Ken's interviewing for a new salesperson. As he reads through Casey's list of skills, he's dazzled: time management, conflict resolution, leadership, resilience, and patience, to name a few. "Wow, that is a very impressive résumé, Casey. Where did you pick up all of these skills?"
"Oh, I'm a mom!" replies Casey proudly.
As Casey's résumé demonstrates, parents have a lot of valuable skills to bring to work. But parents often downplay them and, sadly, employers can fail to appreciate them. [1]
Yet research shows that these "hidden" abilities can enrich your résumé, and help you to get ahead at work when they are recognized by good employers. [2]
In this article, we'll help you to identify and "sell" your transferable parenting skills, whether you're already working or preparing for a return to work.
10 Parenting Skills You Can Bring to Work
What skills have you developed through parenting?
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They might not be immediately obvious; they're just "what you do" as a mom or dad. So, here are 10 ideas to get you started.
Tip:
This list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to add to it, or swap out our suggestions for other skills that you've developed as a parent.
1. Resilience
Parents have to deal with ever-changing and sometimes very challenging situations. But they have to keep going, no matter what.
This resilience, along with the ability to stay calm, to problem-solve, and to "roll with the punches" at home, is essential at work, too. Being comfortable dealing with turbulence and change is a vital skill in fast-moving workplaces.
2. Patience
Patience is about taking a step back to assess a situation properly, even when you're under pressure. Whether the kids are learning to ride a bike, or deciding what they want for dessert, parents know that some things just can't be rushed!
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Patience is invaluable in the workplace. For example, you need it when co-workers are learning something new, or when you're gathering information to make an important decision. Patience helps to ensure that things are done right, rather than fast.
3. Clear Communication
When your child is about to run across a busy road, or needs a confidence boost two minutes before a test, you can't let words go to waste.
Your well-honed communication skills will go a long way at work. When you're able to express clearly what you want and need, as well as really listen to others, it will likely result in far fewer misunderstandings. This helps to ensure that things are done right first time.
4. Persuasion
Think about how you encourage your kids to put on their shoes, do their homework, or go to bed. It's all about persuasion and negotiation.
These are skills that most people use every day at work. And your ability to be clear about what you want, how long it will take, and the benefits of doing it, will help to win over co-workers and clients alike.
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5. Time Management
When you've got just 10 minutes to pack a lunch for your kids, get them out the door, and drive to work, you become very efficient!
Your ability to schedule, prioritize, and manage your time effectively will translate directly to your work. You know what needs to happen and when, and you can efficiently plan your time to get things done – all things that bosses love!
Tip:
Conduct a time audit to take stock of the time management skills you didn't know you had.
6. Leadership
Your kids look to you for leadership and guidance – even if they don't always admit it. You're their main role model: you motivate and inspire them, and provide them with a pathway to success. This all takes determination, passion, and commitment, which are valuable leadership skills.
Your team members are often motivated by the same things as your kids: recognition, praise and belonging. Draw inspiration from your leadership and decision making skills at home, to support and nurture those people at work who would benefit from your knowledge and experience.
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7. Crisis Management
What's the biggest crisis you've faced as a parent? Perhaps it was the time you had to rush your child to the emergency room after an injury. Or when they got in serious trouble at school. When dealing with this crisis you did what you had to do, all while trying to keep a lid on your own rising sense of panic and fear.
The experiences that have tested you most as a parent have likely also equipped you to deal with workplace crises. Your ability to stay calm as you assess a situation, identify your resources, and decide a course of action, will be a huge advantage to you and your organization when challenges arise.
8. Creativity
Imaginative parents understand that empty cereal boxes can be transformed into spaceships, and bed sheets into pirate dens. It's all about looking at things differently.
This fresh, imaginative take on pressing problems might yield new solutions in your work. Your innovative thinking could help your products or services to evolve from the ordinary to the extraordinary!
9. Project Management
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Whether it's organizing a child's birthday party, or designing and building a treehouse, project management is a key parenting skill.
It's also a crucial workplace skill, of course. Your ability to complete projects on schedule and within budget, and to juggle multiple people, deadlines, tasks, and responsibilities, can be an enormous asset to any team or organization.
10. Accountability
The buck stops with you when you're caring for your kids. Ultimately, you take full responsibility for their health and their well-being.
As a parent, you know how important it is to take responsibility. Being accountable for your time, your work, your team, your decisions, and countless other aspects of your working life, will be second nature to you already.
How to Sell Your Parenting Skills to Employers
Be proud of your parenting skills!
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"Toot your own horn" when discussing your parenting skills with potential employers. Identify concrete examples of when you've used these skills, and how they relate to the role that you're applying for.
Also, don't forget to highlight any voluntary activities that you've taken part in. For example, school fundraisers that you organized, parent newsletters that you edited, or kids' clubs that you got involved with. And include the skills that you learned or used during these projects.
Remember, while you might see yourself as "just a mom or dad," in reality, you're a leader, peacemaker, homemaker, chef, nurse, project manager, judge, and jury! Managing a team is likely a piece of cake compared to being a parent!
Key Points
Many of the skills that you learn as a parent are hugely valuable in the workplace. Don't allow these "hidden" skills to be overlooked by employers as you progress in your career.
Your transferable parenting skills could include:
- Resilience.
- Patience.
- Clear Communication.
- Persuasion.
- Time Management.
- Leadership.
- Crisis Management.
- Creativity.
- Project Management.
- Accountability.
But there are also many more, so take some time to really reflect on what you've learned as a parent. Highlight these skills on your résumé, with relevant examples, to really "sell" them.
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