Ten Years Carpooling Kids and No Skills for a Resume? Not so Fast . . .

During the summer, my friend Sheila told me, "I've been out of the
workforce for ten years so my software engineering skills are obsolete."

"I've spent 10 years carpooling kids to sports,organizing play dates, and raising money for the boosters. You do career development and coaching, "she said," What would you say to someone like me?"

Plenty.

Sheila, like many of our clients, has marketable skills she has developed over the past ten years even though she was outside the paid workforce. She just needs help identifying those skills.

When Sheila took over as fundraising chair for her school boosters club, it had a budget of $20,000.00. Over the course of three years, under Sheila's leadership, the boosters raised more than ten times that amount. Sheila, a software engineer, had never been involved in fundraising. It was during her time out of the paid workforce that she developed a very valuable and measurable skill - fundraising for a non-profit organization. And, she enjoyed it!

We suggested that Sheila add her fundraising experience to her resume in a section called "Development Work". We helped her brainstorm all the fundraising activities she has been involved in, the specific tasks she performed, and the amount of money she raised. With targeted help from us, she was able to articulate a list of development projects, her roles and responsibilities, and accomplishments.

Many people underestimate the skills they have acquired during their years outside the paid workforce. A career development professional can help them identify their marketable skills and craft an impressive resume that highlights their achievements.