How to handle job hunting with detriment of caregiving to personal finances and work history?

Dear mon,

I actually dealt with this situation as well. While caring for my dad in my home I did volunteer work twice a week not just to get out of the house but to increase my own self-worth and so I could someday put it on a resume. My finances were the exact opposite from yours. I rented a house I couldn't afford in order to care for my dad so we were roommates financially and so if I came up short one month he helped me out in exchange for my not working and caring for him. My credit was never better, lol! But he had a health emergency and ended up in a NH. I had to move and fast because I couldn't afford that house on my own. So with no job lined up I found a new place to call home and once I got settled I ran around town looking for a job. I work in healthcare and I'm lucky that there are always available jobs in that field. On an actual application it usually asks you to explain any gaps in employment history and I practiced explaining why I was out of the work force for so long. I practiced what I wanted to write because I wanted to sound intelligent, not get too personal, and I wanted to be brief but be able to thoroughly explain my hiatus. And then on my actual resume I wrote pretty much the same thing. I just put it out there. I interviewed for several positions and my gap in my employment history was never really discussed. I think it was because I was upfront about it and explained the reason why. It's not uncommon nowadays for people to re-enter the workforce after having cared for an aging parent.

I have a similar issue to face in the future when my mom passes away or goes to a nh. I have been "unemployed" for 6 years now, and my credit record has also suffered (it wasn't that good in the first place, to be honest). My thoughts are to title your caregiving time as being "on hiatus" to care for a family member. If you know anyone who has reentered the work force after some years as a stay-at-home mom, ask them how they approached the situation. Maybe in your resume / interview you could describe your job responsibilities as a caregiver and skills learned / implemented, as well as any special "projects" you completed like you would if this had been a "real" job (could any job be more "real"?). Describe them in ways that fit in with the job you are applying for. Things like "reorganized and managed finances", "coordinated and managed medical care for", etc.

Maybe, if you have any time cushion before you have to get a paying job, you could get a volunteer position doing work in the area you want to get a job in, so you have something more to put on your resume. I have read that volunteer work often leads to someone hiring you because they get to know you as you do the volunteer work and they like what they see in you.

Anyway, just brainstorming with you as I have been thinking along the same lines as you are. Hope this is helpful.

I am an HR professional and also my mother's caregiver. As far as any gaps in employment, I agree that should be accounted for as "time spent caring for family member" and no need to get into details at the beginning. During a first interview, unless asked, I suggest you also not bring it up unless the interviewer does. You may be asked if the "situation has resolved itself?" If you are still the caregiver, be ready to explain how it will not interfere with your paying job. If you are no longer the caregiver due to the death of your loved one, simply state the situation no longer exists. If your loved one is in a nursing home or has another caregiver, say that. The point is to keep the interview focused on you and your skills, not on your family responsibility. Now...if you get to the point of being offered the job, that is where you should bring up any responsibility you still have. For example, if you will have to take your loved one to doctors appointments, or if you are the main contact if the nursing home needs to reach you, etc. It is important you let the employer know this before you are actually hired. If it is a deal breaker for the employer, better to know up front rather than get terminated later. Hope this helps.

I was in the human resource (HR) profession. I got my first HR job through a employment agency, with a brand new degree and no experience. I had worked temporary assignments through the agency while I was in college, so they recommended me for a full-time HR Clerk position, when they knew I was ready. I went in as a temp, was hired after a month, and promoted to HR manager after 2 years.

I was even able to get a part-time job in HR where I picked my days and hours. Jobs like this are VERY rare in HR. I got the job through another temporary job agency. They knew my work through some temporary assignments and recommended me for the job. That job lasted for 3 years as my husband's condition progressed and was finally diagnosed (Lewy Body Dementia). Then I got a job teaching HR courses online. Currently, I am in "early retirement," because I'm trying to protect my health and survive caregiving.

As an HR professional, I also agree with a lot of the other advice here, such as listing your caregiving as a job and doing volunteer work to strengthen your resume (also a foot in door).

I've hired people who had unusual circumstances, but they had a good strong work history prior to the iffy part. There are those of us, in the HR profession, who have a heart and have also had some rough times. You only have to find one of them, so keep trying and keep a positive attitude. There is nothing worse than to be negative or complain in an interview, and yes, people do that and then wonder why they can't get a job. I'm not saying you do that, but sometimes people don't realize they come across that way. Be the positive, "can do" person, they will want as an employee.

