Crazy as the notion may sound, you can add motherhood to your resume. Two words that may not consider to go together, motherhood, resume; yet mothers have some wonderful skills to be marketed. No, I am not going to pitch you and say how you can really add the title. However, I think mothers often taken for granted their abilities to truly manage some truly exceptional professional positions for free while being a stay at home parent.
I am surrounded by brilliant, beautiful, smart, funny, mothers and women each and everyday. Each day I learn something new about how a woman manages to be a driving force in an outside the home. These women command respect, viewed as a person to be reckoned with, and juggle the many responsibilities that turn the daily wheel.
While showering one day, I could not help to think about how I needed to tweak my resume, yet again, to include my new job position, title, duties, etc. Pondering how I would word my new responsibilities I began to mist over my job of late that I took all too much for granted; The Stay At Home Mom.
Honestly the job should be described as “Domestic CEO” because mothers, or at least a good majority, are the head of the sailing ship. Mothers are in the trenches working each and everyday in home (and yes moms, those of you who work out of the home as well) to ensure that the wheels do not come flying off the bus and prevent a Titanic size catastrophe. Meals are made, clothes are cleaned, floors are waxed and or mopped, butts and noses wiped, boo-boo’s kissed and miraculously healed, budgets are balanced, husbands or significant others are pleasured (as are we…wink wink!), dogs are walked and finally we close shop for a few measly hours, if that, and the process begins all over again.
Here are some of my “job” descriptors that I would add to my resume that boldly define work as a mother, both in and out of the home:
- Critical thinking skills: think outside of the box when you are out running errands with a potty training toddler…they drop a deuce and you are out of diapers? Find a scarf you have stashed in your car, strategically wrap it to act as a temporary diaper until you get home.
- Time Management: Schedule in a quick morning shower while the kids are a captive audience at breakfast chowing on their favorite hot or cold meal…if hot you may have the opportunity to shave your legs that are resembling European fashion. (Hairy!)
- Cash Handling: You remove any and all cash from husbands wallet since kids need lunch money, school participation money, or they are going to the movies with friends.
- Task Prioritize: A deuce was brewed by a child, the dog yakked on the floor, the laundry is beeping finished and screaming to be folded, dinner is on the stove and you have to determine which one comes first….I say the roaming stinker. You can always order takeout if dinner burns!
- Project Management: We know our husbands ALWAYS come up with some crazy “weekend” project that results in your kitchen being torn up for months, doing dishes in the bathroom while we yell at the schmuck at Home Depot to get your damn cabinets installed pronto so he isn’t in the dog house with the hubs too.
- Sales and Marketing: Stranded on the side of the road with a flat and maybe you have no idea how to change it….you pull out your winning smile and flag down a “good Samaritan” or you get all done up and bat your pretty lashes at the hubs to get you the Dyson you have been drooling over and he flops…get’s you the NEWEST just released model.
- Human Resources: Deciding which of your children is the most able bodied to do the least productive chores around the house…like taking out the trash, scrubbing the latrine, or pooper scooper duty. Take it one step further and you can pick out the best teen to babysit so you and hubs can have dinner sans kids.
- Waste Management: Let’s face it ladies….we know trash when we see it! Need I say more.
Never sell your skills short as a mom, woman, super hero to those we conceived. No matter if we work in the home, outside of the home, or we are a socialite of sorts, being a mom is a dirty job. We wear lots of hats and knowing all the hats you wear is a great way to recognize all your abilities. Motherhood is a job we should boast and wear proudly on our resume…in fact go get a t-shirt!
Couldn’t agree more. Motherhood requires certain skills that serve us well in the workforce.
HaHa, that is the truth!!
Great post, Karie!
🙂
Don’t forget House Psychiatrist. Oy Vey!
I want a raise.
believe it or not i was redoing my resume to look more decent and updated (since my 18 year old resume looks a bit outfashioned) and yeah wondered about the motherhood thing really!
Amen to that girl! I know someone who put “Domestic Engineer” as her title as opposed to SAHM. So that is my term of choice. Tweaking my resume tonight for tomorrow’s interview. Wish me luck!
Good Luck girl! There better be a long post about how it goes! At least a tweet or two!
I will try woman!! It’s been a mad house around here I tell you what! I love and adore you….you are an inspiration to me Brandi! xoxo
LOL! Wanna know something funny. I have no marketable job skills right. I got married at 19, had my first baby 2 weeks before I turned 21, was a SAHM for 10 years. Went to school to be a paralegal, and they are teaching you all about putting together your resume. I stumped em. Then when I handed in my fake resume, they were all laughing and telling everyone else to take my lead. I wrote in my skills:
Ability to multi-task: Can talk, type, fix a bottle, feed lunch, run the vacuum all at the same time. I have had 9 years of hands on experience.
Negotiating skills: I can find a solution that works for both you and your 5 year old.
Quick thinker: I have the ability to think on my feet. If you poop your pants and I forgot underwear to change you into, well, there is always a public bathroom with a sink and a nice warm air dryer. Go commando!
Great organizational skills: I can juggle 6 schedules all at once.
Plus a whole bunch of other crap. Of course the feed back was to leave the points and change up the descriptions a bit, but oh well. We moms do have a lot of skills that employers are looking for. We just have to know how to sell ourselves!
I just need a like button for your comment now! LOL
I am – WE are:
Executive Chef
Domestic Engineer
Party Planner
Personal Assistant
Executive Secretary
Commanding Officer
Parole Officer
Jailer
** the last 3 apply when you have teenagers** 😉
Taxi Driver
Chauffeur
Seamstress
Cleaning Lady
Maid
Laundress
Professional Shopper
Executive Buyer
Financial Planner
Banker
I am the CEO, CFO, CIO, COO, Creative Director, Executive Director, General Counsel, Managing Director… just to name a few.
NOW how is THAT for a resume!!? 😉
Hardest and best job ever!
Good Morning! I’m just hopping around finding new blogs to follow and now I found yours! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day and have a great week!
Bridgette Groschen
Groschen Goblins
http://www.groschengoblins.com
Hey girlie! You have an award waiting to be picked up on my blog. Hug! Hope you are having an awesome weekend!
http://www.fivemonkies.com/2010/05/i-am-feeling-so-loved-this-week.html
once again the truth is spoken here… how are ya chica, ive been outta the loop..
Hardest and best job ever!