Principle #4: Start Something Resume-Worthy

Ok, you might say. So I shouldn't join an MLM, I shouldn't put my home activities on my resume, clearly I don't want to go back to work (that being the point of being a SAHM) - how on earth am I going to get experience for my resume???

Here's the beauty of resumes:

1) They typically don't specify full-time, part-time, or contract
2) They typically don't require you to list your salary

What does that mean for you? Well, it means that you have a lot of options to gain experience that will reflect well on your resume:

For example, volunteer work.  Volunteer work is an excellent option because, since you're working for free, you can have more say in what you do for the organization. AND you can do it from home! Want a future career in marketing? Talk to them about handlin their brochures, website copy, and email campaigns. Want a career in finance? Offer to help them balance their books. The sky is the limit here. And since it's you're resume, you can choose whether or not you want to specify that it was a volunteer position. Obviously the time will come when you will have an interview and will need to explain what you did, how many hours you worked, and that it was volunteer. But the goal of a resume is to get an interview. If they think you're skilled, it won't really matter how you got your experience. They just want to know you can do the job and have some proof (portfolios can be helpful here as well).

You could also start off as a contractor. Get yourself some business cards, a free website, and a couple of samples of you have them, and offer your services to some local businesses. Start off doing it for free until you have some experience under your belt to prove you can deliver results. Lots of businesses could use statisticians, or web developers, or even interior designers. And if they can get it for free - it's a win-win!

A third option is to simply get a Part-time job working remotely from home. Of course, as you know, stay away from the companies that like to shout "WORK FROM HOME!" Or "MAKE MONEY IN YOUR PAJAMAS!". We all know those are a terrible idea. But you can do something very simple to find good, legit, paying part-time job opportunities working at home:

1) Go to www.indeed.com
2) under "what" type your area of interest (be creative with different key words, there are usually a number of different job titles for essentially the same work)
3) under "where" type "Remote"

And there you go! Be careful when you type in "remote" because Indeed will try to fill in "Remote, OR" and that's an actual city so.... Stick with just the one word.

There are a few other resources for remote and flexible job listings you might be interested in. Most require a fee but will give you a free trial to start. A few that I've tried in the past:

www.flexjobs.com
www.virtualvocations.com
www.weworkremotely.com
angel.co (this one is specifically for start-ups which are usually a lot of fun but can be stressful)
www.idealist.org (this one focuses on non-profits)
www.powertofly.com (this one is really cool - started by a female executive to give women more flexible work options)

Ok so you have a bunch of options, yay!! Pick the one that works best for you. I will give you one piece of advice though that will make or break your ability to put this on your resume:

STICK WITH IT

First of all, it won't look good if you're jumping from organization to organization every three months (ALTHOUGH you could always say you were working as a consultant for the various companies). Secondly, you want to be somewhere long enough to create some real value for the organization. Just having their name and your tasks on your resume isn't enough. You need to be able to say that you changed or built or enhanced something - launched their eblast campaigns, implemented QuickBooks, consolidated their employee team to be more effective - whatever it is.

Building a resume when you're home chasing around little rascals can be hard but it's not impossible. Follow these guidelines and you will be on your way to building a foundation for a future career!

Note: these resources can also be helpful if you are currently re-entering the workforce. All of these options can build your resume while you're searching for that perfect job.

Principle #3: DON'T Join an MLM

Just don't. And if you do, do not put it on your resume. MLM's have terrible business models, it's almost impossible to make any money, and legitimate companies know this. Putting an MLM on your resume is about as effective as putting your circus clown act in your resume - it simply shows your future employer that you don't understand the real business world.

(Nothing against circus acts, BTW. Clowns actually might have a better chance that MLM's)

Allow me to explain my disdain for MLM's. I was in sales for a few years: one year it was for a company that ran under a similar model as an MLM and one that was legit.

The former hired as many people as were willing to put up with the job, had very few skills requirements (although they pretended to), they were entirely commission-based and even charged a fee to join, they acted like a huge cheerleading squad with mantras about being your own boss and living the life you want with freedom and flexibility, promised promotion as you built up your team, and made a whole host of other promises they couldn't keep with 99% of their employees. But of course, it was the employees fault for not working hard enough. Sound familiar?

