If you are preparing to return to work after some time as a stay at home parent, you may feel unsure about where to begin. How do you explain the gap in your resume while also showing what you’ve accomplished during that time? Find Your Dream Job podcast guest Stephanie Smith says a smart job search strategy starts with getting your career documents in order. Stephanie also stresses the importance of using online tools like LinkedIn to help you stay in touch with industry leaders. And you should never underestimate the value of connecting with others through parenting groups or volunteer opportunities. Parenthood is a powerful experience that brings people together and those relationships can help you not only personally, but also professionally.

About Our Guest:

Stephanie Smith (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieannesmith/) is the co-founder and chief operating officer of Livelipath (https://livelipath.com/#/index). It’s a software company that customizes your resume and cover letter for any job application. Prior to Livelipath, Stephanie created the concierge career services firm, Career Muse. And she ran multi-million dollar recruiting programs for Amazon and other Fortune 500 clients.

Resources in This Episode:

• Stephanie’s company, Livelipath, provides customized resumes and cover letters to help you get back to work with documents tailored to the job you want.
• If you have been out of the workforce for a significant period of time, there are several resources available to help you. Companies like Power to Fly (https://powertofly.com/), The Mom Project (https://themomproject.com/), and iRelaunch (https://www.irelaunch.com/) serve parents who are returning to the workforce.
• Jobscan is an online tool that optimizes keywords and customizes your resume for greater chances of landing an interview. Visit www.jobscan.co/dreamjob for a 10% discount.
• You can avoid the resume pitfalls we consistently see job seekers make with my resource: Don't Make These 8 Killer Resume Mistakes (https://www.macslist.org/podcast-cta-dont-make-8-killer-resume-mistakes). In this guide, I’ll show you how to avoid the most common errors and get employers to take a second look at your resume.

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