at-home parent, you have been working. You have put in some very long days, and many nights raising your children. Although you haven’t received a salary for your work, you have been refining important and desirable workplace skills like time management, people management, resource and organizational management.
If you have volunteered at the school or served on community boards, you have demonstrated an ability to work as a team member making decisions by consensus. All of these skills are essential and desirable in today’s employment market.You ought to decide what you want to do. Begin by writing down your goals, aspirations, strengths and weaknesses and prioritize them. Compare them with those same criteria you had before you chose to stay at home to raise a family. Discuss this over with your spouse or a close friend to determine where and how you might re-enter the workforce.
Once you have formalized a plan, create a résumé that shows your achievements and accomplishments during your entire adult life rather than the typical one chronologically arranged. You ought to include your parenting activities, community service, volunteer activities, and other pertinent information. In the cover letter, you can explain how these achievements contributed toward personal growth, goals, and how they can translate into the workplace.
Finally, prepare for and schedule a mock interview. Since your wife is a lawyer, she can play the role of a potential employer and ask the usual as well as challenging questions that are a part of the interview process. Both of you might want to rehearse this several time in order to be fully prepared. Good luck.
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