Returning to work after being a Stay at Home Parent?

KitKatMum2

I’m a stay at home mum and by the time my youngest starts school I’ll have had approx. 6 years out of work.

I am wondering if anyone else has returned to work after that sort of time out and if they struggled to find a job? I can understand employers may not react favourably to someone who has been out of the workplace for so long. My youngest isn’t even one yet so it’s quite a way off for me, but it’s something I want to think about and I was just wondering if any other parents had experience of this? It was suggested by someone recently, that I will now be unemployable!

I have considered setting up my own business instead, but my husband isn’t keen on me doing this as we hope to move to a bigger property at some stage and he thinks we will struggle to get a bigger mortgage if I’m self employed.

cr1mson

I found that having voluntary work on my CV a big help in finding a job when I returned to the workplace.

Or why not set up the business now and work it around your family? As kids grow older you will be able to give more and more to it If you do want to move to bigger house you can decide at that time whether being employed is a better option. The business will have provided you with transferable skills.

However as an ex mortgage assessor I would always have preferred someone who is self employed with a solid trading record/accounts rather than someone who was employed but hadn't been for long and therefore had very little job security!

KitKatMum2

Thank you for your comments, I have looked into voluntary work, but at the moment, I’m alone with the kids for 13 hours a day, so it would be difficult. For the same reason I would struggle to set up the business now, but I'm hoping I'll have extra time once the eldest goes to nursery next year.

Interesting what you say about the mortgage too, my husband seems convinced that being self-employed will mean an instant rejection.

asajj

I doubt being self-employed means instant rejection. What sort of job you were doing before the break? Some companies have programmes for people coming back to work after a long time.

KitKatMum2

I was in an admin job. The role I did was very specific to my company and I fear that a lot of the skills would not be transferable to something else. I was also there most of my working life (10yrs +) and the company has since shut down (obviously couldn't cope without me, haha!) so I may struggle for referees. Even a lot of the voluntary work I looked into required 2 referees unfortunately. I've also looked at college, but I couldn't afford to do a course and I'm not 100% sure what I want to do as it is.

Guest101

KitKatMum2 wrote: »

I was in an admin job. The role I did was very specific to my company and I fear that a lot of the skills would not be transferable to something else. I was also there most of my working life (10yrs +) and the company has since shut down (obviously couldn't cope without me, haha!) so I may struggle for referees. Even a lot of the voluntary work I looked into required 2 referees unfortunately. I've also looked at college, but I couldn't afford to do a course and I'm not 100% sure what I want to do as it is.

Don't worry about references, you were there for 10 years, clearly you were a good employee.


referees can be anyone, but many places prefer it be someone who has known you for x number of years, and sometimes are in positions of trust (doctor, teacher, police officer, clergy, etc.)


You will have plenty of transferrable skills (working to deadline?; stock management?; Payments or banking?; etc.) - you also have skills possibly (I don't know you!) in budgeting, in child care, etc. (think outside of the immediate)


Did you order stationary for the office?, so you know about stock levels, experience of dealing with suppliers, of invoicing


Did you take minutes in meetings? honestly that skills alone is worth it's weight in gold.


Manage a diary / PA duties?


Any social media experience?


Ignore in house systems and things like that, but there rest is up for grabs

beecher2

Keep your eye out for MOOCs which might help keep your skills up to date - they might help you find a course you'd like to do full time. FutureLearn is good but there are loads of other ones.

KitKatMum2

Thank you Guest, I did do some of the things you have described. I think I've just lost a bit of confidence and focusing on what I can't do, rather than what I can.
Never heard of MOOCs or FutureLearn beecher, but will look into both

LMG1305

How about studying part time? You could do something through Open University or another distance learning provider and can work it around your children then, studying when they have gone to bed. You could choose something that would be relevant to the type of work you want to go back to eventually, or could do something you have an interest in and can then put on your CV that you have gained a qualification while being a stay at home parent.

YouAsked

Hi,

I've just googled "courses to help women to return to work" - if you can add your location, you will probably find something near to you - below are just examples, and the bottom one clearly states it is free. If you have a local Women's Centre (again google) they will also have resources to help.

http://www.womenlikeus.org.uk/
http://www.thepctpartnership.co.uk/women-returning-to-work/
http://www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk/news/archive/women-s-return-to-work-course

Obviously you're looking five years into the future so it's hard to say whether equivalent things will exist then, but for now, I would look to do something/anything to keep skills up to date - it doesn't have to be daily, or even weekly - but if you can say at interview "for the last 5 years I have continued to contribute my skills on a voluntary basis to xyz" it will stand you in good stead. There will be *something* locally which will have quarterly trustee meetings or termly PTA meetings etc - it doesn't have to be a massive commitment of time, but something demonstrabale.

t0rt0ise

I was a stay at home mother back in the day and found no problem getting a job later and since, always putting that I was at home with my children for those years. Don't worry, you won't be unemployable.