Sorry it has been so tough to get back into the workforce OP. I wish it was different in our culture too.

I am a WOHM and really don't understand why it is so hard for a parent to take some time off and return to work later. Definitely a major factor on my decision to not SAH at all.

I think the idea that if someone leaves the workforce to care full time for their children they don't appear to be dedicated employees. That is just crap.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why should female hiring managers be MORE sympathetic to SAHM wanting to return to the workforce? They have a job to fill and need to do it with the best person available. That may not be the SAHM.

While it isn't a working versus SAHM debate, this thread clearly outlines one of the challenges of SAHM in our society. Many working moms have made that decision, that they don't want to be out of the professional workforce. Others don't have the choice.

However, when you have the choice and have opted for 13 years out of a professional situation, then the consequences are going to be the challenge to re-enter. It isn't on the hiring manager to be sympathetic, it is on the applicant to put themselves in the position of being the absolute best candidate.

The woe is me stuff is not befitting.

I really don't think you are reading these responses closely enough; there are "hiring managers" on here saying they would ALWAYS hire a millennial over someone who chose to stay home for any amount of time. And, if you read the post, the OP is is venting that she cannot get an UNPAID position, so she understands she has to aim low. The problem here is that women are refusing to understand that a woman who has 15 years of experience and stayed home for 5 may have some experience over someone with 2 years of experience. One poster pointed out she has MORE of a vested interest to succeed than a millennial because she has expenses they don't, and they aren't burnt out.

I don't think there is a single SAHM that doesn't know what their choice does to their career, but women are pointing out the extreme bias that they have toward a woman or man who left the workforce as being weak, stupid, not hungry enough, lazy, out of date, and so on.

Some women have been helpful on these types of threads by giving practical advice over trying to shame them. And, the OP is clearly venting that she cannot work for FREE, and yet some women like pp can't help but sink their fangs into her.

And, for every "feminist" who says this is her due, then you are not a feminist.

APPLAUSE. So very, very true.

Tell yourself what you want. This is reality, for men or for women, who leave the workforce voluntarily. Sorry the meanies make you cry.

Sure, the reality is it's hard to get back into the workforce if you've taken a long extended absence, for any reason. However, I find it amusing more than anything that some "hiring managers" here on DCUM insist they'd hire the inexperienced, immature, recent college grad over someone who has plenty of experience under his or her belt, plus maturity to go along with it. Sorry, that definitely smacks of resentment and spite. I would never hire someone as green as a recent grad if I had another candidate with great experience and real world skills, but gaps in his/her resume. Nothing beats experience, wisdom, and maturity.

Do you work?
Do you hire?

I was a SAHM for 9 years and now work FT. While it wasn't a piece of cake to get hired after taking years off, it certainly wasn't the death sentence some posters like to make it out as. Every other SAHM I know who has decided to return to work has been able to do so. Believe it or not, my skills, degrees, and experience didn't atrophy during my time at home and I was (gasp!) able to get up to speed relatively quickly after starting back to work.

Anonymous wrote:OP - the labor market in US(and Asia) treats those out of the workforce worse than terrorists.

The only way to break back in is via personal network with knowing someone who is in a position to hire.

Even retail they'll look at you sideways (I have multiple grad degrees in quantitative subjects and couldn't get a cvs night shift shelf stacker job).

Again you under applied yourself. Even retail hiring managers want a long lasting employee, not someone with a masters degree who will leave once they get a "real" offer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So to those hiring managers on here - if a SAHM has been out of the game for 10-13 years, what would you like to see on the resume?

Listing volunteer work doesn't seem to be a good idea, nor any committees or boards that have been served on.

I've considered taking some classes, but it seems that which classes to choose are very dependent on which job I end up actually getting. If I'm looking for entry-level work, what would you recommend and what types of skills do you want me to know?

I'm the quoted poster.

I have no desire to return to my former profession and would like to start over so that's why I would go for entry level. I'd like to work in non-profit or government.

I have knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel, Powerpoint, etc- basic office skills. I used some of these while serving on some volunteer committees and other volunteer positions, that's why I would think to list those things on a resume, but that's not encouraged it seems. So not sure how to slide that in there on a resume. I didn't take any formal classes for them. Some of these committees required significant time with spreadsheets and weekly conference calls.

I have taken a class on non-profit tax writing. It was while I was in that class that it seemed pointless. Most of the others that were in there were taking it because the non-profit they were already working for were sending them there and they were doing the whole non-profit business certificate program. That's when I realized it's probably better to get my foot in the door first and then take which classes that particular business requested me to attend.

I honestly don't mind starting from the bottom and learning everything new to work my way up, but it seems my age would hold me back if what's wanted is a fresh grad. 36.

I appreciate the genuine help from pp's on this post.

WAAAY too broad. Please define your goals more and then we can help.

OP - the labor market in US(and Asia) treats those out of the workforce worse than terrorists.

The only way to break back in is via personal network with knowing someone who is in a position to hire.

Even retail they'll look at you sideways (I have multiple grad degrees in quantitative subjects and couldn't get a cvs night shift shelf stacker job).

Anonymous wrote:So to those hiring managers on here - if a SAHM has been out of the game for 10-13 years, what would you like to see on the resume?

Listing volunteer work doesn't seem to be a good idea, nor any committees or boards that have been served on.

I've considered taking some classes, but it seems that which classes to choose are very dependent on which job I end up actually getting. If I'm looking for entry-level work, what would you recommend and what types of skills do you want me to know?

I'm the quoted poster.

