Timeout doesn’t diminish skills

248

Dear Joan:
I want to go back to work after taking two years off to stay home to care for my two young children, do volunteer work, take classes for personal growth, and otherwise commit myself to my family.

How do I address that two-year gap in my resume and cover letter? Also, my former managers, who will be used as references, are now in other positions out of state.

I worked until my 30th birthday as a successful advertising sales representative, have a BBA in marketing, and am now seeking part-time employment to ideally lead to full-time work within three to five years. There are many years ahead of me to work and I believe response to those issues would be of interest to many baby boomers who are taking time out to be career parents, are enthusiastic to return to work, and don't want to debate the issues of home or work in the interview, and wish to be taken seriously.

Answer:
You are in a good position to re-enter the job market. However, your preference for part-time hours will limit your opportunities. The fact that you have a degree in your chosen field and some years of solid performance behind you will be a big boost.

Another advantage is that employment gaps in the sales field may not hurt you as much as they could in some other fields. In sales, past results say it all because they are relatively easy to measure.

Successful sales professionals are prized because they can sell. A parental hiatus does not extinguish that skill. Good sales people are in demand also because they are energetic and self-starting. The fact that you managed to cram classes and volunteer work into your schedule during the last two years tells me (and an employer) that you have these qualities.

The first thing you need to do is to put together a powerful resume that is heavy with accomplishments. Load it with percentages of increased sales, how you distinguished yourself among your peers, why clients wanted to do business with you and any other results you received.
While you don't want to "debate the issue of work or home" with the employer, it's bound to come up in his or her mind. Whether the question is asked out loud or not, you would be smart to put any doubts to rest.

Here's what is going through the employer's mind: "If she only wants part-time work, is she really committed to returning to work?" "If her children are young, will she be taking off frequently to care for them when they are sick?" "Will she really put work first when she's at work?"

If your child-care arrangements are reliable and you can positively answer each of these questions, you will need to communicate this to your prospective employer. Your cover letter or marketing letter could sound something like this: "I am a highly motivated sales professional who gets results. As an advertising sales representative, I increased sales by X, expanded Y and improved Z... Even when I was home rearing my two children these past two years, I was not content to stay uninvolved. I lent my sales ability to the fund raising efforts of a volunteer organization, helping them to meet their goal ahead of schedule...Now, I'm eager to return to the work force. I can offer you experience, enthusiasm, and total commitment and reliability. I'd like to help you get results..."

You get the idea. In the meantime, call your former employers and ask them if they have any record of your work and what kind of reference they will give. Two years isn't very long and they should remember you. Ask them if they know where your former managers are working.
Find out who is still working there and who has moved up in the organization. Try to contact someone with whom you had a good relationship and find out what changes have occurred. Perhaps one of your former co-workers has been promoted and is familiar with your work. If you were very successful, the company may be willing to offer you a part-time job just to get you back.

As an experienced sales person, you know how to remove the "buyer's objections." Pull out your best sales skills and put them to work selling the product you believe in - you.