By Wendy Macagno.
The process of job seeking after leaving the religious life is daunting. Job applications, resumes, and cover letters are usually not on the forefront of your mind as you are processing your transition back into the world. A common question that arises is what to put on your resume regarding your time in the convent or seminary.
From an employer’s perspective, a gap in work history, particularly a long one, raises a red flag. They will wonder if your job skills are out of date and if there is something wrong with you that made you unemployed for so long. Therefore leaving a gap in your resume can hinder your chances of landing a job. However, you may not want to share such a personal part of your life, and this is entirely understandable. One way around this potential dilemma is by describing your time in the convent or seminary as volunteer service and word it as such that it does not reveal that you were in formation.
Beneath the title “Volunteer,” you can list your former job duties and tasks that you were responsible for, such as
“assisting first grade classroom with behavioral management,” “organizing files using the alpha-numeric system,” or “landscape maintenance.” It is especially important, for any resume, to add specific job duties that relate to the job you are applying for. This may take some creativity on your part, but keep in mind that the employer wants to see if you are qualified for the position and your resume should always be tailored to that end. If you are stuck on how to word your job duties, I recommend going to www.onetonline.org and type in your job title on the top right hand corner. From there you can find many examples to get you started on the kind of wording to use.
Looking for a job is no easy task for anyone, and can often be discouraging after sending in what seems like the hundredth job application. But don’t give up! As one who returned to the world during the height of the 2008 recession after living in a cloistered monastery for an entire year, I can testify that with a little elbow grease, you can find the job that is right for you.
If you have any questions regarding resumes, job applications, or career guidance please comment below or send me (Wendy) an e-mail via the contact form. Best of luck on your job search!
Postscript: below are three examples from real CVs that include time spent in the convent, showing several different approaches. The first one focuses on duties and responsibilities without mentioning that they were undertaken while in a convent:
February-July 2013. Part-time tutoring position at Saint ________ College in ________. Responsibilities involved teaching remedial English to two Year Seven students (emphasis on spelling, grammar and phonics, but including a text study of The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde), and occasional supply teaching across primary and secondary year levels.
The second mentions directly the time spent in religious life, but places the emphasis on other work experience:
Work Experience:
Aspirant Dominican Sisters of ___________ (Convent in __________) 2011
Office Manager Company Name (Location, State) 2007
- Positively assisted customers and clients through fruitful communication.
- Represented President via email and phone.
- Managed projects and co-workers, productively lead meetings.
- Maintained order in chaotic atmosphere through filing, data entry, AR/AP and tier 1 support.
The third is a list of the terms that the individual has used to turn her convent duties into marketable skills: Convent CV Examples.
Great blogpost Wendy. Certainly practical guidance for those who are in transition and now job-seeking.
I like how you say to use the word “Volunteer”. I was at a loss as to what to put for that so my dad told me “Missionary”.
Believe it or not, some companies may find it interesting that you were in the convent. When I quit my job a couple of years ago to join the comment, most of the reactions from my coworkers were positive. They were asking questions about it and such. So it actually could work to your benefit ?
The Lord has His Hands in it all in the end. Also, too, if you are searching for a job, St. Joseph is the saint to go to!
I wish this post also included a way of explaining “volunteer” duties for nuns in a strictly contemplative setting…such as prayer, manual labor, etc for a person who had prior experience in a “white collar” world. And I agree that job hunting after years away is a very difficult process.
For me, I’ve always been forward that I was in the convent. Sometimes prospective employers wanted to know why I left. So it’s important to prepare a short answer for that possible question. I also think it depends on the position sought: fully disclosing past religious life experience worked in my favor when I applied for the position I now have working for my Diocese.
Hi Catherine – I’ve thought about your question concerning how to explain your “volunteer” duties in a contemplative house.
Personally, I wouldn’t be attempting to “rebadge” activities such as prayer or manual labor at all. Given that you’ve stated you are comfortable with being forward about being in a convent, I think it is then perfectly contextual, then, to call a spade a spade… i.e. to call prayer exactly what it is ?
With the manual labor side of things, what an employer would be interested to know is not so much WHAT the duties you had might be, but what skills and experience you bring to the table as a result that can offer value to his/her business. For example, your manual labor (especially in silence!) has likely contributed to your ability to work well within a team and anticipate the needs of those with whom you work. You would also bring a real spirit of service to your work in whatever setting. As someone who was contemplative, you may bring an analytic and deeply thoughtful bent to a white-collar job.
To anyone else asking themselves this question, I’d recommend that you focus on SKILLS & BENEFITS TO THE EMPLOYER rather than trying to find secular labels for sacred things – per Wendy’s mention at the end of her article above about listing marketable skills.
I’m so thankful for this blog!
Do you have any tips for the “reason for leaving” under work history on an application?
Hi Rachel! It depends on what the reason is. If it’s for leaving the convent, you can put ‘seeking different career path’, or better yet, ‘relocated’. If you have been let go/fired, ‘job ended’ is sufficient. The employer will likely bring it up in the interview, so it’s good to be prepared about what you will say. Let me know if you have any other questions! I can be reached at wmacagno[at]gmail.com
I used my former religious congregation’s corporate name to cover my “gap.” It was not dishonest, but rather a little less glaring than the name of the congregation, and I DID work for them!
With regard to re-entry into the workplace, I worked as a temp. This got me back into the swing of things in the secular world, and sharpened my skills which had gotten soft. It was completely affirming, since most companies have very low expectations of temps. Paid the bills, sharpened my skills and got me out there. I would highly recommend this approach, especially if you were in religious life for very long.
I would also recommend using http://www.indeed.com. This is a site that pulls from other places on the internet to aggregate job listings. There are more, depending on your particular focus.
Thank you so much for this blog!! It really did help me a lot!! God bless everyone