I have no desire to return to my former profession and would like to start over so that's why I would go for entry level. I'd like to work in non-profit or government.

I have knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel, Powerpoint, etc- basic office skills. I used some of these while serving on some volunteer committees and other volunteer positions, that's why I would think to list those things on a resume, but that's not encouraged it seems. So not sure how to slide that in there on a resume. I didn't take any formal classes for them. Some of these committees required significant time with spreadsheets and weekly conference calls.

I have taken a class on non-profit tax writing. It was while I was in that class that it seemed pointless. Most of the others that were in there were taking it because the non-profit they were already working for were sending them there and they were doing the whole non-profit business certificate program. That's when I realized it's probably better to get my foot in the door first and then take which classes that particular business requested me to attend.

I honestly don't mind starting from the bottom and learning everything new to work my way up, but it seems my age would hold me back if what's wanted is a fresh grad. 36.

I appreciate the genuine help from pp's on this post.

It's like an attorney applying for a paralegal position, yes you may need a job, but paralegal positions are not the way to go (for many reasons).

It may take time to find the right job or offer after a period of unemployment, but it is not impossible. Don't waste your energy on positions that are below your skill set. This should be followed by both men and women, at any level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop applying to entry level jobs!! When I hire entry level employees, I just want them to do things the way I like. They are there to support me and learn the basics. I would not hire a former SAHM for an entry level position because they have too much experience and can't be molded in the same way.

This was mentioned earlier in the thread but wither ignored or thought of as anti-woman/anti-family.

Ughh!! This is not anti-woman or anti-family. We simply have other roles for people who are mid-career.

So much of business is understanding what is appropriate in each circumstance. If you're so out of the loop that you can't see why you're not a good fit for our entry level position, how can we trust you to have the right type of business intuition on other important tasks?

Anonymous wrote:Stop applying to entry level jobs!! When I hire entry level employees, I just want them to do things the way I like. They are there to support me and learn the basics. I would not hire a former SAHM for an entry level position because they have too much experience and can't be molded in the same way.

Seriously. OP - what were you doing 13 yrs ago? Can you apply to that kind of job or a job once step below that level? If the hiring managers are expecting to see 22-25 yr olds for an internship, and a 45 yr old candidate walks in w/o some "hook" like being the CEO's daughter that they must hire -- the interview is already off to a bad/ confusing start as they wonder why you're there and no answer you give will convince them bc they don't want to hear it.

Anonymous wrote:Stop applying to entry level jobs!! When I hire entry level employees, I just want them to do things the way I like. They are there to support me and learn the basics. I would not hire a former SAHM for an entry level position because they have too much experience and can't be molded in the same way.

This was mentioned earlier in the thread but wither ignored or thought of as anti-woman/anti-family.

Stop applying to entry level jobs!! When I hire entry level employees, I just want them to do things the way I like. They are there to support me and learn the basics. I would not hire a former SAHM for an entry level position because they have too much experience and can't be molded in the same way.

Anonymous wrote:So to those hiring managers on here - if a SAHM has been out of the game for 10-13 years, what would you like to see on the resume?

Listing volunteer work doesn't seem to be a good idea, nor any committees or boards that have been served on.

I've considered taking some classes, but it seems that which classes to choose are very dependent on which job I end up actually getting. If I'm looking for entry-level work, what would you recommend and what types of skills do you want me to know?

What were you doing before and what jobs are you looking at now? I know you say entry level - but entry level what? Marketing? Finance? General business? If it's entry level business work, why not a few finance or marketing type of classes?

Anonymous wrote:So to those hiring managers on here - if a SAHM has been out of the game for 10-13 years, what would you like to see on the resume?

Listing volunteer work doesn't seem to be a good idea, nor any committees or boards that have been served on.

I've considered taking some classes, but it seems that which classes to choose are very dependent on which job I end up actually getting. If I'm looking for entry-level work, what would you recommend and what types of skills do you want me to know?

Use a functional resume if you can, which makes it harder to identify gaps in time
Classes, and anything you've done to upgrade or stay current with your skills / professional affiliations - if anything, make sure you're UTD with all the current software used in your industry. Even taking courses in something like Microsoft Office Shows can show a commitment to be current. If you're looking for entry level, chances are they want to know you're current and proficient in these kinds of things.
If you're looking at entry level, really consider what that position is, and don't try to oversell on how much you are overqualified for it (in other words - dumb down if you need).
Also understand that 10 years out of the work force makes a lot of your skills obsolete. If I consider how I did my job 10 years ago vs. how I do it now.. It's very different. In that vein, also don't outsell your capabilities. Marketing has changed from paper to social media. Legislation has changed ten times over. I know you're not a dinosaur, but make sure you know how your industry is currently operating and make sure you're fresh on that.

Good luck.

So to those hiring managers on here - if a SAHM has been out of the game for 10-13 years, what would you like to see on the resume?

Listing volunteer work doesn't seem to be a good idea, nor any committees or boards that have been served on.

I've considered taking some classes, but it seems that which classes to choose are very dependent on which job I end up actually getting. If I'm looking for entry-level work, what would you recommend and what types of skills do you want me to know?

It's hard to find a job period unless you have some specialized skill there is a lot of competition The job market is different these days from what it was 13 years ago. I would have no problem hiring a former SAHM, but I think the 13 year gap may be a concern. I could see 3-5 years but 13 years is really a long time. I would wonder how current the person's skills are. Will you be able to get back into the swing of a 9-5? So hiring you could be a risky thing when there are so many other applicants who have current job experience.