Final thought, we all have experience now as caregivers, and there will always be caregiving jobs, and some types of jobs and employers have high turnover, so they may not be as picky about job history. So again, find one, just one, and stay there a couple of years to re-establish your work history.

I just had to say, for me, I would NEVER ever become a caregiver again.

I had been out of work for 16 years when I had my second child and my husband didn't want me to work outside the home, he passed recently. The last time I went job hunting, you actually read the classifieds in your local paper, mailed a resume to them and if they were interested they called you. I tried hunting on line, I tried the on line apps, then I tried going to small local businesses so maybe I could actually talk to someone in person, I do recommend this, it might work. But in the end, I decided I just have to be creative about it, and how much do I really need a paycheck, well pretty bad. I decided what I could do for work, even if it was different from what I used to do, picked two types of skills I have, ran ads in several local papers offering my services, I'm now building a client base for my business. Even the two clients I have now, will be a good foundation to get into another job if I want in a year, especially since it's my own business. The job market is still pretty bad for many people. I was just talking to a woman at a register today, she was complaining that she's a dental hygienist, can't find work and is working at Walmart. Sometimes you have to take what you can get, sometimes you have to get creative. I'm doing housekeeping, I was a transcriptionist and secretary for several years. But with this, I can control the days I work and the hours, and I actually make more money than I did as a secretary.

I did the exact same thing!! Gave up a job after 10 years, credit is shot and I am 59 years old. Cant afford in home care and each interview I go on is a bust. People are sympathetic but the bottom line is they need someone who is going to be dedicated to the job. Everyone has good advice on how to overcome this obstacle but sadly most of the advice does not work on the general population of employers. Good luck to both of us and anyone else going through this same problem. All I can say is we have to recover in the end. God has to be behind us.

If you have submitted your resume and applied for jobs with no response, maybe you're not giving yourself enough credit for all the responsibilities you have had as a caregiver. It is hard to toot your own horn. Maybe you should look into using a resume writing service that has experience in describing caregiving in a way that appeals to potential employers. They would be good at drawing out the details of your experience that are pure gold that you don't even recognize.

Maybe you are looking for a job in a field that does not resonate with your caregiving experience. At least for a short term to be able to have a paying job on your resume and to get acclimated to working outside the home again, you might look for a job in a field that values empathy and sensitivity to others' needs, but does not require specialized education or training. Teacher's aides, especially in special education, in-home caregiving, tutoring (you may have some area of education that would be useful). Or work that requires a lot of adaptability and flexibility, problem-solving skills, etc.

You might look into a temp agency. I am looking into working for an internet-based company called "TaskRabbits" when I need to do "real work" again or when I can get my mom into an adult day care a couple days a week and would be able to work outside the home on a part time basis. (I don't know if it's ok to mention names here. I am not promoting the company, I am just mentioning it as it seems to be an interesting resource to look into for anyone in the difficult job search situation. I'm sure there are other companies like this; this is the only one I know the name of). You submit a profile of your skills and types of "tasks" you would like to do, and your availability and how much you would charge for your work. They do a background check and if you're accepted they post your profile. You would be considered an independent consultant. Their customers (whose backgrounds are also checked) post detailed descriptions of tasks they want performed, and the time frame. You can bid on tasks or the company can match you up. There is a huge range of tasks requested from simple to high tech and highly specialized. Tasks can be one-time jobs or repeating and can lead to full-time employment. Customers and task rabbits rate and review each other on the website, and if the customer likes your work, they can request you for future tasks.

Anyway, just another resource for someone who is "between jobs" and having trouble finding full-time employment, and it has the best of both worlds, the freedom and flexibility of being self-employed and the structure, resources and accountability of working for a company.

Would you consider becoming a caregiver to someone else? Getting a CNA is relatively quick and easy.

Remember you are competing with younger people. Most companies prefer the young ones due to new ideas or better able to shape them into the company’s way of thinking. As an older applicant, we’re “resistant” to change or trying something new, plus usually they “encourage” people of our age to “retire” so that young new bloods come in. I know of one company who forces their employees when they reach the “retirement” age.

Madeaa, never say never. I laughed when I read your last comment. I say that all the time when people tell me that I now have caregiving background. I never wanted to be a nurse and now forced to be my parent's caregiver. I worry that my "NEVER" will one day come back at me. =(