resume for stay at home moms with no experience

Stay-at-home Mom Resume Examples & Writing Guide for 2024

You’re a stay-at-home mom.

You’re great at time management, organization, and able to juggle five jobs at once. 

Safe to say you’d make a great employee!

But HOW do you prove your abilities to your future employer?

What do you put on a stay-at-home mom resume, anyway?

Well, that’s exactly what we’re about to answer.

We understand that applying to jobs after years of staying at home can be a daunting experience. But please don’t worry - our guide will get you back on your feet in no time!

• An example of a finished stay-at-home parent resume that works
• How to write a stay-at-home mom resume that’ll fill up your interview diary
• How to make your stay-at-home mom resume stand out [with top tips & tricks]

Before we dive into why the company should hire you, here’s a stay-at-home mom resume example, created with our very own resume builder:

Want one of these? Then follow the steps below:

How to Format a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

Whether you’re getting your kids ready for school or running them a bath, you know the importance of preparation.

Similarly, you need to prepare your resume format before you can start writing!

But what does this actually mean?

Well, your resume needs to be structured correctly.

The most common resume format is “ reverse-chronological ”, and it is for good reason. This format puts your most recent achievements up-top, which keeps your resume clean and easy to follow.

You may also wish to explore the two following formats:

• Functional Resume – This type of resume focuses on skills, which makes it ideal for stay-at-home moms who have gaps in their employment history or never worked in that specific industry.
• Combination Resume – Getting back into the same job after a short break? Combining both “Functional” and “Reverse-Chronological”, individuals with both the required skills and experience may want to use this format.

After picking the correct format for your situation, you need to sort the resume layout .

For a stay-at-home mom resume that looks the part, we recommend: 

• Margins - One-inch margins on all sides
• Font - Use a professional resume font that stands out, but not too much
• Font Size - Stick to 11-12pt font size for normal text and 14-16pt for headers
• Line Spacing - Use 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing
• Resume Length - Maintain a 1-page limit. For guidance, view these one-page resume templates

Use a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume Template

Ever written a document? 

There’s a good chance you used Word, or similar processing software.

Now, these programs are great for creating simple documents, but are they good enough for your resume?

Not if you want a professional-looking resume! 

Why do we say this?

Well, Word isn’t the best for holding structure. 

You see, it can take hours to create the perfect structure, only for you to make one small change, and BOOM…your resume falls apart.

You’re a busy parent - Free up your time by using a stay-at-home mom resume template .

What to Include in a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

The main sections in a stay-at-home mom resume are:

• Contact Information
• Work Experience
• Employment Gap

To really impress the recruiter, you can also add these optional sections:

• Awards & Certification

Interests & Hobbies

That’s the sections sorted, but what should you write for each of them? 

Let’s find out!

For a full rundown on each section, view our guide on What to Put on a Resume .

How to Correctly Display your Contact Information

Now, this isn’t the time to unleash your creative flair.

You just need to keep this section factually-correct .

You could submit the best resume in the world, but if your phone number is wrong, well, you won’t be getting any interviews.

As you can see, accuracy is the name of the game in your contact section.

The contact information section must include:

• Title - Align this to the exact job title you’re applying for
• Phone Number - The one you are most-easily reached on
• Email Address - Keep your email professional ([email protected])
• (Optional) Location - Applying for a job abroad? Mention your location.
• Emily Brown, Receptionist. 101-358-6095. [email protected]
• Emily Brown, Supermom Receptionist. 101-358-6095. [email protected]

How to Write a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume Summary or Objective

The job market is getting more and more competitive.

In fact, most employers usually have a HUGE pool of applicants to choose from.

Taking this into account, we can’t be too surprised that recruiters are known to spend less than 6 seconds on each resume !

Although rather concerning, we can use this knowledge to our advantage.

You just need a way to hook the reader.

But HOW can you do this?

Use a resume summary or objective , which are both attention-grabbing paragraphs that sit at the top of your resume.

This paragraph will be the first thing the hiring manager lays their eyes on, so make it the best it can be!

Although similar, there are differences between a summary and an objective…

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence paragraph that summarizes your most notable professional achievements. 

• Fast-working and friendly receptionist with 18 years of experience working on the front desk of a local gymnasium, where I achieved a customer satisfaction score of 98%. Highly-skilled in data-entry, customer service, and negotiation. Seeking to leverage interpersonal skills and a commitment to great service to become the new receptionist at GYM XYZ.

A resume objective is a 2-4 sentence paragraph of what you want to achieve and why you’re perfect for the position.

• Enthusiastic and friendly gym-goer looking to work as the new receptionist at GYM XYZ. Passionate about keeping visitors happy and satisfied. Relevant experience includes serving customers during two years at CAFÉ XYZ. Skilled in POS, communication, and time management.

So, should stay-at-home moms use a summary or an objective?

Generally, because stay-at-home moms will have large employment gaps, a resume objective would be the best choice. With that said, if you’re entering back into an industry that you have plenty of experience in, a resume summary would be the best choice. 

How to Make Your Work Experience Stand Out

The work experience section is the most important section on your resume.

As such, it’s a section that requires special care and attention.

The goal is to write a powerful work experience section that stands out and highlights your most notable achievements .

Doing so will instil confidence and reduce any perceived risk in hiring you.

Now, you may be concerned about your employment gap, but don’t be.

Anyway, it’s always better to explain your employment gaps, rather than attempt to conceal them.

Here’s how to correctly structure your work experience section:

• Position name
• Company Name
• Responsibilities & Achievements

Receptionist 

06/2017 – 03/2020

• Based on surveying, I achieved a 99.4% visitor satisfaction score during my three years at Real Gym
• Welcome and advised 250+ customers a day
• Developed a new fitness class system that reduced complaints by 48%

Instead of simply talking about your daily tasks, you should show how valuable you were at your previous employment. You see, this will allow the recruiter to immediately see how you’ll directly benefit the company.

Instead of saying:

“Kept visitors happy”.

“Based on surveying, I achieved a 99.4% visitor satisfaction score during my three years at Real Gym”.

Apart from being much longer, how is the second statement different?

Well, it uses quantitative data to back-up your skills. It allows the recruiter to see why you’d make a great addition to the team.

On the other hand, the first statement is way too generic. The recruiter has most likely read those exact words 18 times today.

What if You Don’t Have Any Relevant Work Experience?

So, you’re going back to work after a long lay-off.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be applying for the same job.

What if you don’t have experience?

Not to worry!

You see, just because you’ve never worked as a receptionist, doesn’t mean lack the relevant skills and experiences needed to be great at that job.

You would just need to mention the crossover skills from previous jobs, like being able to operate a cash machine, having great communication skills, and being detail-orientated. 

How to Explain Gaps in Employment on a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

Why is there a gap in your employment?

Your employer will want to know what you’ve been up to recently.

Even though you’ve talked about your previous jobs, it’s now time to address the elephant in the room.

The trick here is to focus on any skills learnt during your time as a stay-at-home mom, especially skills relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Stay-at-Home Parent

05/2017– Present

• Created a blog that documented my journey through parenthood – receives 10k+ views per month
• Volunteered at my local charity – served dinner to 100+ homeless every Tuesday night

Sure – an employment gap isn’t ideal, but you can use this section to highlight the skills and experiences developed during this gap. Essentially, you can spin a negative into a positive ! 

Now, we both know that being a stay-at-home mom IS a full-time job, but resist listing your parent-related duties, unless the job involves working with small children or similar.

Use Action Words to Make Your SAHM Resume POP!

Those poor hiring managers.

Having to read the same generic words in every resume they read. 

Although bad for them, this is great for you!

You see, it allows you to create a “return-to-workforce” resume that stands out by using some power words :

• Conceptualized
• Spearheaded

How to Correctly List your Education

Next, let’s discuss what to put in your education section.

Regardless of the position that you’re applying for, this section follows a simple formula:

• Qualification Type 
• Institution Name
• Years Studied
• GPA, Honours, Courses, and anything else you might want to add

When put together, your education section should resemble the following example:

Majoring in Culinary Arts

Ohio State University

2008 - 2012

• Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE), Financial and Revenue Management, Research Project, Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Experience Economy, Exploring Professional Practice in Hospitality.

Still have a few questions? Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we get from stay-at-home moms:

• What if I haven’t come to the end of my studies yet?

Not to worry. Just include the courses and modules studies to date

• Should I include my high school education?

If it’s your highest form of education, then yes 

• What is more important, my education or experience?

Experience always wins this race, although education is still important 

For in-depth answers, check out our guide on how to list education on a resume .

Top Skills for a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

As a mom, you have invaluable skills that your little-one depends on.

But you can’t exactly write “able to put three kids to bed every night” on your resume.

So, what should you do instead?

Well, what did you write in your experience section?

Here’s a trick: analyze both your work experience and the job description.

If you see any skills that crossover, add them to your resume.

Do this correctly, and you’ll be showing the exact skills the recruiter is looking for! 

And if you need more inspiration, here are some of the most common soft skills:

• Personable and friendly 
• Endurance (long hours)
• Conflict resolution 
• Time management 
• Team player
• Be honest here. Interviewers will usually ask applicants to explain more about the skills listed.

Confused about what skills to put on your stay-at-home mom resume? Check out our comprehensive list of 150+ must-have skills this year .

What Else Can You Include?

There we have it.

All essential sections have been added to your resume.

But don’t call it a day just yet!

Adding just one or two of the following sections could be deciding factor in whether you’re hired for the job or not!

Awards & Certifications

Have you ever been employee of the month?

Have you completed any courses that are relevant to the job?

If you have any awards or certifications, be sure to include it in your resume!

Awards & Certificates

• “Employee of the Year 2018” - Real Gym
• “Learning How to Learn” - 2019 Coursera Certificate

Applying to a Spanish restaurant?

Then being able to speak some Spanish is sure to increase your chances. 

Whether it’s a specific requirement or not, being able to speak multiple languages is impressive – and who can argue with that!?

Rank the languages by proficiency:

• Intermediate

Now, you’re likely wondering, “why would the hiring manager need to know about my keen interest in badminton?”

Well, because it allows them to learn more about whom you actually are.

Companies want new members of staff that fit in well with the current team.

The easiest way to do this is to discuss your hobbies, especially those hobbies which involve social interaction.

Here’s which hobbies & interests you may want to mention.

Include a Cover Letter with Your Resume

How to really “wipe the floor” with your competition?

Attach a convincing cover letter with your resume!

You see, your resume is great for delivering the core message, but nothing speaks to the recruiter like a well-written cover letter.

But what do we mean by this?

Well, a cover letter allows you to make a personal connection, which ensures you’ll be remembered by the hiring manager.

As well as offering the chance to fill in all the blanks, a cover letter also shows that you want to work for this exact company . 

Here’s how to create a structure that works:

And here’s the winning formula:

Personal Contact Information

Use your full name, profession, phone number, email, and address 

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information

Use their full name, position, location, email

Opening Paragraph

Make sure your opening paragraph commands attention. Briefly mention:

• The exact job position you’re applying for
• Your experience summary and best achievement to date

Once you’ve grabbed the reader’s attention, you can delve further into the following specifics:

• Why you chose this specific company
• What you know about the company’s vision and culture
• How your skills will be beneficial to the company
• Whether you’ve worked in similar positions before

Closing Paragraph

Finish with a closing paragraph that:

• Concludes the key points of your cover letter
• Thanks the manager for reading and for the job opportunity
• Ends with a call to action. For example, “At your earliest convenience, I’d love to discuss more about how I can help your company with X” will work.

Formal Salutations

While remaining personal, the letter should end in a professional manner. Use something like, “Kind regards” or “Sincerely.”

For extra cover letter advice, view our step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter .

Key Takeaways

Good luck with your new job:

Because if you followed the steps in this guide, you should now have a job-winning resume! 

Make sure to:

• Select one of the recommended formats for your specific situation and employment history, and then follow the recommended layout
• Catch the reader’s attention with a short, snappy summary or objective
• In the work experience section, make sure to highlight your most relevant and best achievements, rather than just your daily duties. Oh, and don’t be put off by your employment gap
• For a highly-specific application that starts a conversation, include a convincing cover letter

Suggested Reading:

• Guide to Green Careers - All You Need to Know
• The 2024 Complete Guide to Remote Work [W/ Tips & Tricks]
• Guide to Nonprofit Jobs & Careers [Complete Guide]

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Stay-at-Home Mom resume examples & templates

Resume header

You’re the head of the household — the cook, cleaner, manager, teacher, playmate, and coordinator. Yes, stay-at-home moms have their work cut out for them. When you decide to spend some time as a homemaker, you will quickly learn that it’s no walk in the park. But how can you re-enter the working world after this period? If you want to land yourself a professional role, weaving a compelling stay-at-home mom resume is the way to go. 

You’ve got a load of ground to cover here. Not only do you want to share the juicy details of your pre-existing work life, but you also want to showcase what parenting has taught you. Combining these two elements of your experience will be the biggest challenge of all. But that’s not to say that it’s impossible. You simply need to know where to start.  

That’s where we slide neatly into the picture. Here at Resume.io, we have everything you need to relaunch your career. We provide resume examples for 350+ professions plus expert-backed writing guides for each of them. If you’re looking for a way to concisely showcase your skill set and experience to potential employers, you’ve come to the right place. In the following stay-at-home mom resume example and guide, we cover: 

• What stay-at-home moms do (and why it matters!)
• The current job outlook for stay-at-home parents
• How to write your application with a resume sample for inspiration
• Which layout and design will suit this type of application
• Statistical insights and expert tips to support your search.

Whether you’ve taken a year or five to be a stay-at-home parent, the approach you should take is the same. Let us walk you through the steps to finding your next dream job now. 

What does a stay-at-home mom do?

As a stay-at-home mom, you are the head of the household. On a typical day, you will be switching hats from cook to cleaner to teacher. You might find yourself doing the laundry, planning and preparing meals, scheduling outings, and cleaning the home. 

