Becoming a Parent Should be on Your Resume
I entered the workforce ten years ago.
I became a parent eight months ago.
I, like many Americans, have been on the job market during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite feeling a sense of tremendous personal growth as a result of parenthood, I avoid the added designation “Mother” like the plague (pun intended) during interviews.
This is dumb.
Humor me for a moment while we imagine a world where having children was actually valued in the workplace.
Additions to my professional resume would include:
Career History – Parenthood:
Project Management: I spent 10 months diligently preparing for the biggest “GO LIVE” of my life. In the months that followed, I both led and underwent the most transformational of all the transformation programs … on time and on budget.
Continuous Education: In addition to my native language (English), I am conversant in baby milestones, baby product jargon, and the full stack of American Society of Pediatrics recommendations.
Business Development: As a proud new member of the world’s largest and most exclusive club – Gamma Gamma Parenthood - my network has tripled in size over the last three quarters.
Leadership: I am literally teaching a tiny human how to thrive in the world every, single, day.
Competencies - Parenthood:
As a parent, my creativity, problem-solving, and deductive reasoning muscles go through a full HIIT program every day.
As a result of parenthood, I am an expert in the ways of risk mitigation and vendor selection, not to mention engineering (e-mail me for tips on adding a footrest to almost any highchair).
Patience … hard stop.
H.U.M.I.L.I.T.Y
Skills like: empathy, time management, organizational effectiveness, and general preparedness (THREE different diaper bags live in our home) have been kicked into overdrive.
All this without even the slightest mention of the mental and physical toughness that I now KNOW I have compliments of being in labor for 12 consecutive hours.
Remind me why we assume that employees (particularly mothers) will be less effective once they’ve become parents?
Is it because they’re more multi-dimensional humans now? Is it their enhanced warmth? Focus, prioritization, worldview, perspective, operational efficiency? Increased ambition?
No really, I’ll wait.
The only difference between investing in higher education, licensing, or a certification program and becoming a parent is that one helps your resume and the other becomes a topic you playfully dance around in interviews (“I don’t even like my kids, I swear!”).
Okay, two differences: one contributes to the continued existence of the HUMAN SPECIES and one does not.
All this to say, if Rad Brad the Bro feels empowered to include “Traveling the World for Eight Months” to his resume, I’m adding PARENTHOOD (and more specifically, MOTHERHOOD) to mine. It’s time for organizations to think about the postpartum employee differently.
