Business writing is challenging to even seasoned professionals. So it’s not surprising that often, when a woman decides to re-enter the workforce after a period at home as a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM), one of her biggest concerns is putting together an effective cover letter and resume. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
Business writing is challenging to even seasoned professionals. So it’s not surprising that often, when a woman decides to re-enter the workforce after a period at home as a Stay at Home Mom (SAHM), one of her biggest concerns is putting together an effective cover letter and resume. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
Just as every great story starts with a compelling introduction, you will want to prepare an effective “Cover Letter” to accompany the resume you send to prospective employers. Your objective is to grab the attention of the readers by showing how you are the right person for this job and to entice them to review your resume.
Start by giving reasons for your interest in working for this company. Let them know how you can meet their needs by drawing correlations between a couple of major requirements and challenges listed in the position description and your experience, skills and accomplishments. Be concise and professional. This is also your opportunity to mention any updates to your contact information and availability (like the best time of day and the best number to reach you). You will want to be gracious and thank the readers for their consideration. The cover letter can determine whether or not your resume will even be reviewed, so making the effort upfront to give the readers an interesting and meaningful “snapshot” of you as a candidate may very well impact your opportunity to make your case in a personal interview.
Just as your cover letter is your introduction, your resume is your marketing material, your ‘brochure”, your sales tool. As such, it’s important to understand which format is best for your unique need. The two most common resume formats are “chronological” and “functional”.
The chronological format is the most widely recognized, with former positions listed in reverse chronological order. A SAHM who has not been out of the workforce very long, or one who has a rich and relevant history of volunteer/community work, might choose a chronological resume format.
Other SAHM’s should consider a functional resume. The functional resume is often a better choice for those with gaps in their employment history or lack of relevant work experience, as this is a format that highlights skills rather than specific experience.
It’s important to recognize the impact of a targeted resume versus a more generic one. We recommend all candidates craft a resume template that they can then customize quickly on a position-by-position basis; or, at the very least, create different versions, specific to the types of positions they are seeking. (For example: a customer service oriented resume, an administrative oriented resume, a banking resume, and an insurance resume) These would, of course, include a more targeted Objective or Summary statement, as well as highlight specific skills of value to the organization for the position sought.