It’s a tall order — and so you want to make sure that your resume reflects this. When you’re writing your application, you will dedicate a section to your most recent experience. That means highlighting the lessons you’ve learned and the challenges you’ve faced as a full-time parent. The duties of a stay-at-home mom may include the following: 

• Managing the family finances
• Scheduling outings, playdates, and vacations
• Cleaning and keeping the home tidy
• Planning nutritious meals and cooking them
• Helping the children with their homework
• Taxiing the children around from place to place
• Looking after the family pets

Of course, your day-to-day life will differ depending on your personal family setup. When you are a homemaker, the tasks that you have to undertake should not be overlooked. You might have spent recent years at home but that doesn’t mean you have had it easy. While employers may have preconceptions about this period, you can set them straight.

The emotional labor of managing a household

Being a stay-at-home parent is far from easy. It’s not merely the physical act of making meals and cleaning the home that has an impact. There’s a mental side to this job too.  Research by Dr. Luthar suggests that being responsible for managing the household and the children can put “strains on mothers’ personal well-being.” For that reason, it’s important that stay-at-home moms have a good support system and plenty of breaks.

Stay-at-home mom job outlook 

Before you start sprucing up your resume and applying for jobs, you need to know what the job outlook is like. That way, you can decide what tack to take when you’re applying.

We won’t beat around the bush —  stay-at-home moms may struggle to land a new position when they first get started. Research into this phenomenon has found that a lot of employers are biased toward parents who have stayed at home with their children. 

Now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get a job at all. As unjust as it may sound, it simply means that you have to work harder to convince an employer that you are worth their time.

Remote work is the way forward!

The modern working world has changed. Due to the pandemic and countless technological advancements (thanks, Zoom!), remote work is now more popular than ever. Around 26% of all US professionals now work completely from home. 

Looking at remote roles may be the perfect way to get the work-life balance you need. This option means that you can relaunch your professional career while still being at home to look after your kids when you need to do so. Of course, you should keep in mind that trying to do it all can lead to burnout, especially if you don’t have support.

In addition, many of these positions offer flexi-time. Should you have family constraints — such as having to pick the kids up from school — this is a major benefit. When you’re initially looking for jobs, take the time to look at the full breakdown of each of the roles.   

Finding a job when you’ve taken a significant amount of time out can be difficult. However, the first step in this process is creating a resume that sells your skills to an employer. For general tips and advice, you can read our comprehensive resume writing guide here.

How to write a stay-at-home mom resume

When you’ve made the decision to re-enter the professional sector, the first thing you need to know is what to include on your resume. Luckily, there’s a simple formula that you can use. Your stay-at-home mom application should include the following elements: 

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

Be upfront about the time you have spent as a stay-at-home parent. Having mysterious gaps on your resume is unlikely to do you any favors. It is likely to leave the recruiter with big question marks in their mind when considering you. That is the last thing you need. Make everything crystal clear to them from the offset. Detailing your time as a stay-at-home mom means that they will be fully in the loop when it comes to your experience. 

Revamp your writing style!

Are you out of writing practice? If it’s been a while since you had to do a formal application, you may have forgotten which tone to take. Using a casual approach — such as a resume packed with colloquial language — won’t get you very far at all. 

Instead, you need to make sure that your stay-at-home mom resume reads as a professional document. Wherever possible, use formal and polite language. You may find that you need to write a few drafts or edits before you get this just right. 

When you have written your resume, have a trusted friend, ex-coworker, or family member check it for you. You might find that they are able to share ways that you can level up your application and make sure it meets recruiters’ high standards. 

It’s always important to tailor your resume to the company at hand. When you know which role you’re applying for, you can make sure that your application ticks all of the boxes. 

To help you with this task, do some research on the business. You can quickly Google them, take a look at the company website, and read any news about them online. The deeper you understand the employer and their needs, the more you can align your resume with them. Keep your eyes peeled for any transferable skills you can showcase here. 

Finally, you need to help your resume get past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). The software acts as a filter system for employers, helping them to automatically find the best candidates. Before a hiring manager even looks at your application, it has to get through this software. The system uses keywords and phrases to see whether you are a good match. Look for stand-out words on the original job advert. By using these in your stay-at-home mom resume, you give yourself a better chance of effortlessly passing the test. 

Applying for a particular type of job? We’ve got you covered with all of the inspiration that you need!  Take a look at our store manager resume sample, cashier resume example, call center agent resume sample, sales assistant resume sample, and barista resume sample.    

Choosing the best resume format for a stay-at-home mom

When you’re writing your application, the best resume format will be the reverse chronological approach. That means that you start with your most recent experience and education at the top of the page and work your way back in time. This layout means that recruiters can quickly and easily see what you have been up to lately. Since they don’t have to do any pesky guesswork, they can determine whether you are right for the role. 

Of course, before you became a stay-at-home parent, you may have had an array of jobs. If you don’t have a clear career path, don’t panic. You can always use the functional resume format instead. This approach dedicates less space to your work experience and shines the spotlight on your skills and talents. If you’re looking to start a whole new chapter of your work life but don’t have the right experience, this option may be for you. 

Take a look at our resume example to see how to lay out your resume. If you need some more advice on how to structure this document, you can also read our complete guide .

Your resume header sits at the top of this document. While this information is relatively bland, you need to make sure that it’s reader-friendly. It should include your name, phone number, and email address as standard. Use a clear font and don’t try to be fancy here.

Resume summary example

Also known as a profile, the resume summary is the most freeform part of your application. It’s a short blurb that introduces you to a potential employer and shows off what you have to offer. You don’t have loads of words to play with here. Keep things short and sweet. 

When describing yourself professionally in this section, you may want to avoid the title “Stay-at-home Mom” and instead use the role you previously had. That way, this title is not the first thing that the employer sees. Instead, they see the position you are qualified for. 

Not sure where to start? Be sure to mention your unique talents, any previous roles you have held, and the quantifiable results you have achieved. Take a look at our resume example for some inspiration on how to perfectly write this part of the application. 

Energetic professional with a wealth of highly transferable skills. Demonstrated ability to navigate a wide range of challenges while ensuring the streamlined, timely execution of critical tasks. Strong project management, problem-solving, and administrative talents with a keen talent for maintaining a positive environment while managing multiple competing priorities and needs.

Employment history sample

As we’ve already mentioned, you should use the reverse chronological order when writing your resume. That means putting your most recent employment experience at the top of the document. For each role, you should include your job title, the company, and your dates of employment. Below that, you can bullet point what you achieved in the position. 

Your stay-at-home parenting is work experience! 

When you’re writing the employment section of your resume, you can include your most recent experience, i.e. being a stay-at-home mom. Write this as you would any other employment type. You can start off with your title — “Stay-at-home Mom” or “Homemaker” — and then include the dates and your core duties below that header. 

You don’t want to leave the reader with any doubts. This approach means employers can easily see what you have been doing in recent years. It is a simple way of explaining any gaps in your employment section as a result of this lifestyle choice. 

Stay-at-Home Mom at Self-Employed, Moscow, ID Maart 2020 - Present

• Manage household expenses, creating detailed, effective budgets.
• Support multiple competing needs, schedules, and priorities, overseeing the needs and tasks of multiple individuals to maintain optimal outcomes.
• Create and coordinate a detailed calendar of activities and events, including academic deadlines, travel, and appointments/meetings.
• Build engaged relationships with health care professionals, academic administrators, and program leaders to ensure alignment with all needs.
• Navigate complex interpersonal challenges, mediating issues to build vital communication and issue resolution skills.

Project Manager at Tessa Inc., Moscow, ID October 2016 - March 2020

• Led teams of up to 12 in the planning and execution of multiple projects.
• Partnered with stakeholders and leadership to define project objectives, identify challenges, and proactively resolve potential roadblocks.
• Shaped and managed project budgets, implementing cost-control measures.
• Maintained a complex calendar of deadlines, managing project phases to ensure on-time delivery.

Administrator at Stetson Early Learning, Estes, ID April 2016 - September 2018

• Provided full administrative support for the early learning facility, ensuring streamlined operation of all business functions.
• Engaged with staff to manage enrollment, documentation, and reporting.
• Expertly managed fiscal budgets, overseeing expenditures and supply levels.

CV skills example

To successfully convince an employer you’re the right person for the role, you need the right skill set on your CV. This is where your experience as a stay-at-home mom will set you apart from the crowd. Since you’re used to managing all elements of the household, you will have gained a whole wealth of special skills you can use here. 

Your CV skills section needs to align well with the position for which you’re applying. Consider how the transferable skills you’ve learned through parenting align with the job specification. You need this section to include a good mixture of both hard and soft skills. While there’s no space to expand on the skills in your resume, you may choose to do so when you write your accompanying stay-at-home mom cover letter. 

• Project Management
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Relationship Building
• Conflict & Issue Resolution
• Budget Management
• Time & Priority Management
• Communication

Stay-at-home mom resume education example

The education requirements will depend on the position for which you're applying. You may simply need to list your high school diploma or equivalent GED, for example. However, if you did go to college, you can include this information in your education section. List the name of the school, the dates you studied/graduated, and your grades. 

It’s most likely that you will need to use the reverse chronological order here. However, if you want to highlight a specific qualification — that is relevant to the role or company — you can switch things up. Figure out what works best for your application. 

Bachelor of Arts in English at University of Idaho, Moscow, ID August 2012 — May 2016

Resume layout and design

Recruiters spend an average of seven seconds looking at each resume. You need to make the right first impression. Choose a plain style that allows your experience and skills to take center stage. As a rule, you should use no more than two different font styles on your professional resume. You also want to make the most of the white space on the page.

Need some design help? We’ve got you covered with our selection of field-tested resume templates. Use one of them to take all of the hassle out of making your next application.

Key takeaways for a stay-at-home mom resume

• If you want to re-enter the working world after being a stay-at-home mom, you need to convince employers you’re worth their time. Take a look at our resume example if you need some inspiration on writing your next application.
• The right tone will get you a long way! When you’re writing your resume, make sure that you use formal language that fits the profession to which you’re applying.
• Don’t try to disguise the fact that you have had a career break. You need to be 100% honest about how you have spent this period of your life.

Make sure the layout is clear and straightforward. Employers don’t have a long time to peruse your application — keep it simple!

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How to make a stay at home mom resume?

Being a homemaker is not an easy job, yet women handle it with grace and ease.

Looking for a job while juggling with your responsibilities at home may not seem easy but we have the perfect solution to help you restart or kickstart your career.

You may or may not have any professional experience but if you are ready to start working or get back to your old job profile, it is achievable.

It is not mission impossible, so keep reading to get the best guide for writing your stay at home mom resume.

In this blog, you will learn the proper and professional way to write your flawless homemaker resume. So read on to get the information we have laid out for you in this blog.

Let us begin this guide by introducing you to all the things that you will learn in this blog:

• What to write in your stay at home mom resume and how to write it?
• How to write your professional experience in an effective way?
• How to make an impact with your stay at home resume skills?
• What format to use while framing bullet points in your homemaker resume?

What is a Stay at Home Mom Resume & Why Do You Need It?

Your homemaker resume acts as the first point of communication between you and the recruiter. It is your ticket to land a job.

Your stay at home mom resume is the first step towards your dream job. It is a virtual representation of the skills which are required for the job that you are seeking.

The recruiters get an insight into your professional experience and your capabilities through your resume. Your goal here is to make sure that your resume is flawless and impressive to get an interview call for your target job.

But the one thing that you need to tackle here is the ATS system. Most recruiters rely on the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) for their hiring needs.

If your resume gets parsed by the ATS system, it has a higher chance of ranking in the ATS system, which means your resume will have a higher chance of getting shortlisted.

You need to curate a resume that is ATS-targeted. A resume that is not ATS-targeted might fall short and may end up never getting shortlisted.

While writing an ATS targeted resume is not easy, it is something that you can accomplish with this guide.

This guide will help you write a job-winning stay at home resume from scratch.

Also Read: How to craft an impeccable resume?

Stay at Home Mom Resume Sections

Picture in your head of how your resume will look after it is created. Do you like what you see? or are you unable to picture it clearly in your head?

Your resume needs to be divided into different sections to elaborate on the different details about you and your skills as well as your work experience.

Arrange your stay at home mom resume sections in the following manner:

• Personal Information
• Profile Title
• Summary/Objective
• Professional Experience
• Certifications (if applicable)
• Additional Information (if applicable)

Do Read: A perfect guide to sections in a resume.

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Header

Most of the time people ignore the importance of the profile header wherein it is an important factor in a resume.

Follow the given points to write your resume header the right way:

• Your header should be written using the largest fonts between 16-20 font sizes to make it stand out in your nstay at home mom resume.
• It should be placed at the top-most part of your resume.
• Now if you have a middle name, use only the initials of your middle name and place it in between your first and last name.
• Example: Joanna Aquamarine Smith should be written as "Joanna A. Smith".

Take a look at the perfectly composed resume header which is an ideal stay at home mom resume example:

Also Read: Tips for creating a resume header.

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Personal Information

The personal information section in your homemaker resume should consist of the following details:

• Contact number
• Current location

LinkedIn/Personal Website

Your contact number.

Provide only the active number that you use for a recruiter to get in touch with you. They would not bother calling you repeatedly till they get you on the line.

Remember, it is you who is looking for a job because in a sea of resumes the recruiter can always pick other eligible applicants if they cannot get to you.

Give your country’s ISD code as a prefix before your phone number and a plus sign (+) before the ISD code.

Example:(+1) 82374 29371

As your email ID is the official means of communication between you and the recruiter, it should be professionally composed and should not include fancy email names.

Take a look at the examples below:

Example 1: beautyqueen@xyz[dot]com Example 2: emilybronte@xyz[dot]com

On observing both examples, you will find that example 2 looks more professional.

Example 2 uses the real full name as their email ID. This is the correct way of composing emails.

Current Location

Always give your current location in your resume. If you are looking for a job in your own country, simply mention the city and state you are living in.

In case you are looking for a job in another country, simply mention the name of the city and country you are residing in.

Adding links of your LinkedIn account and personal websites can be an added advantage and it will allow the recruiter to understand your professional identity without limiting it just to your resume.

Also Read: Dos & Don'ts of writing the personal information section. >

Another stay at home mom resume example of your personal information should look as given below:

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Profile Title

Your profile title is your latest job title. It lets the recruiter know where you stand in your career. It also states if you are an experienced or an entry-level applicant.

Use the 2nd largest font size of 14-16 in your resume to write your profile title.

Look at the example given below to check how your profile title should look like in your homemaker resume:

Here we have presented the stay at home mom as someone who has worked as a content editor and so the profile title is written accordingly.

