Land O’ Lakes stay-at-home mom brings humor to resume for job search hoping to re-enter workforce
LAND O' LAKES, Fla. - For moms who want to get back into the workforce, it can be a scary time. But, one Tampa Bay area mom is bringing a little humor to her job search.
Candice Donoho lives in Land O’ Lakes and after two years of being a stay-at-home mom with her son, Jackson, she’s ready to get back into the workforce. But, she got a little creative with her resume.
"There’s always a section of the resume where you list previous experience," said Donoho. "I was finding I’d get there and be like two years ago was the last time I was in my career. My fear was someone would skip over me and move along assuming I got let go or what not. I just wanted to take the assumption out of it and write something fun instead."
READ: Dallas Cowboys fan goes into labor while attending Sunday's game
She sent out a resume with some creative lines in it. She said she was seasoned in meeting daily goals that include diaper changes, bedtimes and aiding memorization of ABC’s. She said she meets deadlines with 30 seconds to make it to the potty, and she’s good with research, saying a worried mother does better research than the FBI.
"I wanted to stand out. I think if you’re a hiring manager or human resources, I’m sure you’re going through dozens," Donoho said. "It was important to stand out. I got my degree at USF in business administration and marketing. My clever mind was thinking of a way to stand out and explain the job gap."
She said her work as a stay-at-home mom does translate into the working world.
"When I was thinking of my resume, I was like this totally translates into the real workforce world," Donoho said. "Different schedules, patients, I grew in skills with my little intern if you will."
MORE: Officer's heroic act leads to heartfelt gift: Newborn named in his honor
The graduate from USF said she wanted to get back to Tampa to get closer to her family.
"You need your village and support system. We found a really good daycare. We took it seriously. It’s something important to take time and do due diligence. Jackson is thriving. You can tell when it’s time to re-enter the workforce if you choose to do so," Donoho said.
She said she’s ready to get back into the professional world and use her social skills again, saying "it was just me talking to my toddler and my dog all day."
She said no matter what new moms choose, whether to stay at home or go back to the workforce, it’s always their choice and every mom should be celebrated.
"Being a stay-at-home mom is hard. You don’t clock in or out. Sometimes you are the very last person to get taken care of," Donoho said. "I commend any mom out there, because it is really hard. And any mom going back to work, I commend you because it’s a new and exciting chapter to get out there."