Help! been out of work for 5 years, what to put on cv

SarEl

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

Definitely! How about "innovative thinking" (keeping your toddler occupied with only a cardboard tube and a sheet of yesterday's newspaper)

Tee hee - sorry, totally off topic, but you just had me giggling because you reminded me of my last visit to my brothers. My nephew, aged 4, was in a Batman phase and brother had at some point been recycling toilet roll tubes as gauntlets. Having failed to notice the absence of a "gauntlet" - one of those "Yes, son quite right, now I'll think about whatever it is you are saying when I have done this" moments - my nephew went off and disposed of the entire new loo roll down the toliet and flushed it (well he had been taight to!) to obtain the much required second gauntlet. Two hours later, and much swearing (out of earshot of said nephew) entailed to unblock the drains! The next day I saved my brother more angst by buying said nephew a Batman suit!

Tigsteroonie

SarEl wrote: »

Tee hee - sorry, totally off topic, but you just had me giggling because you reminded me of my last visit to my brothers. My nephew, aged 4, was in a Batman phase and brother had at some point been recycling toilet roll tubes as gauntlets. Having failed to notice the absence of a "gauntlet" - one of those "Yes, son quite right, now I'll think about whatever it is you are saying when I have done this" moments - my nephew went off and disposed of the entire new loo roll down the toliet and flushed it (well he had been taight to!) to obtain the much required second gauntlet. Two hours later, and much swearing (out of earshot of said nephew) entailed to unblock the drains! The next day I saved my brother more angst by buying said nephew a Batman suit!

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

paulwellerfan

just put the truth down.
you can explain more when your at the interview stage.

DaisyFlower

Just put the truth, ie housewife/carer.

Don't put in lots like managing a budget or time management etc as all adults do these things and it just makes the CV look unprofessional. Add any voluntary work you have done though.

jfh7gwa

DaisyFlower wrote: »

Don't put in lots like managing a budget or time management etc as all adults do these things and it just makes the CV look unprofessional.

I would agree with this. I don't work in HR per se, but I do the first and second sifts (help filter them, sit in on interviews as a third opinion), and any proof of time management skills/budget experience which only backed up by time at home wouldn't cut the mustard.

Sorry, maybe this isn't a popular thing to say, but you honestly don't need to draw too much attention to what you've been doing as long as any gap is explained briefly (e.g. everyone has a fair idea if you write what DVardysShadow has said) unless you honestly have nothing else to highlight or prove your worth.

Your CV is there to highlight the particularly relevant / important things about you - every word needs to scream "I'm perfect for the job, and here is proof of why" - putting down that you have extensive time management skills or great budgeting skills because you've looked after a toddler just isn't a good use of the space.

As already mentioned, anything on top of those duties is arguably more worthwhile. Have you helped out on a parent-teacher event at school? Have you helped to fundraise for a charity related to your husband's condition? (and so on.) Anything on top of the basic "been a housewife/carer" should be the thing that's highlighted - not trying to fill up the CV space with hollow sounding promises of how well you can multitask based on toddler supervision.

ohreally

loves2shop wrote: »

Would really appreciate any advice as to what i should put on my cv and also what do i put for references?

What about voluntary work, many charities recruit volunteers and it will update you skills and broaden your horizons in addition to providing references.

persa

I would be tempted to put something like this:

[Date] to September 2011 - Carer for husband with condition X, now in remission

[Date] to September 2011 - Stay at home parent, child now in full time education

[Date] to [Date] - Last paid job

References available on request

The above explains what you've been doing for the past five years, plus demonstrates that you now have time to go back into work. If you stay silent on that point, a prospective employer may worry you won't be reliable and/or will keep asking for leave at short notice.

It's fairly obvious that caring for a family member and/or raising a child are not easy jobs and that you do need a lot of inner strength and resourcefulness to do both, particularly at the same time. I wouldn't elaborate on the CV, but I would have examples in mind if invited to a competency based interview.

Offer a reference from your last job if asked, it may be a while ago, but if the company is still around, its HR department should be able to give you a dates reference. Do you have a 'professional' friend who would be able to write you a personal reference? Or perhaps if you have been getting any support with caring for your husband, is there anyone who you know through that who can write you a personal reference instead?

Good luck finding a job.

SarEl

jfh7gwa wrote: »

Your CV is there to highlight the particularly relevant / important things about you - every word needs to scream "I'm perfect for the job, and here is proof of why" - putting down that you have extensive time management skills or great budgeting skills because you've looked after a toddler just isn't a good use of the space.
.

It is if you make it relevant to the job! How else will you rpove that you can manage the office budget if you don't mention any budgetting skills? Yes, I agree not to balther on pointlessly - but you can cetianly use your experience to show why you are perfect for the job even though you have not had paid employment in some years.

SarEl

DaisyFlower wrote: »

Don't put in lots like managing a budget or time management etc as all adults do these things .

Really. Well the state of eprsonal debt in this country, and around here, tends to suggest otherwise on the matter of budgetting. And I don't know many adults who could manage time with a clock!

jfh7gwa

SarEl, I don't think we disagree entirely. But I do think that it's kind of scraping the barrel, so to speak.

By all means include what you've mentioned, but I really meant to optimally use the space on the CV. If the OP is going for a job where an ability to budget is important, and she honestly, really has nothing else to back up her statement that she CAN budget... maybe then write down that running the household means you have to budget.

But on a professional CV I would honestly look at all other angles before I stressed the household aspect. Such as arranging charity fundraisers or something, as I mentioned (if she's done this).

It's not BAD to write on the CV, but I'd hope there was something BETTER to write, that's all.