Now the recruiters are well aware that the stay at home mom is a content editor. Likewise, your profile title should speak about your field of work and your professional status.

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Professional Experience

This is one of the most important sections of your resume. It is this section that will allow you to elaborate on all your skills and experience.

Do not miss out on any important details while filling this section.

Keep in mind that you need to update the recruiter with all the important aspects of your professional experience and relate it to the present job that you are applying for.

Frame your professional experience section in your stay at home mom resume by following the points that we have mentioned below:

• STAR format
• Framing points

Grouping & Highlighting

Star format.

This is what the STAR stands for:

• S stands for situation : The situation/backdrop/context of your contributions
• T stands for task : The actual task that was assigned to you
• A stands for action : The strategy you used to execute the assigned task
• R stands for result : The result/outcome of your action in the form of an achievement figure

Use the STAR format as it is the ideal format for structuring the professional experience section of your stay at home mom resume.

It establishes the cause-effect relationship which helps your resume stand out. It also helps in advancing your job application as you can communicate your achievements in the form of an achievement figure.

This is a practical demonstration of your skills as quantifying your achievements shows the extent of your expertise in your chosen domain.

Framing Points

It is your responsibility to keep the recruiter interested in reading your stay at home mom resume, so make it worth the read.

If your resume fails to do the bare minimum of being read by the recruiter, your chances of getting shortlisted drastically dwindle.

Here are two examples showing the two ways in which people compose this section of their resume. Your task here is to evaluate them:

Corresponded with authors to develop preferred documentation style as per the clients' requirements

Culminated 2+ manuscripts with a word count of ~5k for various authors

Scrutinize the manuscripts using editing & proofreading to create a high-quality product

Scanned for typos to avoid errors to enhance the authors' work quality

Framing Points: Analysis

It is very clear from the two examples that framing points (example 2) help in enhancing your statements in a resume.

Using bulleted one-liner points makes it easier to list your roles & responsibilities in your resume. It also makes your resume easy to read and comprehend.

There is no point in writing a bulky and lengthy paragraph in your resume (example 1) as it makes no sense when you drag your points for too long at a stretch.

Both the example are stating the same thing yet example 2 is more specific without unnecessary words unlike example 1 which makes your resume look bulky.

Another important aspect of composing your professional experience section is the grouping & highlighting of your points.

This will efficiently highlight your skills and achievements in your homemaker resume.

Grouping your points under unique subtitles makes your points specific and highlighting the important keywords helps the recruiters stay interested in your job application.

Let us look at these two given examples to compare how grouping & highlighting your statements in your resume is better than a plain statement:

• Compiled subject requirements & worked under the supervision of senior writers

Coalesced with writers, graphic designers & type-setters to create error-free articles & stories every week

• Facilitated the timely delivery of manuscripts & articles for clients to meet deadlines
• Collaborated with the Editorial team to complete 20+ copy-editing assignments for timely product delivery

Manuscript Analysis & Line Editing

• Coalesced with writers, graphic designers & typesetters to create error-free articles & stories every week

Product Delivery & Copy Editing

Grouping & Highlighting: Analysis

From the two examples given above, we can see that it is easier to understand example 2 as it is better organized than example 1.

Creating unique subheadings for grouping similar points makes it easier to create a clear picture of your professional caliber.

Highlighting your points directs the recruiter's attention to your key achievements under each point. Thus, it enhances your chances of getting noticed by a recruiter which ultimately helps you in getting shortlisted for a target job.

To conclude, use grouping & highlighting to frame your professional experience so that the recruiters can identify your achievements and capability.

If you have an existing resume, get it professionally reviewed by our in-house team of resume experts at Hiration.

Also Read: How to compose the work experience in your resume? .

Given below is a sample stay at home mom resume showing what a perfectly composed professional experience section should ideally look like:

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Education

Your education section will come right below your professional section and it will help enhance your professional skills.

Your course of study highlights your knowledge in the field of any specific job position. So make sure that you provide the field of education course that you possess.

For those who do not have enough or zero experience, your educational qualification may play a vital role in positively influencing the recruiter.

While education is not as relevant as your professional experience in terms of a job application, it can make all the difference to your job application when you are applying for an entry-level job.

Given below is the format that you should follow when composing this section:

{Name of the school/university} | {Location} | {Dates} (in month and year format) {Name of the degree} | {CGPA}

Do Read: Guide on how to list education on resume.

Look at the example given below to see how your education section should look like in your resume:

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Certifications

Any certification(s) that you have completed should be mentioned in the certifications section of your resume.

It will help enhance your educational qualifications and professional experience.

Relevant certifications will make you a stronger candidate as it shows that you went the extra mile to go and get certified (even though your target job does not explicitly demand it).

As a result, it will give you a better chance than other applicants to land an interview or the job.

Your certification section must include the following details:

• Name of the Certification Course
• Name of the Affiliating Institution
• Location of the Institute
• Dates of enrollment and completion of the course (month and year)

The above points should be aligned using the format that we have mentioned below:

{Name of certification} | {Affiliating Institution} | {Location} | {Date} (in month and year format)

Also Read: How to list certifications on resume?

Time to shine by holding up your skills on a banner. Not exactly a banner in literal terms but you can use this section in your resume to mention all your efficient key skills.

This section will highlight all your expertise for the recruiter to notice at a glance itself.

Your key skills should contain the keywords used to describe the job profile you are applying for. It helps your resume to rank high in the ATS (Applicant Tracking System)

Make sure that these key skills are connected to the points stated in your professional experience. Your key skills should be justified before they are framed.

Your stay at home mom resume key skills section should ideally look as given below:

In the example, you can see that your skills are standing out. Well, that is the whole idea, to attract the recruiter towards your potential.

You can also see that your technical efficiency is written separately under the skills. It is to specify the exact tool you are capable of using.

This adds weight to your skills section and lets the recruiter acknowledge your potential while shortlisting your resume.

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Summary

A summary should be written for the homemaker resume only if you have 3 years of professional experience.

But in most cases, resume for stay at home mom with no work experience should avoid writing a summary as it does not help in covering the existing career gaps.

Read the following points to write a summary of your stay at home mom resume:

• Start your summary by mentioning the years of experience you have. Keep in mind that the recruiter will read your summary for roughly 6-7 seconds so make it count.
• Write only 3-4 lines of the summary to make it an on-point statement. Do not overstretch your summary as it would seem unnecessary and irrelevant.
• Your summary should contain a brief explanation of your past work experience. So when you curate this section, make sure that you cherry-pick the best highlights of your career to enhance the effectiveness of your stay at home mom resume summary.

Do Read: How to write the perfect resume summary.

Stay at Home Mom Resume: Objective

A resume objective is often written by those professionals with 0 to less than 3 years of work experience.

For stay at home moms, a resume objective should be written vis-a-vis a resume summary as you have employment gaps.

Objectives are often written to cover up the gaps in your career. As a stay-at-home mom, you will have to write an objective that includes your experience as well as your activities during your gap.

Follow the given points to write an objective for stay at home mom with no work experience resume or resume for homemaker returning to the workforce:

• Mention all the details of your past professional experience and focus on how you managed to keep yourself busy during the gap of your professional journey.
• Never write a stay at home mom in your resume because that is an unprofessional way to address the gap in your career.
• If your skills are presented correctly the recruiter will be more focused on your capabilities and not your gap.

Here is your stay at home mom resume sample to have a better understanding of how an objective is written:

Don't Miss: Detailed guide on creating the resume objective.

Stay at Home Mom Resume Samples

Here is an example of how your stay at home mom resume template should look like:

• Correspond with authors to develop preferred documentation style in accordance with client requirements
• Culminate 2+ manuscripts with a word count of ~5k for different authors
• Scrutinize the manuscripts through multiple rounds of editing & proofreading to create high-quality end product
• Scan for typos & avoid errors of omission or commission to enhance the quality of the authors' work
• Interweave research data to create 7+ articles on a weekly basis for the official blog & social media platforms
• Research & subsequently compose 900+ words of content about various blogs for client reference per week
• Engaged in outreach programs to empower stay-at-home moms with basic computer knowledge
• Participated in education workshops for 100+ children-at-risk to achieve universal child literacy
• Taught English language to 30+ students of Seashore High School through their online portal
• Vetted articles by writers & prepared enticing drafts via Adobe Illustrator 6 for the final review by the Chief Editor
• Coordinated with the Design team to prepare graphical outlook & layout for clients based on their industrial needs
• Compiled subject requirements & worked under the supervision of senior writers to analyse writers' manuscripts
• Coalesced with writers, graphic designers & type setters to create 5+ error free articles, news & stories on a weekly basis
• Facilitated the timely delivery of manuscripts & articles for clients to meet deadlines with 100% accuracy
• Collaborated with the Editorial team to complete 20+ copy-editing assignments per week for timely product delivery
• Prepared an effective checklist for proofreading & ensuring quality before signing off the manuscript for printing
• Delivered high quality content free from grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, & false notions
• Generated 30% revenue for the publishing house by assisting the Marketing team during the ' Annual Book Fair '
• Published 40+ articles in collaboration with other publishing houses for the monthly issue of the Publisher's Journal
• Top 10 percentile of the class

Key Takeaways

• Never mention stay-at-home mom in your resume as it is not the professional way to write your status
• Make sure to follow the grouping & highlighting method while writing your professional experience
• Do not forget to mention your achievements by adding figures wherever possible to specify your points
• Write a summary if you have 3+ years of experience. If you don't, write a resume objective
• Focus on what you are capable of executing effectively and write down your skills
• Provide details of your extra-curricular activities during the gap of your career to avoid being assumed as an idle applicant
• Emphasize on your education and certifications for enhancing your chances of being shortlisted

Now that is a wrap of the blog and you are ready to go write your stay at home mom resume. Follow the guide you just read through and frame your flawless resume to achieve your dream job.

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at [email protected] and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

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• • Designed and delivered over 30 branding and rebranding projects for local businesses, enhancing their market presence and customer engagement.
• • Managed all aspects of client communication, project design, and delivery, ensuring projects were completed on time and within budget.
• • Utilized social media to promote design services, resulting in a 50% increase in project inquiries within a year.
• • Collaborated with printers and suppliers to ensure the highest quality of materials used in client projects, often negotiating costs to keep projects affordable.
• • Developed and maintained a client feedback system, leading to a continuous improvement process and a 95% client satisfaction rate.
• • Implemented a referral program that increased new client acquisition by 30%, demonstrating effective client relationship management and networking skills.
• • Initiated and led creative workshops for over 200 participants, focusing on the basics of graphic design and creative software tools.
• • Designed workshop materials and presentations, tailoring content to diverse age groups and skill levels.
• • Collaborated with community center staff to organize events, resulting in increased community engagement and positive feedback.
• • Provided one-on-one mentorship to participants with keen interest, helping them develop their own design projects.
• • Secured sponsorships from local businesses for workshop materials, demonstrating strong negotiation and partnership-building skills.
• • Assisted in the development and execution of marketing campaigns, contributing to a 15% increase in annual sales.
• • Supported the design team in creating marketing materials, including brochures, flyers, and digital content.
• • Managed social media accounts, growing the company's online presence and engagement.
• • Conducted market research to inform campaign strategies, providing valuable insights into customer preferences and trends.

9 Stay at Home Mom Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Your stay at home mom resume should highlight your multitasking skills. Demonstrate how managing a household has refined your ability to juggle various tasks efficiently. Include examples of your organizational prowess and how you've maintained structure in the home. Show how these skills are transferable to the workplace, where order and coordination are key.

All resume examples in this guide

Homemaker No Experience

Returning To Work

Returning To Workforce

Work From Home Mom

Stay at Home Mom Returning to Teaching

Military Spouse Stay at Home Mom

Resume guide.

SAHM resume example

Resume format

Resume experience section

Hard & soft skills

Certifications and education

Resume summary/Objective

Additional sections

Key takeaways

By Experience

Over half of stay-at-home moms in the US  point to expensive childcare as the main barrier to re-entering the workforce. Indeed, navigating the complexities of childcare while remaining socially active can be a challenge.

If this strikes a chord, chances are you're a SAHM (stay-at-home mom) thinking about making a return to work.

Luckily, stay-at-home parenting does not exclude having a job. And if you’re among those 57% of SAHMs   worried that their employment gap might put off potential employers, there's good news. You can craft a stay-at-home mom resume with no experience and still get noticed.

This guide is designed to empower you to highlight your skills and experiences, crafting an impactful SAHM resume that stands out. Here's how:

• Create a stay-at-home mom resume that convincingly translates full-time parenting skills to the professional realm;
• Leveraging your employment gap as an asset by strategically emphasizing your skills and experiences in your resume;
• Avoid stereotypes and biases with a selection of real-life resume examples from stay-at-home moms.

Let’s get to it.

Stay-at-home mom  resume example

Here’s  what this applicant does well in their resume:

• Highlighting transferable skills : Olivia highlights her time as a stay-at-home mom to showcase her knack for project management and multitasking. She shows that personal experiences can evolve into professional assets, especially her creative and efficient project handling, key for graphic design.
• Showcasing freelance experience : Olivia's resume shines a light on her freelance graphic design projects. She outlines key successes, like boosting project inquiries and client satisfaction, proving her professional drive and success, even during a career pause.
• Promoting continuous professional development : The candidate lists certifications and a zeal for ongoing learning, showing her dedication to keeping her skills sharp and relevant for graphic design work.
• Leveraging community engagement : Featuring her work as a Community Workshop Leader, Olivia displays her leadership and educational skills. This role underlines her willingness to contribute to the community and collaborate with diverse teams, essential for client-based projects.

Now let’s dive into organizing all these strengths and talents within a resume.

How to format a stay-at-home mom  resume

Facing a significant employment gap might seem daunting, especially when re-entering the job market. Yet, if motherhood is the primary reason for your career hiatus, this experience can be reframed positively on your resume.

The point is to choose the resume format  that best fits your circumstances. Here are the three most fitting layouts for stay-at-home mom s returning to the workforce.

