Question: How Do I Deal With a 6-Year Gap While I Raised My Kids?

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Question: I am not actively looking for a job, but would like to have my resume ready in case I would need it in the future.For the last six years, I have been a stay at home mom. I have a BA, and work experience from the past. What do I say that I have been doing for the last six years?
Thanks... Ashley

Answer: It's important not to make the mistake of including gaps in employment history on your resume. The best tactic is to include a brief explanation in your cover letter.

This is a case where the standard Chronological format is not the best one to use for your resume. A Functional resume will probably work best. It will allow you to showcase your varied strengths, talents, and experiences. You might also find that the combination format will work well for you. It combines the best features of a Chronological and a Functional resume format. Please visit these 3 pages for more of an explanation of the uses of a functional formatted resume:
http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/resume-format.html
http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/free-resume-examples.html
http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/resume-example.html

Start your resume with a brief "Summary of Qualifications," which is a three- to eight-sentence overview of skills and areas of experience. Next, include something like "Areas of Strength," which either lists key words appropriate to your professional experience or is broken down into several distinct areas of experience with bulleted items.

Next, you'll list your "Professional Experience," containing jobs, titles, and responsibilities in bulleted format. Do not omit the dates or you will raise more questions.

During your 6 years at home, you may have gained experience or skills that can be listed on your resume. Did you hold office in any volunteer organizations? Were you an unpaid guide in the local museum? Did you direct or plan activities as a volunteer for an after-school or day care center? Were you a sports coach or Scoutmaster on the weekends or during the evenings? List any experience like this with dates and responsibilities under "Additional Experience," then end the resume with a "Computer Skills" and/or "Education" section.

If you take the time to craft your resume and cover letter to accurately present your skills and experiences, your efforts will surely be rewarded.

Best of luck to you!

Kathi MacNaughton
kathi@powerful-sample-resume-formats.com

PS You can find MS Word templates for functional and combination resumes at my website too:
http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/free-resume-template.html (Functional)
http://www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/create-resumes.html (Combo Style)