The latter, however, had a list of skills requirements they stuck to, they limited the number of people they would hire, offered base salaries, protected territories, benefits, training, and a realistic view of your potential in the company.

The former model is irresponsible. It only benefits the people who started the business and does very little for anyone who wasn't one of the first 10 to sign up.  I'll show you what I mean: hop onto your favorite MLM website and, if they have this feature, look up how many reps are in your city alone. Mine had 32. No serious sales company would EVER do this because they care about the satisfaction of their employees. No serous company would ever over-saturate their market with sales people. It's bad business practice.

And trust me, corporations know this. If they see an MLM in your resume they will roll their eyes and move on. You have a LOT to offer as a SAHM; don't give it to a company that will take advantage of you. In fact, best case scenario, start your own business. If you have an idea, a copy of Microsoft word and Excel, and an Internet connection there are all kinds of ideas out there for you. In fact, I plan to share a few of my own that I've thought up and even piloted in later posts.

So don't sell yourself out. If you are part of a MLM and you enjoy it, go ahead and stick with it but find something reputable to involve yourself in the will bolster your resume.

More on that in Principal #4!

Principle #2: LinkedIn Pulse

            Hello again, lovelies!  I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week.  Last post, we talked about how to get your LinkedIn (LI) profile set-up so you can start networking in your industry of interest (either for immediate or future use), following companies leading the pack, and reading about the latest updates and workplace trends.

Now that you are on LI and have the access you need to all of its resources, let me first tell you what not to do: do not sign up for a paid account. If I had written this a year ago knowing that some of you are retiring from SAHM-hood and beginning your journey into the workforce, I would have said absolutely, definitely, get the most basic $30/month account even if it’s only for a month or two.  However, LI, as all companies eventually do, has scaled back the benefits of a paid account and, frankly, it’s not worth it at this point in time (at least not until you build up a profile, a following, and are prepared to spearhead your job search). So for now, leave the paid accounts alone.

            
What you do need to do is dive right into the LI Pulse section and start following topics, bloggers, thought leaders, etc. in your area of interest. To get to this portion of LI, follow these steps:

1. Logon to your account
2. Navigate to the top left side of your screen where you have a black panel with several links: Home, Profile, Connections, Jobs, Interests
3. Hover over “Interests” and click “Pulse”
4. Start perusing and…go to town!!
5. Click on “Discover” to see some recommended influencers to follow

The screen this takes you to will have a series of boxes with suggested INfluencers (as they like to call them) you might want to follow. If you continue scrolling down you’ll have “Channels” and then “Publishers” to select from as well. Since you haven’t been on the platform very long, the suggestions may or may not apply to you.  If you see something that looks relevant, click “Follow”.  Otherwise, use the “Search” box in the top middle of the page. Be sure to click the three-line icon to the left of the box and select “Posts” to search topics of interest.

Note: My personal recommendation is to always use the LI desktop site for browsing, even if you’re navigating on your mobile phone. Go ahead and download the app for your phone or ipad if you’re interested, but I personally find the LI apps very difficult to navigate and un-intuitive. I prefer going through the struggle of logging in to the desktop site from my mobile phone.

            Try to find at least 5-10 topics and INFluencers you’re interested in following right away.  You can always “unFollow” them later if they don’t provide the kind of content you’re looking for, but this at least gives LI a good view into the kind of topics that intrigue you so it can continue to give you recommendations. In the coming weeks and months you’ll see more and more topics and people pop up on your news feed (because LI recommended them or someone in your network “liked” or “shared” something) that spark your interest and you will have opportunities to increase your knowledge base and hone in on what really interests you.

            Now what?  Well, now you have to do something crazy.  Something that will go against your every instinct, but that is so vitally important, you absolutely have to force yourself to do it no matter how difficult it is:

Next time to you have some downtime,

Instead of logging in to Facebook… log in to LinkedIn. 

I know, I thought it was a completely crazy idea at first too. But it’s SO much more interesting! Browse through LI just like you do Facebook – peruse the newsfeed, see if there’s anything new happening in your network, browse some of your topics – get your head into your industry. This might be difficult at first for several reasons:

1. You may not be used to putting your head into workplace or professional mode on a daily basis – it does require a different, but equally valuable, kind of energy
2. You likely haven’t honed in on all of the topics that spark your imagination just yet, so the content you find in your newsfeed may seem bland at first
3. Your network is probably small and there won’t be many updates initially

That’s ok.  It will take some time to build all that up just like it did on Facebook, Instagram, twitter, and any other networks you use.