• The reverse chronological resume . Ideal for those with substantial experience before taking maternity leave. This format is highly favored by recruiters and can effectively minimize the impact of a 2-year gap, particularly in the post-pandemic job market. Tailor your resume to each job application and consider including a cover letter for a personal touch.
• The hybrid resume . A combination resume works well for those eyeing a career shift or who have been out of the workforce for 3-4 years. It blends your skills and experiences, focusing on your competencies rather than the chronological order of your employment.
• The functional resume : Best suited for individuals with a career gap of more than 4 years, this format emphasizes professional strengths and skills over employment history. Remember, transparency is key; you can acknowledge your role as a homemaker while still highlighting your capabilities.

And to make sure that you really nail your resume, here are a few a dditional formatting tips for a SAHM resume:

• Length: Aim for a concise format, one or two pages max, ensuring plenty of white space for readability.
• Fonts : Don’t rely on crazy fonts to impress recruiters. Rubik, Lato, Montserrat, Raleway, Exo 2, and Volkhov work perfectly fine. All serif fonts  are ATS-friendly.
• File Format : Go with PDF when exporting  your stay-at-home mom resume. It  retains its formatting across all devices and platforms.

Is your resume good enough?

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

After choosing a resume format, it’s time to decide on the best sections to feature on your resume to help your tal ents s hin e bright.

The top sections on a stay-at-home mom resume:

• A resume summary   providing a brief overview of your skills, experience, and career objectives, showing how they align with the demands of the targeted role.
• A strong s kills section that showcases transferable skills gained from parenting, such as time management and organizational abilities.
• A work experience section detailing your work history. It could involve formally employed roles, or even the management and planning that goes into running a household.
• A detailed e ducation and certifications section with relevant academic qualifications, trainings, or workshops that you’ve attended. This would demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning.
• An additional section for personal projects or community involvement. This section will highlight your extracurricular engagements, such as community service, charity work, or even personal projects like a blog. It will provide a more comprehensive profile of your skills and interests.

For stay-at-home moms, these top resume sections will best showcase the skills that recruiters are seeking.

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Demonstrated organizational skills : Stay-at-home moms often juggle multiple tasks and schedules simultaneously, skills that recruiters value in a variety of job roles.
• Problem-solving abilities : As a stay-at-home mom, quick and effective problem-solving is a necessity. This is a highly sought-after skill in many work scenarios.
• Time management : Managing the varying needs and schedules of a household showcases strong time management, a skill highly valued by recruiters in all fields.
• Adaptability : Stay-at-home mothers need to adapt rapidly to changing situations and events, demonstrating flexibility and resilience which are highly favored in the professional world.
• Strong communication skills : Being a central point of communication within a family demonstrates the ability to mediate, negotiate, and express oneself clearly and effectively.

With a clear focus in mind, you can start building your resume experience section.

How to write your stay-at-home mom resume experience

The experience section  often stirs anxiety among stay-at-home moms, worrying about whether to list their role as a homemaker. The most common fear is that this might not be seen as relevant.

However, it's essential to include this phase of life, as recruiters look for explained  career gaps. (Plus, you’re a proud mom, of course, you’d put it on your resume)!

The best advice here is to focus on the skills and achievements during this time, such as managing projects, organizing events, or any freelance work. Highlighting these experiences demonstrates valuable competencies like time and people management, organizational skills, and multitasking.

Naturally, if you do have a work history before taking your maternity leave, include it in your resume.

Now let’s take a look at two resume examples.

• • Managed household budget.
• • Participated in community support groups.
• • Helped the children with assignments.
• • Enrolled in a basic programming course.

Clearly, this applicant didn’t make the most of her experience as a stay-at-home parent. She merely listed a few responsibilities. Here are three mistakes:

• No specific relevance .  The bullets don’t directly translate to specific professional requirements. Employers look for experiences that are transferable to a range of roles.
• Sparse action verbs . To demonstrate agency you need to choose your words more wisely. For example, “ participated”  c ould have been “ organized” . Action verbs  provide clarity and dynamism to resume entries, effectively showcasing your initiative and impact.
• Lack of description.  This is a missed opportunity to amplify the candidate’s responsibilities as a stay-at-home mom. Providing descriptions allows for a better understanding of the skills and values a stay-at-home mom brings to potential employers.
• • Managed household budget and finances, achieving a 20% reduction in expenses through strategic planning and cost-effective purchasing.
• • Organized weekly community support groups, enhancing local engagement and support networks, showcasing event planning and community-building skills.
• • Developed and implemented a home-based learning curriculum for early childhood education, promoting cognitive and social development.
• • Completed a 6-month intensive C# programming course, acquiring key software development skills and laying the foundation for advanced technical problem-solving.

Now, this candidate understood the assignment. Let’s see why.

• Demonstrates transferable skills : The section highlights a range of transferable skills, such as organization, community engagement, and technical proficiency, which are valuable in many professional settings.
• Quantifiable achievements : Activities are presented with outcomes that suggest measurable impact, like enhancing local engagement and promoting cognitive development. This adds credibility and substance to the candidate's experience.
• Shows continuous learning and adaptability : Completing a 6-month intensive programming course illustrates a commitment to personal and professional growth.

How to quantify impact on your resume

The impact of your experience as a SAHM on your resume can significantly improve your chances of getting a job. It makes your skills and contributions clear and measurable to potential employers.

Here are essential tips for incorporating quantifiable metrics  into each section of your stay-at-home mom resume:

• Include the number of years you've managed household finances, illustrating your financial prowess.
• Specify the number of events you've coordinated (such as family gatherings or fundraisers), indicating your project management and organizational ability.
• Listing the number of languages you're proficient in as a polyglot shows strong communication skills and adaptability, vital skills in most workplaces.
• State the number of people involved in any community projects you have led, showing your skills in rallying groups and leading teams.
• Include the number of children you manage daily schedules for, demonstrating adeptness in juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities.
• Specify the difference in spending before and after you took over the household budgeting, demonstrating your ability to optimize costs.
• Mention the frequency of educational activities you arranged for your child/children, as this could indicate a commitment to development and learning, critical in a professional environment.
• Incorporate the number of online courses or workshops you completed during your stay-at-home period, as this demonstrates continuous learning and improvement.

How to write a stay-at-home mom resume with no experience

For a SAHM with minimal professional experience, resume building  can feel like a daunting task. However, there's a silver lining: your resume can still make a strong impression on job recruiters.

It's all about strategizing effectively!

Remember what we did with the experience section? You can easily employ this technique and focus on skills or freelance projects relevant to your career development.

• Volunteer experience : If relevant to the job  you’re applying for, volunteering can highlight your involvement in community service, school committees, or local organizations. Including specific achievements, such as organizing events or leading projects, shows recruiters your initiative and project management skills, even outside a traditional work environment.
• Certifications and courses : Listing relevant certifications, online courses, or workshops you've completed during your time as a stay-at-home mom can bridge the gap in professional experience. This section indicates your dedication to personal development.
• Skills and competencies : Tailoring this part to showcase transferable skills such as time management, organizational abilities, financial planning, and communication can add immense value.

Here’s a tip. If you have any hobbies or interests you consider applicable to the job you are applying for, do add them in a separate section. Learning languages with Duolingo in your free time? This hobby showcases your ability to commit to a long-term goal and enhances your communication skills across diverse cultures. Who knows, it might land you a job in an international organization.

How to list your hard and soft skills on your resume

Hard skills are about your technical know-how, like using software, while soft skills cover your ability to communicate, lead, and solve problems. Both are key to a strong resume.

When adding skills to your resume, mix hard and soft skills to show your range, drawing from your experiences, including your time as a SAHM. This helps employers see how your skills fit their needs.

For hard skills, consider tasks where you used specific knowledge, like budgeting for your household, teaching your kids with educational software, or planning digital-based community events.

Best hard skills for your stay-at-home mom resume

• Financial Planning
• Project Management
• Advanced Microsoft Office Skills
• Digital Communication Tools (Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams)
• Social Media Management
• Blogging Platforms (WordPress, Blogger)
• Online Research Tools
• Scheduling Software
• Basic Graphic Design (Canva, Adobe Spark)
• E-commerce Platforms (Shopify, Etsy)
• Bookkeeping Software (QuickBooks, Zoho Books)
• Online Education Platforms (Khan Academy, Coursera)
• Email Marketing (Mailchimp, Constant Contact)
• CRM Software (Salesforce, HubSpot)
• Photoshop or other Photo-Editing Software
• Web Analytics (Google Analytics, SEMRush)
• Video Editing Software (Adobe Premiere, iMovie)
• HTML or CSS Basic Knowledge
• E-learning Software (Moodle, Google Classroom)

Soft skills can be showcased by thinking about your interactions with others and how you've cared for your family. Skills like leadership, time management, and adaptability are ones you've probably developed through parenting.

Best soft skills for your stay-at-home mom resume

• Multitasking
• Time Management
• Organizational Skills
• Conflict Resolution
• Problem-Solving
• Adaptability
• Decision-Making
• Communication Skills
• Stress Management
• Collaboration
• Motivational Skills
• Negotiation Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Emotional Intelligence

You can show off your skills in more places than just the skill section of a resume. In the Experience  section, explain how you've used your skills in real life. Also, in the Volunteer Work  or Projects  sections, talk about times when your skills helped achieve good results. And remember to add numbers to make your point when you can.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

H ighlighting your education is essential. Seize every chance to add substance to your resume.

Next, think about including relevant certifications. These not only demonstrate your skills and commitment to growing professionally but also shift  attention away from that dreaded employment gap.

Below are five valuable certifications that can boost your resume and impress recruiters.

Best certifications for your stay-at-home mom resume

• Project Management Professional ( PMP )
• Certified Professional in Learning and Performance ( CPLP )
• Microsoft Certified: Office 365 Fundamentals
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How to write your stay-at-home mom resume summary or objective

When building your SAHM resume, get creative and include sections that best showcase your skills. However, don't overlook crafting a compelling summary or objective. This brief introduction often catches an HR manager's attention first, and if it's engaging, they're more likely to continue reading.

If you've been on maternity leave for an extended period, a resume objective might be your best choice. While resume summaries  are ideal for those with extensive experience, objectives serve as your pitch to potential employers.

Here’s why objectives are particularly fitting for stay-at-home moms  with a career gap:

• They're concise and punchy, ideally no more than three sentences.
• They highlight your strengths without the need to summarize your entire work history.
• Objectives clarify how you plan to contribute to the company's success, showing recruiters your potential value.

Let’s look at two examples of resume objectives, wrong and right.

This example says nothing about the candidate’s proposition. To enhance it, they could have:

• incorporated stronger adjectives to strengthen their self-description;
• used less tentative language to avoid any hints of uncertainty or apathy;
• chosen more effective vocabulary to tell the story of their professional journey  (that’s right, they’re writing a story about their professional self).

This one is so much better. Here’s why:

• It’s only three sentences but they simply ooze enthusiasm (5 words capturing readiness).
• The objective centers on the candidate's competencies and skills .
• The last sentence subtly reveals an open and approachable personality, a valuable asset to any team.

Additional sections for a stay-at-home mom resume

Enriching your SAHM resume with  a special section for your side hustles  and community contributions can really make it stand out. If you're like many stay-at-home moms who've found ways to stay active and engaged, consider sharing:

• Your blogging or social media endeavors : This isn't just a hobby; it's a showcase of your prowess in creating engaging content and navigating the digital marketing landscape. It speaks about your ability to captivate an audience, manage digital initiatives, and stay ahead with modern marketing tactics.
• Your freelance or consulting projects : Have you dabbled in freelance work or consulting? This is the perfect place to highlight your entrepreneurial spirit and independence.
• Your volunteer work : Giving your time and talents to causes and organizations reflects more than just goodwill. It's a testament to your ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and plan events. For SAHMs preparing to re-enter the workforce, such volunteering underscores a commitment to your principles and the community, while honing skills that employers value.

If you're squeezing in resume planning between mom duties, here's a swift rundown of how to craft that standout stay-at-home mom resume:

• Pick a resume format that suits your employment history. Remember, a chronological resume might not be your go-to if you've had a long gap since your last job.
• Highlight resume sections that showcase the skills and responsibilities you've embraced during your time as a mom, steering clear of listing basic skills.
• Make your experience section pop with measurable achievements, and avoid simply naming household tasks.
• Include both hard and soft skills that you can apply in various job roles.
• Don't forget to list any relevant certifications that bolster your qualifications.
• If you've engaged in freelance or community initiatives, dedicate a section to these projects to demonstrate your active engagement and versatility.

Stay at Home Mom resume examples

Explore additional stay at home mom resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

Coming back from a career break might appear daunting, but the transition can be smooth if well-managed. Here's advice for those returning to work:

• Emphasize transferrable skills. Did you take on a project coordination role with a non-profit, or any unpaid work? Every experience is valuable and helps build certain skills.
• Show your up-to-date industry knowledge. It is crucial to illustrate involvement in your field despite the time off, whether through joining online courses, volunteering, or researching.
• Talk about soft skills gained during the break. This may include communication, time management, or problem-solving skills.
• Don't shy away from explaining the gap. Showcase it as personal growth and professional development time.
• Highlight networking activities. It’s about who you know and what you know. Mention any professional communities you're a part of.

Ensure to align your career break story with the job role requirements for a successful application.

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3 Stay at Home Mom Returning to Work Resume Examples

Stay at Home Mom Returning to Work Resume

Modern stay at home mom returning to work resume, professional stay at home mom returning to work resume.

• Stay at Home Mom Returning to Work Resume Writing 101

Being a stay at home mom is exhausting. It takes determination, patience, focus, and is an all-around challenging (and sometimes thankless) job!

What can be even harder is getting back into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom. If it’s been a few years since your last formal job, you might be struggling with writing a cover letter or crafting a great resume to land that dream job.

Fortunately, we’ve helped thousands of stay-at-home moms score interviews and find the perfect job for them. This guide is the culmination of everything we’ve learned over the years, starting with three stay-at-home mom resume examples!

or download as PDF

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What’s Most Important: Your Skills & Work Experience

As a recruiter skims your stay at home mom resume, they want to see how your skills and mindset will make you a good fit for the job you’re applying for.

That’s why you need to hone in on any skills you’ve picked up or finessed as a homemaker (budgeting, leadership, organizing) while also including skills from any previous jobs you had.

You can also include skills from any volunteering stints you had, like social media marketing or networking. If there are skills your potential employer includes on the job description that you have, make sure to include it. You’ll be one step closer to landing that interview!

