The majority of men who are re-entering the legal field took time off of their career to care for their children. They have become known as Stay-at-Home Dads or SAHDs, and will eventually want to return to the work force. The number of dads who reported that they do not work outside the home rose to 2 million in 2012, as compared to 1.1 million in 1989.[i] The number of stay-at-home dads (SAHDs) is rising because more fathers are becoming primary care givers for the family.[ii] The profile of SAHDs does not fit into any common stereotype. Most men who become primary caregivers have been successful lawyers, doctors, engineers, and other highly educated individuals who enjoyed healthy salary and benefit packages before choosing a different “career path.”[iii] Obviously, some men become primary caregivers for reasons having nothing to do with career choices. Those decisions were made easier by higher salaries for women, a greater acceptance of the need to accommodate the cost of childcare, and questioning personal fulfillment.[iv]

Re-Entry of Stay-at-Home Dads

More men will be re-entering the work force, as the children of the SAHDs become more mature and self-sufficient. After taking a career break, SAHDs will have a harder time returning to the work force as compared to stay-at-home moms because they will face cultural biases against fathers who abandon the traditional “hunting” role to care for their children. They will confront more discrimination and stigma than women for taking a career break to raise children because historically it is more acceptable or expected for women take time off from their career for childcare. As a result, SAHDs will need tools to prevent and manage such thoughts and behavior.

1. Keep Your Foot in the Door

In order to successfully re-enter the work force, it is best if men never totally leave it. Try to “keep your foot” in the door by working part-time (it could turn into a full time position in the future), or volunteering for your company or another. This practice will help keep your skills current and help keep you abreast of changes in your practice. Moreover, this will allow you to expand your contacts and networking opportunities.

2. Update Your Resume

As with any job search, re-entry men should first update their resume. Even under ordinary circumstances, revising and updating a resume requires work. However, updating the resume of a SAHD and explaining or deciding not to explain the career break is challenging. Some SAHDs list their time off as a domestic engineer or household manager on their resume and highlight parallel job skills, such as managing priorities and multitasking, which shows productivity. Others refer to themselves as consultants and include their old job duties into their current ones. However, some SAHDs choose to omit any explanation for a gap in their resume fearing that potential employers would view their time off as a lack of drive and commitment to their profession, an issue that some woman encounter as well. There is not a right or wrong answer, nor are there any easy solutions to the resume gap.

3. Network

To successfully re-enter the job market, men, like women, will need to network. First, reach out and call former co-workers and other connections to arrange a convenient time to meet over coffee to “catch-up.” During that meeting, learn about what that person has been working on professionally. Then, you can let them know what type of position you are seeking and if they know anyone with whom you could speak with regarding that type of job. Second, use online platforms, such as LinkedIn, to reconnect and maintain relationships. By reconnecting with your professional contacts, you will be able to tap into the hidden job market. Additionally, some of these people could provide references because they will have known you in a professional role and will be able to verify your qualities and skills.

Networking is a very valuable tool to find a job. In a 2010 survey conducted by a Milwaukee staffing company, 41 percent of respondents said that they found their positions through networking, while only 2 percent found their jobs through Internet job boards.[v] Men need to develop relationships with people who know them in a context other than that of caregiver. For example, if a SAHD met someone who asked, “what do you do,” it is better for the SAHD to answer that he is an attorney (true), rather than a stay-at-home-dad. If he had answered the latter, the conversation will have likely ended. If the SAHD focuses the attention on his experience and skill set, he will open himself up to new contacts and opportunities in his desired field. Additionally, the SAHD may be able to leverage the relationship into a personal recommendation for a job opportunity.

4. Contract Work, Voluntary Work, or Change the Type of Law Practiced

Additionally, men can re-enter the legal market by exploring contract or temporary work, volunteer or pro bono work, or changing the type of law they practice. Any of these choices would be better than remaining idle.

 Necessary Interview Skills for SAHDs

Once the SAHD gets an interview, it is important that the interviewer focus on the job, the company, and your credentials and skills. If the interviewer is talking about how lucky you were to stay home with your kids, rather than about the particulars of the job opportunity or your professional experience, you should try to redirect the conversation. One way to redirect the conversation is to briefly summarize why you decided to stay home, reassure the interviewer that childcare is no longer an issue, and articulate what you can bring to the job.

In conclusion, it is difficult for stay-at-home dads to re-enter the work force because of stigma, discrimination, and a gap in their resume. If the stay-at-home dad prepares, he can overcome those obstacles.

[i]Rising Number of stay-at-Home Dads, http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/06/05/growing-number-of-dads-home-with-the-kids/st-2014-06-05-stay-at-home-dads-01/

[ii]Growing Number of Dads Home with the Kids, http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/06/05/growing-number-of-dads-home-with-the-kids/

[iii] Exploring the Daddy Track, http://www.unc.edu/~mbphilli/daddy.html

[iv] Id.

[v] Networking Is Still The Best Way To Find A Job, Survey Says http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2011/06/07/networking-is-still-the-best-way-to-find-a-job-survey-says/