Should I add an unrelated under the table job to my resume?

by Anna
(Alameda, CA)

I was laid off in Jan 09 and have been receiving unemployment and working under the table as a nanny to supplement my income as edd is not enough to realistically live off of. I have also been attending classes towards my BA full time.

It is time to begin looking for legit work now, and I am wondering if I should add the nanny experience to my resume or just leave it off. It is not very relevant to my professional administrative experience, so I am worried it will look bad to take up space on my resume with work that isn't relevant to my previous career.

If I do not add to my resume, should I at least mention it in the cover letter or just not mention it at all, on anything.

Thanks for your help.

Answer: Hi Anna... I think you can handle it either way. Putting it on your resume shows quickly that you haven't just been sitting home enjoying your unemployment, that you've actually been gainfully employed in some fashion. It's good to have an explanation like that for an employment gap, even in today's economy. But you could also just say something like, "I have been temporarily working as a nanny while I look for work in my field." on your cover letter.