Are you looking to boost your career?
Perhaps you’re looking for a more senior position within the firm you are working in, or perhaps you are looking to move sideways into a more fulfilling role. Whatever the case, there are a number of things you could do to bolster your resume.
Getting qualified is obviously something you should consider. You may need to look for courses that pertain to your particular industry, such as this construction management degree if you’re looking to move forward within that particular field. Or they could be courses that teach general skills that could be relevant for any kind of promotional position.
You might also consider voluntary work as you might pick up the experience needed for the next step up the career ladder. Learning skills through a side hustle could also help you achieve career success.
But as helpful as these steps are, it might be that you have already learned a few career-enhancing skills as a parent. You could discuss these with your boss when asking for a promotion, or if you are currently unemployed, you could use some of these skills if your resume is short of work experience.
#1: Negotiation skills
If you’re looking for a leadership position, you will need to know how to work with the people on your team. Negotiation skills are essential when managing others, especially when you are trying to reach a beneficial outcome that works for everybody.
As a parent, you have probably used negotiation skills when discussing bedtimes with your children, or when discussing the appropriate time to come home with your teenagers.
Instead of dictating rules to them (and running the risk of putting their backs up), you may have negotiated a compromise that suits both you and them.
In the workplace, employees will often appreciate a leader who negotiates rather than dishes out the law, so you might have what it takes to manage them. Of course, if you do have negotiation skills, you might also be able to negotiate a promotion or a pay rise when talking with your boss.
#2: Conflict management skills
There will be times when your children will have disagreed with you, or you may have disagreed with something they have done.
At such times, conflict will have arisen, and to cool things down, you will have needed to manage the situation to ensure a peaceful outcome. You will have also managed conflict to break up fights between your children, listening to both sides to ensure a fair resolution.
Such is the life of a parent where peace and harmony can’t always be guaranteed!
This is also the life of a team leader when dealing with his employees. Conflict will arise from time to time, so there will be a need to manage difficult situations. If you are looking for a leadership promotion, it could be that you are well suited for this senior position.
#3: Time management skills
The further you want to go up the career ladder, the busier you will be. With more deadlines to meet and more tasks to accomplish, you will need to manage your time effectively.
As a parent, you might have little trouble in this regard. After all, you will have already helped your children meet their deadlines when helping them with their homework and getting them to school on time.
You may have found ways to make a daily schedule too, factoring in time for your children and all of their activities, as well as family bonding time and moments where you can enjoy some daddy-me-time. By managing your time in such ways, you will have picked up the ability to manage more time-consuming positions.
These are just a few of the parenting skills that could support your career and you can probably think of others.
So, make a list, and if you do need to add more hirable or promotional skills to your resume, use your parenting skills to boost your career prospects.