by Joan Lloyd - www.joanlloyd.com

I want to go back to work after taking two years off to stay home to care for my two young children, do volunteer work, take classes forpersonal growth, and otherwise commit myself to my family.

How do I address that two-year gap in my resume and cover letter? Also, my former managers, who will be used as references, are now inother positions out of state.

I worked until my 30th birthday as a successful advertising sales representative, have a BBA in marketing, and am now seeking part-timeemployment to ideally lead to full-time work within three to five years. There are many years ahead of me to work and I believe response tothose issues would be of interest to many baby boomers who are taking time out to be career parents, are enthusiastic to return to work, anddon't want to debate the issues of home or work in the interview, and wish to be taken seriously.
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You are in a good position to re-enter the job market. However, your preference for part-time hours will limit your opportunities. The factthat you have a degree in your chosen field and some years of solid performance behind you will be a big boost.

Another advantage is that employment gaps in the sales field may not hurt you as much as they could in some other fields. In sales, past resultssay it all because they are relatively easy to measure.

Successful sales professionals are prized because they can sell. A parental hiatus does not extinguish that skill. Good sales people are indemand also because they are energetic and self-starting. The fact that you managed to cram classes and volunteer work into your scheduleduring the last two years tells me (and an employer) that you have these qualities.

The first thing you need to do is to put together a powerful resume that is heavy with accomplishments. Load it with percentages of increasedsales, how you distinguished yourself among your peers, why clients wanted to do business with you and any other results you received. While you don't want to "debate the issue of work or home" with the employer, it's bound to come up in his or her mind. Whether thequestion is asked out loud or not, you would be smart to put any doubts to rest.

Here's what is going through the employer's mind: "If she only wants part-time work, is she really committed to returning to work?" "If herchildren are young, will she be taking off frequently to care for them when they are sick?" "Will she really put work first when she's at work?"

If your child-care arrangements are reliable and you can positively answer each of these questions, you will need to communicate this toyour prospective employer.

JoanLloyd has a solid track record of excellent results. Her firm, JoanLloyd & Associates, specializes in leadership development, organizational change and teambuilding. This includes executive coaching, 360-degree feedback processes, customized leadership training, conflict resolution between teams or individuals, internal consulting skills training for HR professionals and retreat facilitation. Clients report results such as: behavior change in leaders, improved team performance and a more committedworkforce.

JoanLloyd has earned her C.S.P. (certified speaking professional) designation from the National Speakers Association and speaks to corporate audiences, as well as trade & professional associations across the country. Reach her at (800) 348-1944, mailto:info@joanlloyd.com, orwww.JoanLloyd.com