9 best stay at home mom skills

• (Digital) marketing
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Time management
• Customer service
• Microsoft Office
• Project management

Sample stay at home mom work experience bullet points

The work experience section of your resume as a stay at home mom is designed to translate your skills into impact. To do that, you want to demonstrate the positive outcomes of your actions throughout your career.

If you have previous work experience before becoming a stay at home mom, mention that as well. However, you shouldn’t hide your time as a homemaker and leave an employment gap, so make sure to let that experience shine!

Here are some examples of ways to showcase your prior career experience, while demonstrating impact:

• Identified cost-saving opportunities for a household of 2 adults and 3 children, reducing monthly budget by 15%
• Created a positive shopping atmosphere for customers, leading to an average $8,000 in sales per day
• Created and grew an Instagram and TikTok community for single moms with over 30,000 followers in 18 months
• Chaired monthly community meetings to discuss security issues within the neighborhood, passing 5 HOA bylaws to 95% approval
• Received “Employee of the Year” award for regularly exceeding company goal of onboarding 5 employees each month

Top 5 Tips for Your Stay at Home Mom Resume

• Being a mom is a challenging job. Don’t skim over it and leave a gap in your employment history! Instead, own your experience and use any skills you’ve picked up to your advantage. Whether you learned Excel or Quickbooks in your spare time, or sharpened your budgeting and time management skills, put it down. Confidence is key!
• As you transition from a stay at home mom back into the corporate world, you may want to highlight how your past and current experience makes you a good fit for the role you’re applying for. However, your objective statement needs to be 100 percent tailored to each job: mention the company by name, and focus on relevant skills you have that they want. If it’s generic, you’ll lose the recruiter’s attention.
• Everyone has something that makes them unique. Maybe you learned French in high school, or you could have a knack for data analytics. If it makes you stand out, put it down!
• If you haven’t had a lot of prior work experience, you can include extracurricular or online courses you’ve taken. Plus, add any volunteer experience you’ve had. When possible, quantify your impact, like we mentioned earlier.
• While you may want to overcompensate on your stay at home mom resume if you feel it’s lacking, you don’t want to write a resume as long as a James Joyce novel! Instead, keep it to one page. Conciseness is key!

The most important thing is that it should be an easy resume template to read for both a human and applicant tracking system (ATS). That means lots of white space, no fancy graphics or bullet points, and a maximum of one page. If possible, save it as both a Word Doc and a PDF file.

It’s better to have a bit less than to overdo it. If you’ve included your relevant skills, work experience, contact info, volunteer work, and a personalized career objective, then you’ve got everything that needs to be there. Don’t ramble pointlessly!

You betcha! Don’t worry, it’s not that complicated. You just want to make sure any skills the job description asks for that you have is included on your resume as a stay at home mom, and that your work experience reflects the mindset and skills they expect of you.

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• Stay at Home Mom Resume: Example, Template & Writing Guide [2024]
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You’ve been doing all sorts of work as a stay-at-home mom. You’re great at organization, time management, and making sure a dozen things get done at once. All of these skills are sure to make you an amazing employee, but first, you need to craft an exceptional stay-at-home mom resume to prove it. It offers a chance to show a hiring manager that a career gap has nothing on what you can do.

So what kind of information should you add to the document? Well, you can look at a resume for a mom returning to work sample to get an idea of what is typically included. But this guide is made to give you further insight into the process. We understand how daunting it might be to start applying for jobs after staying at home for years and we want to help.

Being able to share relevant experience and key skills ensures you don’t turn in a generic resume that gets passed over. Whether you’re looking for a part- or full-time job, the information you put on the resume has a huge impact on whether or not you get hired. We’ll share exactly what to include and you can follow along.

As you read our guide, we’ll share a gorgeous, complete stay-at-home parent resume so you know what you’re going for. We’ll also give you insight into how to word parts of your resume to make it more likely you get an interview. By the time you finish reading, you’ll be totally ready to move forward and take your place in the workforce.

Stay-at-home mom resume writing guide: Where to start?

Everything from how to list stay-at-home mom on a resume to how to wow a potential employer is covered in two phases. The first is to build a master resume and the second is to craft a job-specific resume. These are two separate documents, but both will move you toward a new position after spending years at home. Keep reading to learn more about each aspect of the process.

Master Stay-at-Home Mom resume template

The first resume you want to create is a master resume. There’s no need to worry much with this one. This is a document that nobody besides you ever needs to see. It’s a way to get your thoughts together and keep information safe in case you forget it down the line. Everything from past work experiences to completed projects, skills, and education can be placed on your master resume.

One of the great things about the master resume is that there’s no need to format it in a conventional way. Instead, you can do it however you like as long as it works for you. You’re the person who will use this document as you move forward and apply for various jobs. Keep it organized and add anything that comes to mind. It doesn’t have to be relevant only to the position you’re applying for today.

You should have tons of information you can add to a master resume. Add in information from your past jobs as well as your time caring for the home and your children. Just because some of your skills weren’t used in a working environment doesn’t mean they can’t transfer to other situations. If you know how to do something, it goes on the master resume.

Once you have all this information written or typed into a document, you can use the master resume to fill in job-specific resumes. It can also give you a good insight into what to focus on for your cover letters . The master resume is a multi-faceted document that you can use in various ways while you’re looking for the right position.

Job-specific Stay-at-Home Mom resume

Before we share a stay-at-home resume example, we want to go over what a job-specific resume is. This is a resume that uses the job description to create a customized document to turn in with an application. Many facets of this are the same for you as they are for those who do not have an employment gap.

Wondering how to add “stay-at-home mom” to the resume? There are several methods. You can choose to have an entry for it in your work experience, talk about it in your resume objective, or write about it in the cover letter. Whatever seems right for the job is fine to use. But there is a second thing to be aware of.

The three most common types of resumes use a functional resume format, a reverse-chronological resume format, or a combination resume format. These can all be used for stay-at-home mom resumes but one may be better than another depending on your situation.

A reverse-chronological resume focuses on experience, while a functional resume puts skills and education at the forefront of the document. A combination resume is somewhere in between the two. Reverse-chronological format is the most common and will make up our example below. However, feel free to choose another format if it works for you.

As you write the job-specific resume, use keywords you find in the job description. This is a great way to show you’re capable of the position and have taken time to consider the role and what is expected of you. This should be done from scratch each time you apply to a job with the help of your master resume.

Your master resume is a never-ending document. Keep a record at work of all the things you do from daily tasks, projects, and more, even if they are not part of your job description in your master resume. This will help you in vacancy-specific resume writing in the future.

Stay-at-Home resume sample

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This stay-at-home parent resume example gives an idea of what your own document might look like when you’re finished. It has work experience, education, and skills, along with a resume objective that has been well thought out. A sample resume for a stay-at-home mom with no work experience might put the education or skills on top instead of the work experience.

What to include in a resume for a Stay-at-Home Mom? writing tips and examples

Now that you’ve seen sample resumes for stay-at-home moms, it’s time to make your own. We’ll talk you through everything from the resume header with a stay-at-home mom resume objective to skills, education, experience, and more. This section of the guide will go into depth about common resume sections so you know how to word and format your own.

How to write a resume objective on a Stay-at-Home Mom resume

The resume objective is one option for how to put “stay-at-home mom” on a resume. However, it doesn’t have to be included in this section. It really depends on your past and experience related to the position you want now. If you do choose to talk about it here, make sure it’s relevant to the job. The purpose of a resume objective is to show how good you’d be at a specific position, so keep that in mind.

If you haven’t had a job in several years, you may not be familiar with what a resume objective is. This is a small block of text that goes at the top of your resume. It’s anywhere from two to four sentences long and used to describe your top achievements and skills. Since this is customized for each job application, it should tie into the job you want to do.

Use action verbs and numbers whenever possible to quantify your experiences and accomplishments. Dig into the job description to see what they want from a candidate and then list things related to that. You want this to be an eye-catching section so a manager reads the rest of the document.

How to describe work experience on a Stay-at-Home Mom resume

When it comes to professional experience, you can use items from your past employment history if you have any. Employment gaps can be covered by an entry about being a stay-at-home mom or you can talk about it in your cover letter so hiring managers are aware of why you haven’t been working.

Previous experience isn’t only related to past jobs. If you’ve done volunteering, run a club or group, or done other things in the neighborhood, those can also be used for your work experience section. The important thing is to list the job titles, dates, and companies with a list of responsibilities and achievements underneath.

Skills to list on a Stay-at-Home Mom resume

The last section we want to go over is stay-at-home mom skills for a resume. This is composed of all sorts of things. Your own list of skills will depend on what kind of work you’re looking for now. Everything from time management skills to communication skills and organizational skills have their place.

Consider transferable skills, which could be anything you did as a stay-at-home parent that would be used on the job. As long as you list relevant skills for the position, it doesn’t matter where you gained the skills. It’s often best to choose a mixture of soft skills and hard skills related to the position you want.

This is another situation where you should use the job description to determine what skills are needed. Pick out the ones that you have and use those to create your list. This is generally about five to 10 skills that you are adept at and will use in the new position. It doesn’t matter if these are skills from other jobs or working around the home.

Now that you know what to add to your stay-at-home mom resume, it’s time to make sure it looks professional and aesthetically pleasing. At CVMaker, we offer a number of different templates for you to choose from. Browse each of them until you find the one that works best for your resume.

Key takeaways on Stay-at-Home Mom parent resumes

Taking a career break isn’t something negative and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t build the perfect resume for a return to the workforce. Use the tips and examples in our guide to craft a resume you feel good about. All you need is a great design to make your resume really pop when it gets to the desk of a manager. Good luck!

Extra tips for stay-at-home mom resumes:

·       Craft your resume in a Word document or use a resume builder to make it even easier. Convert it into a PDF file before you turn it in with your application.

·       Make sure all the most relevant sections are included, such as contact information, a resume objective, education, experience, and skills.

·       Explain your employment gap either on the resume itself or in a cover letter that you turn in at the same time.

·       Go through your resume and make sure it flows well. Don’t be afraid to make edits to ensure it gives off the right vibe.

·       Check the resume for errors like typos and misspellings. Consider a tool like Grammarly to catch the things you might not.

·       Consider reading the resume out loud before you turn it in. Make sure you include your cover letter and any other needed documents.

Next steps?

Do you still need a bit of help creating an excellent stay-at-home mom resume for a future employer? You don’t have to do it all on your own. CVMaker offers a selection of Resume Writing Services that you can take advantage of. An expert in resume creation will look over your information and help you create the best possible document for your potential new position.

Should you put Stay-at-Home Mom on a resume?

Part of crafting a flawless resume is knowing what to include and what to omit. Putting the phrase “stay-at-home mom” is fine for resumes, although you do not have to. If you prefer to focus on other things you’ve done, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just make sure to be honest and be prepared to explain a gap in employment.

If you choose to include this information in your resume, it should be part of the work experience section. You can touch on it in the resume objective if you can make it relevant to the position you’re applying for. However, make sure this isn’t the sole focus of your document.

What to put on a resume for a Stay-at-Home Mom?

Creating a job-winning resume for a stay-at-home mom is exactly what your goal should be when you want to gain employment. However, that doesn’t mean your resume needs to be much different than someone else’s. The important bits, like contact information and work experience, should be included.

Stating that you are a stay-at-home parent is fine but it’s not required. This is something you can explain in an interview or a cover letter. Following a sample resume for the industry you want to work in and incorporating important keywords from the job description is a good way to move forward.

Placing relevant keywords in your application from the start keeps the hiring manager or recruiter engaged and tells them you read the job requirements while taking extra time to make yourself stand out from other candidates.

What are the best Stay-at-Home Mom resume skills?

Every sample resume for stay-at-home moms is going to have a different list of skills. That’s because the skills you choose will vary based on the job you want, what your skills are, and what experience you have. All of these things should be considered before making a list of skills.

In most cases, your skills should be on a bullet list with five to 10 items. Going longer than that starts to get in the territory of sharing too much. You need to break down your skills to the most important ones for a specific position, using the information you find in the job description.

Do I need a Stay-at-Home Mom resume and cover letter?

If you plan to apply for a job and you have been a stay-at-home mom, you should have a resume and a cover letter. This applies to anyone who is interested in a job, not just those who might have an employment gap. You’ll find resume for stay-at-home mom returning to work examples you can use to guide the process.

While some positions may not require a resume, it’s best to have one. It shows that you’re serious about the position and can make you a better candidate than other people. It also gives the hiring manager information about you before you are brought in for an interview.

Which Stay-at-Home Mom resume points are the most important?

You might be wondering how to write stay-at-home mom on a resume so it doesn’t come off the wrong way. Use your work experience section to include this information or add it to your cover letter. The same resume points you would highlight in other situations are useful here.

The most used sections are contact information, a resume objective, skills, education, and work experience. Remember that you can use volunteering experiences to make up part of your experience if you did that while not in the workplace.

How do I handle a Stay-at-Home Mom resume gap?

It might be worrying to consider an employment gap, but a lot of employers will be understanding about it. Make sure to use the stay-at-home job description for the resume to ensure you highlight the right things. You can show the gap on your resume or go into it on your cover letter depending on your preferences.

You can treat your time as a stay-at-home parent as another position you held. Choose a title, add dates, and outline your accomplishments, skills, and abilities. There’s no reason you can’t use your time as a stay-at-home mom as something positive when you apply for a new job.

What is a Stay-at-Home Mom job description on a resume?

Stay-at-home mom job description examples are a good place to find out how to craft your own experience. You can list that you were a stay-at-home parent like you would any other position. On the other hand, you can also choose to focus only on professional work you did in the past. It’s up to you and what feels right for a position.

When you do add in experience, make sure you focus on accomplishments over tasks. Choose skills you learned on the job as well at as home. Make sure you include the relevant information but feel free to move it around so the things you want to prioritize are on the top of the resume.

How do you write a resume after not working for years?

If you’ve been out of the workforce for an extended period of time, it might seem crafting a resume will be challenging. It doesn’t have to be, though. As long as you put in the work, you can get a job despite an absence from employment. Both functional and reverse-chronological resumes are good choices depending on how you set them up.

