At work, you think of the children you have left at home. At home, you think of the work you’ve left unfinished. Such a struggle is unleashed within yourself. Your heart is rent.”

Golda Meir

Sunday, May 9th is Mother’s Day, a day started nearly 150 years ago in the U.S., when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day called Mother’s Work Day to raise awareness of poor healthy conditions in her community, thinking mothers would be the best advocates. After her death in 1905, her daughter (also named Anna), began to lobby prominent businessmen and politicians to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. In 1914, her hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday. Today, it is celebrated in more than 46 countries around the world.

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 years and am currently going through a divorce. At the moment I am driving a school bus because the hours are great. But now that my children are older, I want to get back into the job world. I have a resume and have applied for many jobs with no response. I have plenty of experience. How do I get employers to notice me?
What am I doing wrong? I really need the income and am willing to start just about anywhere.

The Career Doctor responds:

Without seeing your resume, my sense is that you have been out of your field for 10 years, some of that time driving a bus. In just about any occupation, being away that long a period of time probably means you do not know the latest technology or other developments that have been made.

Getting no interest from prospective employers is a sign that you have some fundamental problems — with your resume (and/or cover letter), with your experience, or with your job-search strategy.

First, don’t be or sound so desperate. Employers don’t want to hire people who will work just about “anywhere.” You need to believe in yourself before you can convince an employer to believe in you.

Second, consider finding a temp agency that handles job-seekers in your occupation. You need to gain some new experience to help show that the gap means nothing in terms of your abilities to do a quality job.

Third, you may need to get some help on developing a resume that sells your skills and abilities.

Finally, keep open to the fact that you may need to get more education or training to updates your skills.