Tips for Parents Looking for Work – Live Jobsticker’s Jobseeker Resource Show on LinkedIn (Episode 23)

Tips for Parents Looking for Work – Live Jobsticker’s Jobseeker Resource Show on LinkedIn (Episode 23)

I wanted to offer a couple of strategies for those parents out there who may have been recently made furloughed or redundant, and are now at home with their little ones all day, trying to balance schedules from the time they wake up until it’s bedtime.You know you need to include some job hunting time, right? Progress is key. Here are some ideas to stay productive to ensure you’re trying to get back into the workforce properly.

While taking a class is a good idea, it goes with the old adage that everyone should be doing some sort of continuing education or training anyways if they want to stay ahead of the competition. So that’s the most obvious! Having said that, I also always preach to donate time for free for some experiential learning. This parallels with that whole freelancing/gig economist thinking where you essentially are filling the gap with relevant work still, albeit on a consultancy (possibly even contractual) basis. Start planting seeds to solicit sales from friends, family, or social network connections. Build a portfolio. Read industry blogs or trades. Stay current and relevant. Then, filter these wonderfully new attained skills into your resume when you start your job hunt again. Plus, this is a wonderful way to avoid the whole “what have you been doing since…” question on your resume from the recruiter or hiring manager. Now you can speak to it with confidence!

Some other ideas can be:

Consultancy, contract, temporary or free internship employment
Virtual learning sessions via podcasts, workshops, or webinars
Volunteerism – both in the community or for a friend with a business
Entrepreneurial ventures (again, possibly parlaying contract gig work into a full-time outfit)
Projects – both freelance or from former employers/colleagues requiring your expertise

Now, what about that resume gap? Employment gaps are a red flag for most recruiters, but there are ways to help reduce the burden of an employment gap. Especially in a post-pandemic world, most employers will understand and even be empathetic to the candidate whose gap was caused by the global health crisis. On your cover letter, be honest and direct (and quick) when mentioning your gap. An example, “I lost my job with XYZ Company due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” and move on! On the resume, you can insert a role to help fill the gap! A type of role would be volunteer-based, freelancing/gig economist type work, a contract gig, continuing education/upskilling/training, or even at-home project-based work if you can spin it to relate to your targeted role. For instance, a teacher might mention her educating her children at home while working on additional certification. All of that can mesh into a single job under your experience with the date reflecting the year you were laid off (2020) to present.

How can I help you out on your career journey? Drop a comment here on your thoughts!

Also, please check out the weekly Jobstickers Jobseekers Resource Show every Tuesday at 2:00 PM EST on Facebook and Wednesday at 2:00 PM EST on LinkedIn.

Watch episode 23 of my weekly Jobsticker’s Jobseeker Resource Show Live on LinkedIn below 👇