For those with experience that is many years in the past, you can still include it. However, you want to craft a great resume objective, add in any volunteering you may have done, and list skills relevant to the position. Explaining the absence can be useful, whether you do that using a resume or in the interview process.

It might seem challenging to craft a great stay-at-home mom resume, but our tips will make it take half the time it otherwise might. After that, all you need is a beautiful resume template to take your document to the next level. CVMaker offers an assortment of templates to find the one that matches your style and get your application in.

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Stay at Home Mom Resume Examples and Writing Tips for 2024

A stay-at-home mom is a woman who chooses to devote her time and energy to raising her children and managing her household instead of pursuing a career outside the home. While being a stay-at-home mom is often considered a full-time job in and of itself, many women eventually decide to return to the workforce.

Importance of a Stay-at-Home Mom’s Return to the Workforce

Returning to the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom can be a daunting task. Many stay-at-home moms feel that they lack the skills and experience necessary to compete in the job market. However, the skills developed while being a stay-at-home mom, such as multitasking, organization, and communication, are highly transferable to many different fields and can make a stay-at-home mom an attractive candidate for potential employers.

Additionally, returning to the workforce can be a great way for stay-at-home moms to regain their independence, financial stability, and sense of self-worth. It can also be a way for them to inspire their children and show them the importance of pursuing their goals and dreams.

Challenges of Creating a Stay-at-home Mom Resume

Stay-at-home mothers face several challenges when creating a resume. The work done while taking care of children and managing a household is often unappreciated and undervalued. However, with the right approach, it is possible to create a resume that highlights relevant skills and experience that prospective employers are looking for.

Identifying transferable skills

Stay-at-home mothers often overlook important skills acquired while managing a household. They possess excellent organizational skills, multitasking abilities, time-management skills, communication skills, and problem-solving skills. These skills are transferable and can be applied to various job roles. For instance, the organizational skills and attention to detail required to manage a household can be useful in an administrative position. It’s important to identify these skills and highlight them in the resume to make them stand out to potential employers.

Filling employment gaps

Employment gaps are common in stay-at-home mom resumes. However, it doesn’t mean that the resume should be sparse or incomplete. Instead, the resume should focus on identifying and highlighting transferable skills and other activities undertaken during that period. Some of the activities may include volunteering, freelancing, or pursuing further education. It’s essential to show how these activities helped in honing critical transferable skills.

Overcoming stigmas

Some employers may have stigmas about stay-at-home mothers returning to the workforce. However, this should not deter mothers from seeking employment. Firstly, it’s important to project confidence and passion for the job in the resume. Emphasize the acquired skills and how valuable they are in the current job opening. Secondly, focus on the future and highlight how the experience gained from managing household duties has strengthened you as a candidate. Finally, address any stigma head-on by highlighting a successful transition back into the workforce in the past or by engaging in activities that help to address the stigma.

Creating a resume as a stay-at-home mother is a challenging task. However, by identifying transferable skills, filling employment gaps, and addressing potential stigmas head-on, it is possible to create a winning resume that highlights a candidate’s strengths and makes them stand out to prospective employers.

Understanding the Different Resume Formats

When it comes to creating a resume, there are three main formats that you can use: the chronological resume format, the functional resume format, and the combination resume format.

Chronological Resume Format

The chronological resume format is the most traditional format and is the one that many people are familiar with. This format lists your work history in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position and working backward. This is a great format to use if you have a strong work history with no employment gaps.

Functional Resume Format

The functional resume format, on the other hand, focuses on your skills and abilities rather than your work history. This format is great for those who may have gaps in their employment history, those who are changing careers, or those who have relevant volunteering experience.

Combination Resume Format

The combination resume format combines aspects of both the chronological and functional resume formats. It highlights your skills and abilities while also listing your work history in reverse chronological order. This is a great format to use if you want to showcase your skills and experience while also providing a comprehensive overview of your work history.

Selecting the Right Format for Stay-at-Home Moms

As a stay-at-home mom, selecting the right resume format is crucial. Depending on your individual circumstances, each format may have its unique advantages. If you have recent work experience and no gaps in employment, the chronological resume format is a great choice. However, if you have been out of the workforce for an extended period, the functional resume format may better highlight your skills and abilities.

Another option to consider is the combination resume format. This format will allow you to showcase your skillset while also providing a chronological overview of your work history.

No matter which format you choose, make sure to tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. Focus on highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the position, and use keywords from the job description.

It’s essential to choose the right resume format that effectively showcases your skills and work history as a stay-at-home mom. Take the time to analyze your individual circumstances, and select the format that best meets your needs. Tailor your resume to the job you are applying for, and you’ll increase your chances of landing that dream job.

Crafting an Effective Summary Statement

As a stay-at-home mom, crafting an effective summary statement on your resume can be a game-changer. A summary statement is a brief, concise paragraph at the top of your resume that highlights your skills, experience, and achievements. It serves as an opening statement and provides prospective employers with an overview of your qualifications.

What is a Summary Statement?

A summary statement is a powerful tool for stay-at-home moms who are returning to the workforce. It’s a quick summary of your key skills, experience, and achievements that tells potential employers what you can bring to the table. An effective summary statement should be brief, clear, and compelling. It should entice the reader to learn more about your qualifications and experience.

Importance of a Summary Statement

A summary statement plays a crucial role in helping you stand out in a crowded job market. It’s your chance to highlight your most impressive accomplishments and show potential employers that you have what it takes to excel in the job. A well-crafted summary statement can improve your chances of getting an interview, and ultimately, landing the job.

Tips for Crafting an Effective Summary Statement

Crafting an effective summary statement can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Here are some essential tips to help you create a compelling summary statement:

Keep it brief and to the point: A summary statement should be no more than 3-4 sentences long. It should be a quick overview of your skills, experience, and achievements.

Use keywords: Keywords are important in the summary statement because they help recruiters and hiring managers quickly determine if you have the skills required for the job.

Highlight your most relevant skills and experience: Focus on the skills and experience that are most relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Quantify your achievements: Use numbers and figures to quantify your achievements. This will give potential employers a better idea of what you’ve accomplished in your previous roles.

Customize for each job: Customize your summary statement for each job you apply for. Highlight the skills and experience that are most relevant to the position.

Use action verbs: Use action verbs to make your summary statement more dynamic and engaging.

By following these tips, you can create an effective summary statement that will make a lasting impression on potential employers.

Highlighting Transferable Skills

As a stay-at-home mom, you may have developed many skills while taking care of your family that can be applied in a professional work setting. These skills are known as transferable skills, and they are valuable for recruiters and hiring managers looking for candidates who can bring a unique set of abilities to the job.

Definition of transferable skills

Transferable skills are abilities that can be applied to different industries, roles, and job settings. They rely on your personal traits, such as your communication skills, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and time management, rather than your technical qualifications. Recruiters and hiring managers are particularly interested in transferable skills because they add diversity and creativity to the workplace.

Examples of transferable skills relevant to stay-at-home moms

As a stay-at-home mom, you may have acquired several transferable skills without even realizing it. Consider the following examples:

• Time management : As a stay-at-home mom, you need to manage your time effectively to take care of your children, household chores, and other responsibilities effectively. Time management is an excellent transferable skill that can be applied to a wide range of workplaces, such as project management, event planning, and customer service.
• Communication : Stay-at-home moms interact with people from different backgrounds and personalities every day. You know how to communicate effectively with your children, partner, and family members, which is a transferable skill that can be applied to roles such as sales, marketing, and customer service.
• Problem-solving : As a stay-at-home mom, you face different challenges and problems every day, such as managing your budget, keeping your children safe and healthy, and managing the household. Problem-solving is a valuable transferable skill that can be applied to roles such as logistics, operations, engineering, and finance.
• Leadership : Stay-at-home moms often take the lead in raising their children, managing their household, and completing tasks. Leadership is a transferable skill that can be applied to many settings, such as management, team leading, and executive roles.
• Emotional intelligence : As a stay-at-home mom, you need to be emotionally intelligent to understand your children’s needs, manage conflicts with your partner, and handle stress and frustration. Emotional intelligence is a transferable skill that can be applied to roles such as counseling, human resources, and coaching.

Incorporating transferable skills into a resume

When writing your resume, make sure to highlight your transferable skills as they can make you stand out from other candidates. Start by identifying the skills you have developed while taking care of your family or other activities outside of work.

Next, tailor your resume to match the job description and mention how your transferable skills can benefit the employer. Use specific examples to showcase your skills, such as “Managed a household budget of $X for Y years” or “Led a team of X volunteers to complete Y project.

Showcasing Accomplishments with Action Words

As a stay-at-home mom, it’s crucial to showcase your accomplishments in your resume. And one effective way to do this is by using action words. Action words help you communicate your skills and achievements more effectively and convey a sense of energy and accomplishment.

Importance of Action Words in a Resume

Recruiters and hiring managers often receive numerous resumes for every job opening, and they have limited time to evaluate each one. This is where action words can make a big difference. Studies have shown that using action words in your resume can increase your chances of getting hired by up to 80%.

Action words also help your resume to stand out from others. Recruiters appreciate resumes that are well-written, concise, and easy to read. Therefore, using the right action words can help you make a good impression and get noticed.

Examples of Action Words

Here are some examples of action words that you can use in your stay-at-home mom resume:

• Managed: If you’ve been in charge of your household, you can use “managed” to showcase your leadership skills.
• Developed: If you’ve started a side business, “developed” can highlight your entrepreneurship skills.
• Organized: If you’ve been organizing community events or school functions, “organized” can demonstrate your planning abilities.
• Coordinated: If you’ve been coordinating volunteer activities, “coordinated” can highlight your communication and collaboration skills.
• Trained: If you’ve been teaching your children or others, you can use “trained” to showcase your teaching skills.
• Advocated: If you’ve been involved in advocacy work or political campaigns, “advocated” can show your passion for causes.

When showcasing your accomplishments using action words, it’s essential to be specific and quantify your achievements whenever possible. Here are some examples of how you can use action words to showcase your accomplishments:

• “Managed household activities.”
• “Managed household activities for five family members, including meal planning, budgeting, and scheduling, resulting in a 30% reduction in overall household expenses.”
• “Organized community events.”
• “Organized three community events per year, each with an audience of 100+ attendees, resulting in $10,000+ in donations to local charities.”
• “Advocated for social justice.”
• “Advocated for social justice by organizing and leading protests, resulting in national media coverage and 1,000+ attendees at events.”

Remember that your accomplishments should demonstrate your skills and expertise relevant to the job you’re applying for. Therefore, it’s important to tailor your resume to the specific job requirements and use action words that reflect those skills.

Using action words in your stay-at-home mom resume is a vital part of showcasing your accomplishments effectively.

Emphasizing Education and Training

When it comes to creating a resume, highlighting your education and training can be critical, especially if you’re a stay-at-home mom returning to the workforce. These details not only show your qualifications but also demonstrate your commitment to growing your skills and staying current with industry trends.

Importance of Education and Training in a Resume

Including education and training helps demonstrate that you are qualified for the position you are applying for. It shows that you have the minimum level of knowledge required for the job and can help you stand out in a competitive job market. If you have obtained additional certifications or completed training programs, it is essential to include them in your resume as they indicate your commitment to your profession and your initiative to keep learning.

Identifying Relevant Education and Training

It is important to make sure that the education and training you list in your resume are relevant to the position you are applying for. A good rule of thumb is to include any educational achievement that may be required for the position or any certifications that show mastery in the required skillset. It is also important to think outside the box and look for qualifications that could be transferable to the position you are applying for.

If you are returning to the workforce, your recent education and training might not be related to the position you are applying for. However, you can highlight the skills you gained and how they can be applied in a different field. For example, if you completed a course on data analysis, you can highlight your problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to analyze data that can assist you in the new role you are applying for.

Highlighting Education and Training in a Resume

When including education and training in your resume, it is important to list them in reverse-chronological order, starting with your most recent achievement. Consider creating a separate section for your education and training that emphasizes your accomplishments and the skills and knowledge you gained from them.

Make sure to include the name of the program or institution, the year(s) you attended, and the achievements or certifications you received. You can also highlight any relevant coursework or focus areas that can differentiate you from other candidates.

Your education and training can be a significant selling point of your resume, especially if you are returning to the workforce as a stay-at-home mom. Identifying your qualifications that are relevant to the position you are applying for and highlighting your achievements can showcase your value as an asset to any prospective employer.

Addressing Employment Gaps in a Resume

When crafting a resume, it can be challenging to address gaps in employment. Whether it’s due to time off to raise children, illness, or other reasons, an unexplained or unclear gap can raise questions for potential employers.

Explanation of Employment Gaps

Firstly, it’s essential to explain the reason for any employment gaps clearly. Leaving a gap unaddressed can lead to potential employers assuming the worst about your work history. Be honest about why you took time off, but don’t overshare. It’s not necessary to provide personal details or to highlight the negative aspects of the gap.

Addressing Gaps with Honesty and Professionalism

It’s important to approach any gaps in your resume with honesty and professionalism. Be confident when explaining the reasons for any absences and how you stayed engaged in personal growth or continued learning during this time. Remember, spending time raising children or taking care of a family member is valuable experience that employers can appreciate.

Tips for Minimizing the Impact of Employment Gaps

Although gaps in employment can be worrisome for employers, there are several ways to minimize their impact on your resume:

Be strategic with your resume format: Consider using a functional resume format. This format emphasizes your skills and accomplishments rather than listing your work experience chronologically. This approach can shift the emphasis away from gaps in employment and highlight your strengths.

Use positive language: When describing the reason for the employment gap, avoid negative language. Instead, focus on the personal and professional growth you gained during this time.

Highlight on-going learning opportunities: Explain how you stayed engaged in personal or professional growth during the gap period. Include any online courses or certifications you obtained during this time.

Address the gap in your cover letter: Use your cover letter to address the employment gap briefly. Let the employer know the steps you took during this time to maintain your skills and stay engaged professionally.

Networking: Networking can help you overcome the stigma of employment gaps. Attend professional events and job fairs to potentially connect with employers who may overlook an employment gap if you impress them with your skills and experience.

Employment gaps can cause concern for potential employers, but there are ways to frame these gaps in a positive light in your resume. Be honest and professional when explaining the reasons behind the gap and highlight any on-going learning opportunities during this time. Follow the tips mentioned above, and you’ll be sure to minimize the impact of your employment gaps on your resume.

