What’s on Your Resume?

Think about the last time you applied for a job. Maybe it was last week, last year, or even the last decade. Do you remember filling out that application that seemed to take hours as you input every detail?  When was the last time you put together a resume that embodied all of your skills, experiences, and competencies?

For almost 10 years, I spent time reviewing resumes and helping people identify their strengths and put into words what they have been doing over the years regarding their work experience.  It wasn’t until recently when I came across my own resume and was reading that a thought crossed my mind. What would my “MOM RESUME” look like?  I know what my professional resume as an HR Director looks like, but I realized that my “MOM RESUME” is really so much more fun.  

Heather (Mom, Mommy, Mama) Stocking

Objective: To get through the day with at least most of my sanity still intact while maintaining enough energy to wash the dishes and throw in a load of laundry

Education Experience:
3 children ages 8, 6, and 18 months
Listening to parenting podcasts
Reading Mom’s blog posts

Work Experience:
Nurse

• Catch vomit in a bowl while grabbing a towel to protect the carpet that was recently cleaned
• Ability to identify a rash by the color, consistency, and characteristics after conducting intensive research on Google
• Provide excellent care by kissing boo-boos and applying specific character bandages that reflect the needs of each patient

Chef

• Creatively hide vegetables in the meals of young children in an attempt to help them eat healthy
• Prepare dinner for a family of 5, then quickly adapt to the short-order cook demands of three picky children
• Prepare school lunches for the big kids and then remind them to clean out the container when they don’t eat most of it
• Act as the food source for the never-ending nursing toddler

Manager

• Check all schedules to make sure everyone has a ride to dance, baseball, clubs, birthday parties, etc.
• Review all backpack contents to check homework, notes from school, and planners, and look at every drawing the 1st grader has brought home

Social Worker

• Conflict resolution surrounding issues including stolen seats, annoying songs, not sharing, and standing so others can’t see the TV
• Teach behavior modification for temper tantrums, throwing food, and sitting on top of the dog

Maid:

• Utilize the washing machine multiple times a day in an attempt to shrink the growing pile of clothes from the children who change their outfits 16 times an hour
• Extensive experience in doing dishes, especially cups that serve the purpose of one drink before a new one is grabbed
• Ability to clean toothpaste out of the sink on a daily basis and wipe fingerprints off all windows, doors, and mirrors

Mentor:

• Ability to show the way through role modeling of our own behaviors towards others
• Confidant surrounding areas of family, friends, faith, and other hard topics

Hobbies:
What are those?

As I look at my two resumes side by side, I am clearly reminded of my purpose in this world.  While some days this is the hardest job I do, I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I am thankful that I am the one who gets to be the multi-purpose provider for my kids and serve so many roles in their lives.  I take pride in each one of these areas and while I am definitely better in some areas over others, I wouldn’t trade this role for anything in the world.

A version of this story was published on Mar. 22, 2017, by author Heather Stocking; it has since been updated.