Tip: Start by connecting with me on LI! Simply visit my profile page here and click “Connect”.  You will likely be asked what your connection to me is (it does this with anyone you aren’t already linked to in some way) so simply click the “Friend” radio button and I will receive the request. Once you are connected to me, you will be able to connect with anyone in my network which can be very helpful if you’re interested in marketing, technical writing, or the oil & gas and engineering industries.

But stick with it and you will soon find yourself defaulting to LI because the information can be so fascinating! And on those days when there doesn’t seem to be any adults within 50 miles of your location and you are ridiculously tired of hearing 2^nd grade vocabulary and you wish you could find a single person to talk to who understands what a “relationship status” is, you will find LI to be incredibly comforting. It will be an escape, a moment of adultness, a moment of youness.  A chance to build a Mommy-interest and focus inward for a moment.

     

      I’ve never been a big fan of scheduling out time for, well, anything (exercise, study, sex…), but if it works for you, go ahead and set aside a daily 5-10 minutes (or more if you can) for browsing LI.  Or, if you’re more like me, just file it in your head on the list of “things I can do on my phone when I have 2 seconds to think” and hop on there when you can – 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, half an hour there – whatever works for you.

      To help you in your search for topics and Influencers, I’ve put together a shortlist that includes:

·      Most common industry and job-related topics

·      Influencers I’m most fond of

·      Best articles from across LI

To access the shortlist, simply click the download link and save it to your computer. It’s in pdf format so the links will open up directly in you preferred browser.

            I’d love to know what topics and influencers you choose to follow!  Please mention in the comments the “Follows” that you are most excited about.

Principle #1: Get On LinkedIn!

I guess this is the part where I start telling you stuff I've learned....

Well, let's start with the basics!  The absolute very first, most fundamental thing you have to do to get a start on career maintenance is:

Get on LinkedIn.


The value of LinkedIn cannot be underestimated.  Most tout it as a networking platform - and that is its main purpose - but I mostly use it as a knowledge vault.  There is SOOOOOOO much amazing information, advice, and work life best practices on LinkedIn.  Here's a list of very interesting things you can do on LinkedIn;

• Browse articles by industry of interest
• Browse articles by topic
• Read articles written by your friends and peers
• Find the VP's and Presidents of companies you'd like to work for someday, or ones you're simply interested in
• Follow VP's and Presidents of companies you're interested in
• Get the most popular articles from Forbes posted straight to your timeline
• Search for jobs
• Search and explore the profiles of others in your career area to see how they present themselves and describe their job duties
• Connect with people you know - and then connect with people they know that you don't know - and then connect with people that know the people you don't know who know the people you know...you get the idea
• Learn about inter-office dynamics in various industries

And much more...

So get signed up!  I know, I hate getting on new social media sites.  It takes so long to figure out how everything works and get connected with people and figure out the interface, but you will benefit SO much from spending time browsing LinkedIn - you may find yourself spending more time there than Facebook!

I'll put together a "Guide to LinkedIn" soon with pictures and explanations of the various features and how to follow your topics of interest in case any of your are newcomers.  But for now, get signed up, put together your profile.  A couple of quick profile tips:

• Put your formal work experience from the past on there, and then put whatever it is you consider yourself a professional at for your experience since you've been a SAHM.  So your current title could be "Graphic Design Consultant" and just put "Contractor" or "Freelancer" for the company.  Then list your skills!
• Don't underestimate yourself in the skills development section, but be specific.  You don't want to have "Catering", "Bookkeeping", "Dance Instruction", and "Lawyer" all on there together.  Figure out what area you want your professional image to be focused on and stick with the skills that are applicable.
• Give yourself time to write up a description.  You don't have to have anything there right away - remember you don't have any connections yet and you may not even be looking for a job right now so there's really nothing to lose by giving yourself to work up something good.  And feel free to update it as-needed.

Here is the link (I know, it's kind of a "no duh" situation, but it never hurts to be thorough): www.linkedin.com

Action Item: (I actually hate action items, so much that I actually hate the word action item, but, you know what they say: you gotta walk the walk...) Sign up on LinkedIn, fill out your profile, and start exploring!

