Voluntarily downsized my job...any way to explain that on my resume?

[Ruby2]

I moved up the career ladder quickly and made some quick, strategic, job changes before landing my dream job just before becoming pregnant with dc1. When she was about 6 months old, I realized that my "dream job" wasn't what I wanted anymore. I found a part time job closer to home that has worked out great for me and my family.

Unfortunately, my current position is grant-funded and the funding stream will run out in about 6 months. I'm preparing to begin my job search again and am looking at my resume with a critical eye...and it doesn't look good. I recently joined Linkedin and people are looking at my job history. What they're seeing is an apparently lateral move, two years there, a big move up, then a giant move down after only one year. Yikes. It was all planned with the results hugely in my favor, but that's not what it looks like on paper.

Question: Can I give a reason for a job change on my resume? I can see where that could be a positive and a negative.

Anyone with similar experience? Or maybe someone in a hiring position with some advice about what you would want to see?

Thanks so much.

[chiromama01]

I often see resumes with reasons for leaving positions. I would put something like "grant funded temporary position" enough said...

As for leaving your position before that, perhaps further detail would help with the wording done why you left that position...

Good luck!!

[Ruby2]

Thanks Chiromama. Yes, I was trying to figure out a way to explain why I left my position before my current one.

Can I just put something like, "Reason for Leaving: ________" as a bullet under my job title?

But what should it say? "Needed a job that let me prioritize my kids" just doesn't sound very professional...

Any ideas? 

[chiromama01]

Yes to the bullet point, as for the wording, hmmmm..... Maybe something like: resigned due to conflict of interest ??? That's a tough one

[VisionaryMom]

I completely left my field and pursued another degree in an entirely different field. It's not the exact same situation but a similar dilemma. I stick to the rule never to mention my children when applying or interviewing. I had the most luck with wording along the lines of "After realizing that I wanted to change directions to choose the career path that would reflect my goals the most..." People seem to get that. It makes sense to all kinds of people, whether they have kids or not, whether they factor them into their career plans or not.

[lauren]

Originally Posted by Ruby2 

Thanks Chiromama. Yes, I was trying to figure out a way to explain why I left my position before my current one.

Can I just put something like, "Reason for Leaving: ________" as a bullet under my job title?

But what should it say? "Needed a job that let me prioritize my kids" just doesn't sound very professional...

Any ideas? 

I have seen people put a reason for leaving under every past job. Perhaps it could say, "To care for family member" or something--they wouldn't be able to ask if it was an ill relative or a child. Recently I was part of an interview with a medical doctor who just plain wrote that she left a rotation "to care for my son."  If you are still of child bearing age, the main thing a hiring manager will be interested in is "is she going to stick around" for this job, so if you address that issue without even explaining the past move, things might work out o.k.