Incorporating Volunteer Work and Community Involvement

As a stay-at-home mom, volunteering can be a great way to stay active, involved in the community, and gain valuable experience to add to your resume. Volunteer work is any activity that offers your time, skills, and abilities to others with no expectation of financial gain.

Examples of volunteer work relevant to stay-at-home moms

There are many volunteer opportunities available that can be relevant to stay-at-home moms. Here are some examples:

School volunteering:  You can volunteer at your child’s school to assist with reading, math, or other subjects, help with field trips, or organize events like book fairs or fundraisers.

Religious organizations:  If you belong to a religious group, you can help with events, teach classes, or volunteer in soup kitchens or other programs.

Non-profit organizations:  Many non-profit organizations accept volunteers to help with fundraising, event planning, grant writing, or administrative tasks.

Community service organizations:  There are community service organizations like food banks, shelters, and hospitals that need volunteers to help with various tasks.

Professional organizations:  Many professional organizations have volunteer opportunities, such as speaking at conferences or mentoring others in your industry.

Tips for incorporating volunteer work into a resume

Here are some tips on how to incorporate your volunteer work into your resume:

Include relevant skills and accomplishments.  When describing your volunteer work, highlight the skills you learned and the accomplishments you achieved. For example: “Successfully organized a school fundraiser that raised $10,000 in donations.”

Use active language.  Use active verbs to describe your volunteer work and make it sound more impressive. For example: “Coordinated a team of 10 volunteers to deliver meals to 100 seniors in our community.”

Make it easy to read.  Use bullet points to break up your volunteer experience and make it easier to read.

Identify transferable skills.  Identify transferable skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a customer service position, highlight your experience working with people in your volunteer work.

Quantify your impact.  Use numbers to quantify your impact and make it more impressive. For example: “Increased volunteer participation by 20% by implementing a new recruitment strategy.”

Volunteer work is a great way for stay-at-home moms to gain valuable experience, stay involved in the community, and add to their resume. With the right strategies, you can effectively incorporate your volunteer work into your resume and impress potential employers.

Tips for Writing a Cover Letter

When it comes to applying for a job, a cover letter is just as important as your resume. A cover letter is your chance to introduce yourself to the employer, showcase your skills and qualifications, and explain why you are the best candidate for the job. It is an essential part of the job application process, and as a stay-at-home mom, it can help you overcome any gaps in your employment history.

Here are some tips for crafting an effective cover letter:

Importance of a cover letter

Introduce yourself: Your cover letter should introduce you to the employer and explain your interest in the job. Use this opportunity to showcase your personality and explain how you can add value to the company.

Highlight your qualifications: Your cover letter should highlight your qualifications and skills that are relevant to the job. Make sure to match your skills with the job requirements and explain how your experiences can benefit the employer.

Explain any gaps in your employment: Your cover letter is the perfect opportunity to explain any gaps in your employment history, especially as a stay-at-home mom. Emphasize your willingness to learn and your commitment to the job.

Tips for crafting an effective cover letter

Customize your cover letter: Don’t use a generic cover letter for every job application. Customize it to match the job description and the company’s culture.

Keep it concise: Your cover letter should be short and to the point. Avoid lengthy paragraphs and use bullet points to highlight your skills and experiences.

Proofread and edit: Make sure to proofread and edit your cover letter for any errors or typos. A well-written cover letter can set you apart from other applicants.

Examples of cover letter for stay-at-home moms

Dear Hiring Manager,

As a stay-at-home mom for the past few years, I am excited to apply for the position of customer service representative at ABC Company. I have developed excellent communication and organizational skills, and I am confident that my experiences as a mom can translate to success in this role.

I believe my ability to multitask, work under pressure, and solve problems quickly can benefit your company. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with a team who values teamwork and communication.

Thank you for considering my application. I am eager to discuss my qualifications further and learn more about the position.

[Your Name]

A well-written cover letter can make all the difference when it comes to getting hired. As a stay-at-home mom, don’t be afraid to showcase how your experiences and skills can translate into success in the workplace. By following these tips and using examples, you can craft an effective cover letter that highlights your strengths and qualifications.

Resume Examples for Stay-at-Home Moms

If you are a stay-at-home mom planning to re-enter the workforce, creating a well-structured and informative resume is critical. A good resume can help you to stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of securing the job you want. Here are three types of resume examples for stay-at-home moms:

1. Chronological Resume Examples for Stay-at-Home Moms

Chronological resumes are the most traditional and commonly used resume format. They list your work experience in chronological order, starting with your most recent job. A chronological resume is ideal if you have a solid work history with no gaps, and you want to focus on your professional experience rather than your skills.

Full Name Address, City, State, ZIP Phone Number Email Address

Experienced stay-at-home mom with strong organizational and multitasking skills. Proven ability to manage household responsibilities and support family members effectively. Seeking an opportunity to utilize my skills and contribute to a professional work environment.

Work Experience

Homemaker and Caregiver City, State Dates

• Managed household responsibilities including budgeting, meal planning, and scheduling appointments.
• Provided childcare, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for children.
• Organized family events and coordinated logistics for gatherings.

Volunteer Experience

Volunteer Coordinator Nonprofit Organization City, State Dates

• Recruited and trained volunteers for various projects and events.
• Managed volunteer schedules and coordinated their tasks.
• Developed and implemented volunteer recognition initiatives.

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology University Name City, State Graduation Year

As a stay-at-home mom, you can still use this format by listing your experience as a homemaker, volunteer work, or any other relevant activities you have been engaged in. Make sure to give a detailed description of your duties and achievements.

2. Functional Resume Examples for Stay-at-Home Moms

Functional resumes focus on your skills rather than your work experience. This format is ideal if you have gaps in your work history or you have been out of the workforce for a while. A functional resume highlights your transferable skills and achievements, providing a comprehensive summary of your abilities.

Summary of Qualifications

• Highly skilled in time management, multitasking, and problem-solving.
• Strong organizational abilities with the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Time management
• Organization
• Problem-solving
• Communication

Professional Experience

Freelance Event Planning City, State Dates

• Successfully planned and executed events, including weddings and parties.
• Managed budgets, coordinated vendors, and ensured client satisfaction.
• Demonstrated strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Community Outreach Nonprofit Organization City, State Dates

• Assisted in organizing community events and fundraising activities.
• Collaborated with team members to achieve project goals.
• Utilized excellent communication skills to engage and mobilize volunteers.

Associate’s Degree in Business Administration College Name City, State Graduation Year

Stay-at-home moms can use this format to highlight their skills in managing time, multitasking, and problem-solving. When creating a functional resume, prioritize and emphasize the skills required for the job you are applying for.

3. Combination Resume Examples for Stay-at-Home Moms

As the name suggests, a combination resume is a hybrid of both chronological and functional formats. It highlights both your skills and your work history, providing a complete picture of your professional experience.

Dedicated stay-at-home mom with a strong background in managing household responsibilities and a track record of effective multitasking. Skilled in organizing and coordinating activities, with a focus on maintaining a positive and nurturing environment. Seeking an opportunity to apply my skills and contribute to a dynamic work setting.

• Household management
• Event planning
• Team coordination

Homemaker City, State Dates

• Managed household operations, including budgeting, meal planning, and scheduling.
• Oversaw the coordination of family activities and events.
• Maintained open and effective communication with family members.

Event Coordinator Nonprofit Organization City, State Dates

• Organized and executed fundraising events, including logistics and budgeting.
• Coordinated volunteers and delegated tasks to ensure successful outcomes.
• Utilized strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with stakeholders.

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration University Name City, State Graduation Year

This format is ideal for stay-at-home moms who want to emphasize their skills while also highlighting their work experience, even if it has been a while. Make sure to give a detailed description of your skills and achievements, and prioritize the ones most relevant to the job you are applying for.

Creating a resume as a stay-at-home mom can be challenging, but with the right approach, you can craft a document that highlights your skills and experience, making you a competitive candidate in the job market. Remember to keep your resume concise, relevant, and error-free, and tailor it to the job you are applying for. Good luck!

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How to Write a Resume If You're a Stay at Home Mom

A guide by recruiters on how to write a successful stay-at-home mom resume in 2024, including a resume template you can download, resume samples and insights from recruiters.

3 years ago   •   10 min read

Being a stay at home mom can present unique challenges when you’re ready to go back into the workforce. Employers will notice a gap in your employment, and your skillset or certifications may be out of date.

Fortunately, it’s entirely possible to craft a resume that puts your best foot forward, particularly if you take some time to build on your current skills. Read on to find out what you should be including and what to leave out - and for some helpful tips to keep in mind as you get ready to look for a new position. Plus, we've also included a free resume template in Word or Google Docs format that you can use as a starting point.

A free stay at home mom resume template

Before we dive in to our recruiter perspectives, here's a sample resume for a stay-at-home mom or parent. Feel free to use it as inspiration as you write your own resume (download links below).

Download this free stay at home mom resume template: Google Drive | Microsoft Word

Mind your 'employment' gap

Do resume gaps matter? Sure — to some extent. Recruiters will want to know what's up with an employment gap, but it won't be prohibitive on its own. The key is to explain it, which is easily done when you're a stay at home mom (keep scrolling for detailed tips on how to do this).

Beyond the gap in your work with an employer, the most important thing to demonstrate to the hiring manager is that your skills are current. If you have done recent volunteer work, you should definitely include it. Freelance work that is related to the position you’re aiming at is also great to include.

If your skills aren’t current, read on to find out how to build your skills and add to your resume appropriately.

Read more: How to list gaps on a resume

How to list being a stay at home mom on a resume

If you want to include your work as a stay at home mom in your work experience, you should consider doing it in a format similar to this example:

Rather than “Growthsi” and the title below it, you could enter “Stay at home parent” (like in the following example), the dates of your time at home, and bulleted accomplishments along the lines of “Maintained a blog on parenting tips featuring 50+ articles averaging X page views” or “Created a 100+ member Facebook group providing support for stay at home parents” or how you’ve established and run an Etsy shop. Anything you include should be relevant to the job or position you’d like to apply for (with similar skills engaged).

Avoid including your stay-at-home mom experience as a 'work experience' or 'professional experience' — instead, like above, use an 'Other Experience' section title.

Read more: A stay at home mom's guide for getting back into the workforce

Building your skills while looking for a job as a stay at home parent

Just because you haven’t been with an employer for a while, you can still hone your skills, take courses, and potentially work on freelance projects during your job search. Each approach helps build your competency level in the eyes of hiring managers by demonstrating that you’re in touch with your skills.

One avenue to consider is looking for volunteer opportunities around your community. Non-profit organizations and parent/child-oriented groups are always looking for assistance with conducting outreach, fundraising, and holding events. If you’re interested in marketing, for example, helping to promote the Parent-Teacher Organization’s upcoming dance by creating and distributing flyers is definitely something you can include on your resume.

Read more: How to list volunteer work on your resume

Take a course

Depending on the field you’re interested in, it may help to look for relevant courses (either online or at nearby colleges). Some community colleges offer adult education courses to learn basic computer applications such as Microsoft Word, which will help with all kinds of office work. If you’re more advanced, you can look for courses in a wide variety of fields, from computer programming to graphics arts. If you have more time to invest, consider enrolling for a two-year degree if your field of interest would benefit from it.

Read more: How to list certifications on a resume (with examples)

Freelance work

Lastly, taking on relevant freelance projects (such as writing copy for online companies, conducting lawn or landscaping services, or programming simple applications) will give you experience and accomplishments that will highlight how you’ve kept your skills current.

Read more: How to list freelance work on your resume

Formatting Your Resume

For an easy and time-saving boost to formatting your resume, you can start with the template above or browse our ATS-ready resume templates . Pick one that appeals to your background and the position you’re applying for, and enter in the details as you go.

Resume header

Your resume header should include your full name, phone number, email address, location (state and country, not street address), and potentially your LinkedIn profile. An example is below:

You can optionally include the job title of the job you're applying to in your resume's header.

Read more: What to include in your resume header

Resume summary

Having a summary at the top of your resume is a great way to introduce yourself as someone who “worked in [X field] for [x] years before taking four years off to raise two children”, as an example. Your summary can also encompass any recent activities or projects you’ve started, such as by stating “ In that time, started a successful copywriting business with x clients ”, or “ started and maintained a babysitting business with x clients ”.

Read more: Resume summary generator

Work Experience

All of your work experience should follow the same style of format. Regardless of when you last worked, you’ll want to list your previous employers in reverse chronological order (with the most recent employers on top).

Each of your listed employers should be followed by a series of bullet-pointed accomplishments. Start the bullet points with strong action verbs that are related to skills you’ll be using in the position you’re going into, ideally. Whenever possible, include a numerical value (such as “improved sales by 10 percent over X years”) to help employers understand exactly how much of a difference you made.

For each of your work experiences, note the company or organization, your job title, and the dates you worked there. Usually, this means listing the month and year, though you can sometimes leave off the month and display only the year — what’s more important is that you’re consistent with how you format your dates within your resume.

Read more: How to list your work experience on your resume

If you graduated some time ago (8+ years ago) : Your education section should be short and underneath your work experience. In this case, just include your degree name and your school name. You can leave off your graduation year to avoid any unwarranted age discrimination — something that unfortunately happens in today's hiring landscape.

If you returned to school or you graduated recently: You should list your education at the top of your resume if you recently completed a degree (while being a stay at home mom). Include the name of the school, the degree you graduated with, and the program you graduated from. Depending on the type of degree you received and the position you’re planning to apply for, you may also wish to add in the most relevant courses that you took (such as “Data Analysis” or “Software Engineering”) if they include keywords that relate to the job you're applying to.

Read more: How to list your education on a resume

Resume skills section

If you have a sufficient number of technical skills, you should include a skills section on your resume. This could be placed at the right hand side of the page, or at the very bottom. The skills you list should be appropriate for the position you’re applying for. As an example, if you’re applying to be an office manager, you could list “QuickBooks”, “Microsoft Office”, or “Google Calendar” as your skills. If you’re going into graphic design, list the programs you’ve worked with before.

For all of your skills (in the summary, body of your resume, and skills bank) you should aim to include ones that align with your background and the job you’re applying for. Refer to this list of resume skills and keywords to get an idea of what hiring managers and automatic screeners are looking for.