What is the SAHM Career Guidebook?

Hello wonderful ladies, and gentlemen.

I've created this guidebook as a place to store and share ideas and strategies for women (and men) who have spent years, or are spending years, as a SAHP and would like to maintain their careers as much as possible to prepare for the future.  Admittedly, this blog is geared towards Stay-at-Home-Moms because they are simply the most common type of SAHP these days, but Stay-at-Home-Dads, rest assured, these principals will apply equally to you - and we will regularly offer posts geared specifically towards Stay-at-Home-Dads who often have unique challenges to face.

I personally am a full-time working mom.  Growing up and into my teen years I was absolutely determined that I would be a SAHM just like my mother was, so much that I even wrote a college essay on why all moms should be stay-at-home-moms lol!  But I don't think any of us really know what choice we will make until we have children and discover what our personalities crave and what lessons we want our children to learn.

As such, I often contemplate what I would do to nurture my career were I a SAHM as I had planned.

• How would I stimulate my mind?  
• How would I prepare for the future?  
• How would I provide additional security by being prepared to work full-time at a moment's notice, if needed?  
• What would I do to maintain a resume that doesn't reveal a massive black hole for 10 years?

 I have hired, worked, with, and been a friend, daughter, and cousin to many who stayed at home with their children and wanted to re-enter the workforce - it is a daunting task!  And the problem is, people who discuss this subject either don't really care what happens to your career, or they tend to approach it from a very black-and-white and very unorganized perspective:

"Well, if you stay at home with your kids, you're just going to have to take a hit and start all over when they grow up."

 or

"As long as you have a degree you'll be fine."

 or

"The work you do at home is just as valuable to the workplace - put it on your resume!"

or

"The activities you engage in at home with your kids have no place being listed on your resume."

Uhhhhh...

These statements all have some truth to them, but none complete the picture: yes, you will take a hit, but there are things you can do to minimize, perhaps even eliminate it in some cases.  Yes, getting your degree is one of the best foundations to lay for yourself, but it cannot get you there on it's own, especially when you consider workplace biases against SAHM's and older women.  Yes, your work at home builds valuable skills but being a bookkeeper or scheduler at home is nothing like being a bookkeeper or scheduler in the workplace - however there are places you can include this on your resume, and there are activities you engage in as a SAHM that are very applicable.

Let's talk for a moment about what this blog is not.

  It is not a place to:

•  Make you feel bad about choosing to be a SAHM (you shouldn't!)
• Assume you are lazy and therefore need working moms to get you in line (I know you don't!)
• Advise you that you can have a great future career without doing anything career-related today (I'm sure you know that)
• Make you think this will be easy (ha! Like anything in your life is easy right now!)
• Make you feel like you have to be a working mom to have a great future career
• Talk about great ideas without any practical applications
• Brag about being better than you because I'm a working mom

I know the mommy wars are heated right now, but they don't actually exist.  I mean, when is the last time you've seen two moms face-off about whether it's better to work or stay home??  It's not a real thing, it exists in our minds; we're all in this together.  If you're reading this, you know that all types of moms are great, make fine choices based on their own family, and you can assume anything I write is delivered with equal respect for all.  Equally, comments must all remain respectful or they will be deleted.  We are here to share knowledge we've gained with each other, no one is interested in lecturing anyone else.

What I am going to do:

I'm going to give you day-to-day, week-to-week applicable skills, activities, and concepts that can greatly increase your chance of being able to more comfortably re-enter the workforce when you choose to.  There probably isn't anything earth-shattering here, so this probably isn't a great resource for quick-fixes, but there will be lots of reminders and new ideas based on what I've learned working with SAHM's.  We will cover topics for mothers currently trying to re-enter the workforce (who may or may not have adequately prepared), as well as those with young children looking for strategies to protect their working future. *If you have been through this recently and have some advice to share, please contact me about being a guest blogger.*

If you're wondering what's in this for me, I'm not interested in bragging about my amazing work life (we all know the sacrifices we working moms make are as big as yours, just different; the blessings are too, blah blah...).  For me, talking about this gives me this strange feeling that there would have been hope for my psuedo-self who traveled in an alternate dimension as a SAHM.  She deserved a great career too.

Now let's DO THIS!