From Resume Gaps to Career Growth: How to Own Your Value as a Working Mom
Feel like your resume no longer reflects who you are—or where you're going?
Maybe you’ve taken time off to raise kids, changed directions, or stayed in a job longer than you planned. Now you’re ready to grow again—but your resume feels out of date, and your confidence even more so.
In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dawn Rasmussen, certified resume writer, speaker, and president of Pathfinder Careers, to talk about what career growth really looks like for working moms—and how to reclaim your story after a pause.
This isn’t about spinning your experience.
It’s about owning your value and learning to lead on paper the same way you already do in life.
🎧 Press play above—or keep scrolling for the biggest takeaways, a few truth bombs, and one action step you can take today.
Watch the episode here:
Listen to the episode here:
🔍 What We Cover:
The real reason career management is more important than job titles
How to rewrite resume “gaps” as strategic career sabbaticals
Why one-page resumes are outdated—and what hiring managers actually want to see
The CAR method for building a resume that tells your leadership story
The truth about ATS, AI, and how to still stand out (as YOU)
“Don’t say you were ‘just’ a mom. You were leading, solving problems, managing complexity. Own it.” – Dawn Rasmussen
🛠️ Your Resume Toolkit:
✅ Create a Career Wins File
Start a folder (Google Drive, Notes app, whatever works) where you log:
Client or coworker praise
Metrics or outcomes you contributed to
Leadership or volunteer roles
Trainings, certifications, or workshops
✅ Use the CAR Formula for Bullet Points
Instead of listing tasks, tell stories:
Challenge → Action → Result
This structure proves your value without overselling.
✅ Name Your Career Break Confidently
Use the term Career Sabbatical. Then briefly highlight any leadership, volunteer work, or upskilling that occurred in that time.
📌 Ready to Be Seen for the Leader You Already Are?
Dawn said it best: “You have value. If you don’t know what it is yet, that’s your first step.”
This episode is the second.
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