I was chatting with a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) the other day about her schedule now that her daughter is in preschool part-time. For context, both of our kids are the same age and started preschool part-time a couple months ago. She shared with me that she’s starting to think about what she wants to do next in her life and how she wants to spend her time as her children are both now going to school. That resonated with me.
When I asked her if she’s considering going back to work, she immediately chuckled and said “it’s been so long since I’ve worked. No one would hire me.”
This made me wonder, is there an amount of time of being unemployed that makes us no longer employable? Is there an expiration date for us as SAHMs?
As I thought about it more, it saddened me to think about SAHMs who may feel they are no longer employable due to their career break. So I’ve put together a few tips based on my own personal experiences with interviewing after my career break and how you can set yourself up for job opportunities and interviews as well.
If you’re a SAHM who is looking to return back to work and aren’t sure where to start or how to explain your career break in a job interview, this article is for you.
My Personal Journey
After a year of being a SAHM, I decided to casually start searching for a job. With the job market plummeting and a potential layoff on the horizon with my husband’s job, I thought it would be a good time to start exploring what opportunities were out there. In December 2023, I received a full time job offer and while it was an interesting opportunity, I decided to decline it because I wasn’t emotional ready to let go of my time with my son. The job was less flexible, requiring me to be in the office 4 days a week which was a dealbreaker for me. In addition, I decided to pursue my passion in becoming a Lagree fitness trainer and it conflicted with the timing of the scheduled training. I took the risk and declined the full-time job offer in pursuit of my dream. Because what’s worth living if you don’t pursue your passion?
Getting the job offer was a boost in my confidence because it demonstrated that I was still capable of adding value to a job even with my career break.
Fast forward a few months later, I came across another job opportunity to work with a former colleague. My colleague reassured me the company was flexible and not as demanding as our previous company, which was a huge plus for me as a mom. With flexibility being a top priority in mind, I was open to interviewing with the company to learn more.
During both interview processes, I learned that my career break was not a deterrent in pursuing me as a candidate. Matter of fact, I had interviewers who were moms themselves who shared a similar journey and related to my situation. I would like to believe that sharing my career break only helped me become more relatable and shined myself in a good light.
How to Talk About Your Career Break During a Job Interview
1. Be honest and concise about your career break. During your interview, your interviewer will likely ask about your career gap so be ready to provide an explanation. It’s important to be honest and be concise. In my situation, it was a simple response: “I was laid off at the end of 2022 and I saw it as an opportunity to spend my time with my son. I’m grateful for our time together and feel ready and excited to get back to work.” This is an acceptable response. No employer would decline your candidacy because you took time to spend with your child. If so, they aren’t the right company for you. Remember to keep this point very clear and concise. You don’t want to spend too much time on this during your interview.
2. Highlight what you learned during your career break. As a SAHM, you most likely have picked up valuable skills that are useful in most careers such as time management, multi-tasking and being resourceful. Don’t underestimate how much you have grown and what you’ve learned during this career break. While you don’t need to go into specific detail about diaper changing or breastfeeding, it’s important to highlight those transferable skills. If you read a book during this period, highlight that. If you took an online class, this is also a great time to highlight that. This shows that you’ve taken initiative in your continued growth and development, and it also highlights your unique interests.
3. Be prepared to answer the “why now?” question. Whether it’s an intentional choice to return to work or your kids are now off to school, be prepared to answer the “why now?” question. Your potential employer wants to know that you’re fully ready to come back to work and aren’t flip flopping. So be clear and honest in your response. Perhaps you’re no longer feeling energized as a SAHM and are craving adult interaction. Perhaps your kids are now in school and you have found yourself bored out of your mind staying at home all day. Whatever the reason is, be clear and honest.
Other Tips to Consider During Your Job Search
Stay connected with your network and make new connections in your field.
Staying connected with your industry network will be your best investment. If you’re starting to explore opportunities, reconnect with old colleagues that are in your field. They will be a great resource in your job search and may even act as a referral for you if there’s an opportunity in their company that’s a good fit. Most of my job interviews came from my network referring me to their company. It’s like getting inside access to the company and higher priority during the recruiting process. So leverage your network. If you feel like you’ve lost touch with your old network, it’s more easy than ever before to cold-call and reach out to new networks on career platforms like LinkedIn. The best place to start is to reach out to connections that interest you and sending them a quick message requesting for a virtual coffee chat. You may not hear back from most of them but all it takes is just one person to respond and be open to taking the time to share their experiences with you.
Consider joining a community that you care about. During your job search, consider joining a community that you care about or pick up a volunteer shift at a local organization to become active in your community. Not only will this help you get plugged into your community, it will also be something you can highlight on your resume and talk through in your interview. If you take on a leadership role in any organization or volunteer service, make sure to highlight that as well. It will demonstrate your involvement in your community and leadership capabilities.
Consider taking an online class. There are online classes for virtually anything you want to learn nowadays. Whether it’s refreshing your communication skills or diving into coding for the first time, find something that interests you and that could be beneficial for your career path. Explore courses on LinkedIn, Udemy or Skillshare to see what piques your curiosity! Demonstrating that you’re investing in your skills and continued learning during your career break will show to potential employers that you’re eager to learn and grow.
Consider a skill-based resume. If you’ve been out of work for over a year, it may be best to consider creating a skill-based resume which highlights your skills, projects and volunteer service you’ve worked on during your career break. Instead of outlining your work history, a skill-based resume allows you make your accomplishments and skills your focal point. You will simply break up your resume by categories of skills, projects and/or accomplishments, and relevant experience.
Determine your childcare options. If you don’t already have childcare lined up, be prepared and start reaching out to childcare options now. Some daycares and preschools, especially in larger cities, have a long waitlist and may take months before they have a spot open up so getting on the waitlist sooner rather than later will help increase your chances of getting a spot once you land a job offer. Being proactive about your childcare options will ease your transition back into work and help relieve your stress about transitioning your child to another person’s care.
Final Note
Don’t disregard the culmination of skills you’ve developed during your time in the workforce regardless of how long your career break was. In our modern day work, global companies and organizations are now seeing the value and skills that mothers bring to the workforce so there’s been a positive trend towards accepting candidates with employment gaps. Don’t let your career break deter you from applying and reaching out to your network for job opportunities. It’s never too late to pursue your dream career!
In your job interview, remember to stay brief about your career gap with a clear and concise explanation. Then, emphasize what you’ve learned, your previous experiences, your skills and projects you’ve worked on during your previous work experiences. This ensures that your interview is focused on the most important aspects of your profile – your skills and accomplishments.
