Why Are Employers Not Recognizing Raising Children as Professional Experience

Patience, adaptability, communication, multitasking and problem solving are desirable skills for any employer

Raising children and then returning to the workforce is not easy. Even today, when “now hiring” signs hang in almost every business.

Full disclosure — this examination comes from a friend’s experience, not my own. After twelve years, she is looking to re-enter the workforce and has not been having any success. At least not yet.

Her resume is polished with transferable skills, but I don’t believe employers are truly giving credit where credit is due.

Parenting is seen as a gap in employment history (and in turn skills development); this needs to change.

It is hard to get back into the workforce after raising children and putting yourself out there says something about your character — that’s not an attribute that can be taught and would that offers a lot of value.

Parents need to know that their careers are not over when they decide to raise children, but some employers seem to make this nearly impossible to recognize.

Some employers believe that employees who have raised children are not committed to their jobs and will leave at the first opportunity.

Others think that raising children is a personal choice and should not be recognized as professional experience.

Some might accept parenting as an explanation for a gap on their resume, but I’d argue most don’t really mean it. Otherwise, more employers would recognize parenting as valued work experience.

Twelve years is a “gap”.

A really big one.

I get it.

Twelve years of rich experience developing and applying patience, adaptability, communication, multitasking and problem solving — all desirable skills for any employer.

Most people would agree parenting is challenging and yet, they won’t accept it as experience.

Arguably “similar” jobs such as nanny and caregiver are recognized jobs, so why not parenting?

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