I am updating my resume. The past 14 months I have been unemployed but productive as a stay at home dad.?

Question

So what terminology shall I use to explain my 14 months as a stay at home dad. I don't want to be smart-a s s about it and say "domestic engineer" or "organizational executive" but I feel that I have to put something down. Believe me it is a job in and of itself which I want to quit and go work with adults again. "Stay at home dad" sounds too wussy so any suggestions will do. And of course, I can take a joke so all you who wants to be a comedian yahoos...give me your best. Serious suggestions will get 1% of first years salary if I eventually use it.



I am joking of course about the $$.


Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Haha, funny dad, also. It's good. Ok, now, seriously speaking, we are dealing whith what professional career advisors call "gap in employment". If there is something you should avoind explaining in an interview, this something is a gap in your job history. It's pretty difficult to fill it with words, because words can be missunderstood and employers, well...employers are afraid of pwoplw who don't work for various reasons.
I kindly recommend you this article to see where exactly you fit, relating to employment gaps, and what the suggestions are in each case. I will not post it in here, suit yourself. And do tell us how you dealt with the "issue".

http://www.cvtips.com/gap_history_CV.html

Good luck!

Answer 2

Before I had children, I was always a career woman and always supported myself for many years before I got married and stayed at home to look after my 2 children My girls are now 3 and 5. I remeber when my oldest was about 1 year I would often feel the same way, but that is because the results of all the extra time you are spending with your child are not yet so obvious. Spend the time wisely and have lots of fun, stories, exercise, playground, games and toys for the correct learning age, music and mum and baby activities and as your child gets older it will become easier for you to see the results. As your children grow to 3 and 5 you will really start to notice that your child loves and respects you, will have better manners, and will probably be smarter and will be much more balanced alround than if you had been sending them to daycare while you worked. This is real accomplishment because that is the future you want for your child. Giving them this head start will enable them to cope better once they get to school and this will follow on into their later years. I personally think you can see the children at school that have been given 'time' from their parents. Keep up the good work and soon as the baby get a bit older the feeling of accomplishment grows each day as the baby gets smarter. You are lucky that you are in a position where you can do this for your family. When your children are 22 and finishing there education you are not likely to be saying to yourself, I wish I spent a bit less time with them when they were young and earnt a few more dollars instead! You will get used to staying at home and doing the unpaid portion of the workload.

Answer 3

aww ur so cute. try putting something like "just call me daddy" lol kidding. but seriously, that's something that should really be respected being it a guy or a girl who is a stay at home parent. put down something like child caretaker or parental duties. if you get the call back thats the best time when you can elaborate on it and explain exactly what you mean by that. overall tho i think your best bet is to not only send out your resume but make a cover letter as well. that will give you a chance to write a paragraph about some BS..yada yada..i've had the fulltime job of taking care of children and now im looking to get back into the work force. spiceit up a little bit. good luck to you :)

Answer 4

Just own it. Be proud of it. Am I correct in assuming that you have a wife that works, and the situation was such that it made more sense for her to work outside the home than you at the time? That's what I think of when I hear stay at home dad. Any gap in employment history is rough on the resume, but if you were taking care of you family by caring for your child and supporting your wife in her career, I'm sure it was worth it. I would use the term "stay at home parent" and simply state, in addition to taking care of your child, any activities you were involved in, subjects you may have spent time studying on your own, anything you may have done to keep up with workplace skills. Just be honest. And you know, come to think of it, if you end up being interviewed by a "mom" it may even score you some "extra points"! I probably shouldn't say that, but I bet it's true!

Answer 5

i know you could put down that u are a:"Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations".[stay at home dad]....say "I have a continuing program of research,
[what stay at home parent doesn't]
in the laboratory and in the field,
[simply stating, indoors and out].
I'm working for my Masters, [first the Lord and then the whole family]
and already have ....(put the number of children you have right here)... credits [all sons/daughters].
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities,
[any stay at home parent care to disagree?]
and I often work 14 hours a day, [24 is more like it].
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."
that sounds good for a resume....watcha think?

Answer 6

How about Full-time Father???
Put it on the resume just as you would any other job.
List your (many) responsibilities.
Be open and honest about it. I think it's a great thing. I wish I could earn as much money as my husband so he could be a Full Time Father when we have children.
Be sure to let the prospective employer know that you are back to work for good. Tell them why, like your child started school this year or Grandma is watching him. Make them comfortable that you're gonna grow w/ the company.
Good luck!

Answer 7

If it was me, I would say something along the lines of, 'I am looking to get *back* into something that is a little bit easier going then being SAD (Stay At-home Dad)'

hoho hehe haha


oh boy.

But express that it is a full-time duty, but after working 14 hours a day + weekends, 8 hours a day should be cake-work.

Answer 8

Just put the dates you were at home, ie....

June 1986-January 1988: Left the work force to stay at home and raise my children.

In my office this is what I see women writing on their resume's. In your interview, you may have the privilege of talking about your home experience. Good luck to you!

BTW, I'm very impressed.

Answer 9

I'd say you were on a Family/Parental Leave of Absence. This is basically a recognize HR term and appropriate for a resume.

Answer 10

the only thing i can think of is to lie. but i always lied about everything but i didn't know it. after the treatments i stopped lying.
but you try telling them the truth. someone might think it is pretty cool. don't use terms like domestic engineer. that would guarantee you not be hired. sounds fake and a little annoying. or a joke. stay home dad is best. everybody uses that. emphasis how your worked on your skills at home. say you taught yourself to learn ----------- whatever you know how to do.