On a career break? Here's why you still need to track your activities

Editor's note: This post, an oldie but goodie on Go Ask Mom, originally appeared on the blog for the Back to Business Women's Conference. Check out its website for more information about how to network, even during COVID, and return to the workforce.

While you’re on a career break, it’s critical that you keep a list of things you’re doing that will help you make the case that you are a better employee because of your break.

Quick! Grab a pen and write down five things you’ve done while out of the paid workforce that a future employer might be interested in.

Need help? Here are some ideas to jumpstart your list:

• Took an online course (LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, etc.)
• Kept up a professional certification
• Developed a new skill (what was it and how did you develop it?)
• Took a course at a community college, a boot camp, or anywhere
• Managed a project at your kids' school, your church, or a non-profit
• Managed volunteers
• Joined an industry association and attended their meetings or continuing education courses
• Volunteered for a political campaign supporting a cause or a candidate that you believed in
• Taught something (such as faith formation classes at your place of worship)
• Started a group to get people with common interests connected
• Joined a book club and participated in monthly discussions
• Served on your homeowners association
• Organized social events for an organization, school, church or neighborhood you are connected to
• Took on gig or project work
• Attended a conference that inspired you, taught you something, or kept you in touch with your profession or network

Why is this important?

For many reasons! For starters, as you update your resume, you’ll draw on this list to fill the gap in your employment history. It’s also important because when you get to the interview stage of your job search, you will be asked what you did while you were out of the paid workforce. It will be up to you to tell a compelling story that convinces employers that you are a constant learner with a growth mindset.

This week, I met with a recruiter at a great local company, and we talked about hiring women (and men!) who are returning to work after a career break. She’s interviewed lots of career relaunchers: The ones who rose to the top are those that spoke about their time out of the workforce as a time of growth and convinced her that they were busy using skills that transfer well to the workplace.

My advice to you: Keep track of all the things you do while on a career break.

Start a Google doc or a page in your journal to list every project and volunteer post you take on, along with the skills you used and the outcome of the project. Don’t forget the outcome! If you’re ready to return to work and you haven’t been keeping track, no worries! Start your list now and spend the next few days adding to the list as you remember what’s been keeping you so busy all this time.

What if my list stinks?

OK, say you start your list and you decide it’s not impressive. Start doing list-building activities today by finding a course to enroll in, a group to join or a volunteer activity that will help you grow. Here’s a link to my blog about resources for job seekers that includes some ideas for you. I repeat, start today!

And remember: Being home with kids is a full-time job! Yet so many of you manage to do this well in addition to volunteering, managing projects and improving yourselves on a daily basis.

When I was a stay-at-home mom, I always marveled at how that title really missed the mark: I was never home! Between all the activities my children and I got involved in, I was constantly on the go. I even took a fencing class with one of my children, which let me include “Beginning Fencer” under the Interests section at the bottom of my resume. I didn’t exactly learn practical job skills in the fencing class, but it was a great conversation starter! It also gave me the opportunity to talk about how my career break allowed me to explore some unique activities that expanded my mind and kept me physically fit.

So start that list and keep adding to it as you craft your story around how you used your career break to get better and how that will benefit your future employer.

Katie Dunn is a local mom and founder of the Back to Business Women's Conference.