Anonymous wrote:We hired an attorney who had stayed at home for a decade; her previous experience and ivy league pedigree convinced someone . . . anyway, she is TERRIBLE! But, maybe she was terrible before she stayed at home. At any rate, that experience has caused me to think twice whenever I see such a resume.

She is terrible how? Work habits, quality or amount of work produced, working collegially? Can you please expand on this?

Anonymous wrote:I'm seeing 2 types of moms - ones who never had much of a career to begin with and ones who are overly experienced with old skills. I feel a bit guilty that I'm totally putting these people at the bottom of my list. I much prefer males or young women with no resume gap.

Why? (I'm a WOHM but trying to understand)

Anonymous wrote:Any prospective employer that would make a hiring decision soley based on a person's work history (or lack thereof) is an employer that is hardly worth working for in the long run. I would hope that most of those assigned the task of hiring use their brain and some basic intuition and hire based on the specific job candidate and not just on perceptions. In other words, hire the best job candidate. Period. It really should not be any more complicated.

What should it be based on? Ability to change diapers and play peek-a-boo?

I think it just depends on your field as well. I've known a lot of teachers who have returned to work after SAHM and there is an advantage of being older in some fields and trying to get hired.

Anonymous wrote:Divas and drama queens. Resumes are good for a few laughs around the office and then are tossed in the circular file.

Maybe your office isn't looking for women of the same professional caliber as other offices. Two of my close friends have gone to work in the White House (both appointees) directly from being SAHMs. One friend went directly from being SAHM to running global policy at a major online company. I've been home for three years and regularly get requests from former clients and colleagues to come on board in senior positions, or at least to come in for special projects until I want to return to work on a more full-time basis.

PP here - please excuse the typos (typing on my phone).

I was a SAHM for 5 years when my kids were younger. I'd had a demanding professional career before that for over 10 yrs. When I left to stay home I knew there was a good chance it would be hard to return, so I used those years at home to prepare for an eventual career change.

It was a long haul, but now I'm established in another field at age 50. Getting my first job after grad school in my new field wasn't easy because I was competing against candidates nearly half my age. I found that my one major advantage over them was maturity and life experience, and I really play this up in job interviews. I needed to convince hiring committees that I brought something to the table that my younger peers did not. I found that some employers at least were receptive to this argument; I think others' weren't. I received feedback at one point that an employer wouldn't be likely to hire me because they thought as someone older, from a previous career, I'd be "hard to manage." I think this meant I'd speak my mind and not just do what I was told. Well, that's fine with me. A manager threatened by that isn't someone I'd enjoy working for.

Anyway, I found a very nice place to work in the end. I think there are jobs there, you just have to persevere and know how to market yourself. SAHM's unite!

Anonymous wrote:Divas and drama queens. Resumes are good for a few laughs around the office and then are tossed in the circular file.

You sound like a diva yourself. And unproductive as well.

A few years ago I hired a SAHM who had been out of the workforce for 13 years. She interviewed extremely well and had obviously done reading to bring her up to date. She excelled and was quickly promoted past colleagues who had been there for years. She was and is a fantastic employee and has been an incredible asset to us. Based on that experience I would easily hire SAHMs again.

Sorry, this is not the 50's. Not sure what world you live in but in case the last election didn't prove it, get your head out of your ass already!

Mothers should be with their children. Don't like it, then don't have kids. Single moms are exempt because the world isn't perfect. Moms who are trying to come back home are exempt. Anyone else needs to be fixed due to being unfit. Work if you want, just don't have kids. Get a puppy instead.

Divas and drama queens. Resumes are good for a few laughs around the office and then are tossed in the circular file.

"Huh? so, why does the fact that you had to return to work for financial reasons give you that perspective of SAHMs who stayed home for a few years then reentered the work force BECAUSE THEY WANT TO? someone who is CHOOSING to go back to work has a drive that people who are forced to go back to work do not have."


SAHMs and drive in the same sentence. Tee hee.

Anonymous wrote:1910 because PP is like the OP. Jealous and angry that her kid is a stranger to her. So if she can stick it to a mom who got to stay with her baby +1....I didn't get to so boooo to you.

DCUM. Just.like.high.school.

"SAHMs who want to work are just feeling done with being home and ready to focus on a career outside of the home. during out time at home we have also honed skills that can easily be translated into the workplace (i.e., multitasking, putting out fires, managing people and projects). we also have a maturity that "young" men and women will absolutely NOT have."

I have seen no evidence of this, more of the opposite.