Recently I received an email from a reader who is a SAHM preparing to return to work. Here’s what she wrote:

I really need some help finding 2 – 3 sentences explaining my absence
from the work force for the last 30 years. I have successfully raised
6 children while attending college for my bachelor in accounting
degree. I am excited about this new phase of my life, but I can’t find
the right words for a cover letter. Please help!  - Beth.

More women are returning to the workforce either by necessity or because their children are now school age.  Most employers don’t like to see gaps of unaccounted for time on a resume so it’s important to address that question in your resume and cover letter.

In Beth’s case I first would make sure that I accounted for all of the years between my last job to present on my resume. But what if you haven’t been working a paid position? Many job experts agree that pro bono/volunteer work counts as  experience. If you haven’t done anything that relates to the job you seek career guru Kristen Maschka advises to put under the Personal section of your resume “Took 2000-2010 off to raise three children” .

Back to Beth’s request. I wouldn’t lead off that I had not been working for 30 years. The goal, after all, is to hook your prospective employer with why you think you have the skills and experience to do the job. After covering my qualifications for the position I was applying for, I would add a sentence or two that said something like “After taking time off to raise my children. I am enthusiastic about returning to the workforce. In the time that I was not working I earned my accounting degree, acquired XYZ certifications and offered my accounting services pro bono to numerous non-profit organizations.”

A potentially bigger issue for Beth may be the length of time she’s been out of the workforce. In her case an internship (they aren’t just for college kids anymore) or contract work may help her get her foot in the door. More progressive companies even have specific internship programs specifically designed for women returning to work.

Finally, while thinking about Beth’s question and preparing to write this post, I stumbled across a terrific organization called iRelaunch. It’s an organization which helps women who’ve been out of the workforce prepare for career re-entry. The idea is brilliant. They offer everything from job search advice and interviewing techniques to resume writing advice and local iRelaunch support groups.

So what do you think, dear readers? What advice do you have for Beth?

Every once in a while a book comes along that makes you think about the course of your life.  Christopher Gergen’s Life Entrepreneurs did that for me. I was first introduced to this book when Christopher Gergen became the Innovator in Residence at my company about a year ago. He facilitated a workshop based on the principles of Life Entrepreneurs and I was utterly captivated.  Life Entrepreneurs draws on interviews with 55 top entrepreneurs and deconstructs the common patterns and themes that made them successful. Many of the individuals interviewed started out with more traditional corporate careers and left those careers to follow newly discovered passions. These entrepreneurs were able to marry their life’s purpose with reinvented careers . The book is divided into seven sections with exercises and thought provoking scenarios to challenge and help readers align their values with a life and career of purpose:

The book does have its shortcomings. For example as good as the interviewee vignettes are, I would have liked to have had more in-depth information on the process of how they reinvented their careers and lives; many of these individuals are quite extraordinary and as a reader you’ll want to understand the thought processes that helped them to get to where they are today.  Additionally, social entrepreneurs are over-represented among the interviewees. Not a bad thing but for those who are focused on more traditional entrepreneurism (without the social or philanthropic angle), some of these stories may not resonate. These are minor criticisms though. On the whole this book is perfect for anyone who is questioning their current career path or looking to create a deeper connection between their core values, identity and what they do for a living. I also highly recommend Life Entrepreneurs for new college grads and anyone who has been out of the workforce for an extended period of time and is thinking about reinventing their career.

Regardless of where your career is today, Life Entrepreneurs is a book you will come back to again and again to rethink and relearn its lessons.