Chances are, being a stay at home mom has given you a host of transferable skills (such as time management, communication skills, and follow-through). You should definitely work these into your resume if you can, but remember to not list them directly into your resume — e.g. don't mention 'time management' skills, but show how you have delivered a project that required strong time management .

Read more: How to write a resume skills section

What to Avoid

While it may be tempting, particularly if you manage a complex household or go above and beyond in your daily duties, you should refrain from listing “Head of Household” or “CEO of Household” in the body of your resume. No matter how elaborate your work in this role, claiming it as job experience means you risk signaling to the hiring manager that you hold your household to be equivalent in the scope of duties and level of accountability as you would a business.

Generally speaking, CEOs of businesses hold much greater responsibility (from the business’s perspective) than heads of households, and significantly more financial risk is involved.

With that said, if you have made a spreadsheet to manage your family’s finances, you can definitely include Microsoft Excel in your technical skills . You may also be able to work it into your cover letter to demonstrate your commitment to organization.

Optimize and Fine Tune Your Resume

Once you’re finished building the bones of your resume, you can use a few different tools to optimize it and make adjustments that will enable it to get past automatic screeners.

Get feedback on your stay-at-home parent resume

As a stay at home mom, you can write an effective resume by highlighting any volunteer work, online courses, freelance work you did while being a stay-at-home parent. You should also use your past work experience and stay at home experience to highlight your soft and transferable skills. Once you’re done writing your resume, upload it to the tool below — this AI-powered tool will analyze your resume, highlight any trouble spots, and make recommendations in a quick and easy process.

Tailor your stay-at-home parent resume

If you know the job you’re applying for, Targeted Resume is another free AI-powered tool that will enable you to tailor your resume to that specific position. The tool will assess your resume based on the job you’re applying for and let you know what skills you might be leaving out.

Another good way to quickly target your resume to the job you’re applying for, is by including relevant keywords on your resume. Use the tool below to get a list of keywords relevant to the job.

General Tips for Your Job Search

Going back to work after taking time to care for your family is a big step, but keeping these tips in mind can help make it easier.

Your personal network could be your biggest resource when looking for a job. As many as 80 percent of people have gotten a job through someone they know, meaning that it would behoove you to ask around among your acquaintances to see if anyone has heard of something in the field you’re looking for.

Use social media

If you don’t have a robust social network (as sometimes happens when your focus is fully on your children), don’t despair. Build your profile on LinkedIn (using similar techniques as you did with your resume) and start reaching out to people at companies you’d like to work for. Alternatively, consider attending in-person networking events with your local Chamber of Commerce or those hosted at businesses themselves.

Go at your own pace

Looking for a job at any point in life can be stressful, so remember to care for yourself as much as possible during the job search. Reconnect with your family with ample quality time, during the job search and once you’ve secured a position. It can take time to get the ball rolling, but once you get back into the field, the soft skills you gained as a mother are bound to serve you well!

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How To Put Stay-At-Home Mom Or Dad On Your Resume (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• How To Build A Resume
• Specific Resume Words
• Action Verbs On A resume
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• Resume Outline
• How To Make A Resume
• How To Make A Resume On Word
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• General Resume Examples
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• First Resume
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• Stay-At-Home Parent Resume
• Resume Tips
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• How To Write A Bio
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• Lied on Your Resume?
• Avoid Age Discrimination
• Words and Phrases You Shouldn't Include in Your Resume
• How Many Skills Should You List On A Resume
• Send A Resume As A Pdf
• Resume Critique
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• Are Resume Writers Worth It
• How Many Jobs To List On Resume
• Please Find Attached My Resume
• How To List Contract Work On Your Resume
• How To Put Research On Your Resume
• How To Upload Your Resume To LinkedIn
• Resume Mistakes
• What Is A CV?
• CV Vs Resume
• CV Templates
• CV Examples

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Summary. To put your time as a stay-at-home parent on your resume , identify the soft and hard skills you developed during that time and highlight them in your work experience section. Skills you use as a parent such as organization, time management, and financial planning are valuable to employers. Any parent knows taking care of children can easily be a demanding full-time job. And with daycare expenses skyrocketing, it can actually be cheaper for one parent to stay home with the kids than to work and use a daycare service. A stay-at-home parent wears many different hats such as full-time teacher, coach , social organizer, and leader that can be added to your resume In this article we will go over how to add these to your resume and provide examples of what it should look like. Key Takeaways: Emphasize job skills you became proficient in as a stay-at home parent. Frame your resume to showcase your achievements rather than detail your domestic duties. Take time to consider what your deliverables were as a stay-at-home parent. Think of how you can present those deliverables in the context of the job you are applying for. In This Article    Skip to section How to Put Stay-At-Home Mom or Dad on Your Resume Where to Put Stay-At-Home Parent on Your Resume Stay-At-Home Parent Resume Example Tips for Stay-At-Home Parent Resume Returning to Work Stay-At-Home Mom Resume FAQ Final Thoughts References Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs Show More How to Put Stay-At-Home Mom or Dad on Your Resume

When writing your resume summary , it is probably better that you do not mention specifically that you are a stay-at-home parent. Instead, think about the roles you played as a parent and the skills you mastered that complement your previous work experience.

Add Education. You will want to include any degrees you’ve earned and which institution they are from. If you graduated more than three years ago, you do not need need to put your graduation date.

You can also any courses or workshops that you took during your time as a stay at home parent. You will want to add where those courses were completed at.

Homeschool parent. If you homeschooled your kids, you’re in luck. You added yet another experience that is extremely valuable: coaching, organizing, and teaching.

If you homeschooled your kids, you have skills researching curriculum, organizing lesson plans and extracurricular activities, mentoring children, all while learning how to be flexible, a good communicator , and most importantly (to the kids), fun.

For example: If you were a teacher for five years before homeschooling your children for three years, you could write something like this:

Sample Stay-At-Home Mom Resume Summary A skilled educator with eight years of teaching experience. Ability to teach in diverse settings with ease, create engaging lesson plans, and present material to children in varying learning environments.

Then, you can detail both your homeschooling experience and previous work experience in the work history section of your resume.

Translating parenting skills to workforce skills . You may even think that there is no way you can have transferable skills from your parenting experience to the industry you are applying for, but just wait; we bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Staying at home as a parent is a complex role: you must wear many hats daily. You aren’t just a mom or a dad. You are the family’s ultimate manager . And those skills can definitely be transferable to most jobs.

Use Specific keywords such as:

Financial planning skills

Multitasking

Time management

organization

Utilize these keywords when describing your experience as a stay-at-home parent and it will help your resume be picked up by resume software .

Here is another example for a stay-at-home mom or dad:

Stay-At-Home Parent Resume Summary Example A skilled job seeker with six years of management experience in public and private settings. Possesses strong communication and delegation skills to work effectively in diverse teams.

Then, you can describe your management and leadership experience as a stay-at-home parent.

Highlight what you have done versus focus on a gap in employment. Some employers may think that staying at home to parent is a lapse in job experience , but if framed correctly, they will see what you see: staying at home to parent is a valuable, full-time job experience.

So to prevent recruiters and potential employers from picturing you sweeping up cookie crumbs, try and avoid using “domestic” words unless you are applying for a childcare, teaching, or cleaning position.

Here are some examples of how you can frame your experience as a parent to highlight skills recruiters are desperately looking for:

Stay-At-Home Mom Resume Skills Example Helped my children get to dance and soccer practice → Coached children to develop complex skill sets. Planned playdates with other moms at the park → Regularly organized large events at public centers for 20+ children. Taught my three children until college → Managed multiple children’s education, resulting in a 100% college acceptance rate and $100,000 dollars in scholarship money. Helped my children with volunteer projects → Organized volunteer projects for students, resulting in 100+ hours of community service over 10 projects.

Where to Put Stay-At-Home Parent on Your Resume

By now, you are probably thinking, “Yes, I have all of these skills.”

Now you just have to translate them into resume-speak so that potential employers will also know how awesome you are at them.

You can describe your time as a stay-at-home parent in two places on a resume: under your resume summary statement and/or under your work experience .

Stay-At-Home Parent Resume Example

Now let’s take a look at a full stay-at-home mom or dad resume:

Lisa Cage | [email protected] | www.linkedin.in/lisa-cage Dedicated writer and organizer with 5+ years of experience. Successfully wrote 5,000+ words of professional copy each week while managing the finances, schedule, and relationships within the household. Regularly coached children’s sports teams and participated in volunteering opportunities to serve the local community. Engaging professionals with top-tier communication and conflict resolution skills. WORK EXPERIENCE Household Manager – Cage Household. 08/2012-Present Managed two college funds, resulting in $45,000 in savings to date Coached soccer and basketball 2 nights a week each season, managing teams of 20+ children Leveraged leadership skills to educate, mentor , and resolve conflicts between two children Freelance Writer. 02/2016=Present Herway. 06/2018-Present Wrote an average of 2 articles a week for the marketing segment of a beauty solutions blog Achieved a cumulative view count of over 30,000 to date Collaborated with 5 writers to develop new content ideas Dogcare. 02/2016-08/2018 Delivered one blog post each week for a series on pet care Drafted image concepts for design team Awarded top blog post of March 2017 Office Assistant. 09/2010-07/2012 Responded to 50+ phone calls and 100+ emails a day regarding business inquiries and internal memos Developed and maintained office schedule using Excel Greeted clients who entered the office and facilitated meetings by arranging conference room space Marketing Intern. 01/2009-08/2009 Worked with a marketing team of 15 to plan, develop, and launch marketing campaigns with budgets of $50,000+ Handled administrative tasks, input data, and created visual displays of key metrics Wrote 50 blurbs a week for website and app use VOLUNTEERING Big Sister Program 05/2017-03/2019 Mentored 3 children between the ages of 7-11 over a two-year period Organized 10 fun trips each year, educating and engaging children through interactive activities Planned and organized 2 fundraising events, leading to over $8,000 raised in total EDUCATION Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, May 2009 GPA of 3.7 Dean’s List Worked at the writing center to help students with written assignments SKILLS Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite WordPress Basic HTML Financial Planning Written and Verbal Communication Organization

Tips for Stay-At-Home Parent Resume

Include previous experience. Even if it’s been a long time since you were in the formal workforce, be sure to include prior professional experience.

Depending on the industry and role you’re applying for, think of skills that translate well from your former experience. Don’t feel pressured to lie or exaggerate here, but do look for keywords that you can use honestly.

Use volunteer experience. Whether you volunteered in events related to your children or not, volunteering experience is always attractive on a resume.

It shows that you want to use your time productively and are a functional member of the community in more ways than one. Plus, your volunteer experience probably involved a lot of skills and responsibilities that are necessary for a number of jobs.

Include contract work. If you’ve been a stay-at-home parent that earns money on the side through odd jobs , freelance work , or anything else, definitely include that on your resume. Listing contract work on your resume may have scared employers in the past, but the gig economy is thriving and hiring managers are getting more comfortable seeing this type of experience on your resume.

Not to mention that it beefs up your credentials and shows you’ve worked on projects recently.

Include education . If you went to college or achieved a post-graduate degree, definitely include that on your resume. Impressive academic achievements will help offset your work experience section.

Don’t forget your cover letter. Your resume isn’t the only place you have to talk about your stay-at-home parenting experience.

Your cover letter is where your personality can really shine, so highlight how your parenting and household management skills have readied you for the job you’re applying for.

Returning to Work Stay-At-Home Mom Resume FAQ

How do you say stay-at-home mom on a resume?

You can say stay-at-home mom on your resume by saying, “Household Manager,” “Caregiver,” or “ Homemaker .” Some people prefer the title, “Chief Home Officer,” but that may come across as trying too hard for some hiring managers.

Keep the title simple and focus on pointing out the numerous valuable skills you used during that time.

Should I put stay-at-home parent on my resume?

Yes, you should put stay-at-home parent on your resume. Just because you weren’t someone’s employee during this time doesn’t mean you weren’t gaining valuable work experience and skills, so show them off to hiring managers.

Is stay-at-home parent an occupation?

Yes, stay-at-home parent is an occupation. Even though you aren’t earning a paycheck from your work, it is what you spend the majority of your time doing, and people depend on you to do it.

Final Thoughts

Applying for a job after a period of time out of the working world can seem daunting, but don’t think that staying at home to be with your kids will automatically hurt your job chances.

Staying at home to parent full-time can be a very rewarding experience. It not only allows you to connect with your children more, but it also gives you a very diverse skill set. You know how to deal with small kids and you know how to interact with parents from every background.

You know how to get someone to do work effectively (remember doing those most-hated chores as a kid?) and you know how to provide feedback to workers (remember those good parental praises?).

You’ve got what it takes to land your dream job — you just have to think about what the experience of parenting means in terms of the industry you want to break into.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Stay-At-Home Mothers Through the Years

Pew Research Center – Stay-At-Home Moms and Dads Account for About One-in-Five U.S. Parents

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Heidi Cope is a former writer for the Zippia Career Advice blog. Her writing focused primarily on Zippia's suite of rankings and general career advice. After leaving Zippia, Heidi joined The Mighty as a writer and editor, among other positions. She received her BS from UNC Charlotte in German Studies.

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• Explain Stay Home Mom On Your Resume

Stay At Home Mom Resume Example

If you’ve been a stay-at-home mom for the past 5 or even more years, returning back to work can feel extremely exciting and frightening.

Check out this article provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on stay-at-home mothers through the years.

After such a large gap in your employment history, you may feel like your skills have gotten a bit rusty. And you may even feel like you don’t have much to offer as a part of the workforce. The good news is that it’s not quite true. You have all it takes to land a job and, with this guide, you are just a few scrolls away from your killer stay at home mom resume example .

First of all, even if you’ve been out of the game for some time, you still have some experiences to put on your stay at home mom resume. Besides, needless to say, that stay-at-home moms do have some real superpowers. So, all you need is to know a few tricks for transforming all you have into a flawless resume .

In this guide, you’ll discover dozens of head-turning stay at home mom resumes examples , and actionable tips for creating your own resume. Follow through to learn what makes a resume perfect and get ready for your grandiose return to the workforce.

How To Write a Stay At Home Mom Resume

Writing a convincing job application that can make potential employers want to recruit and eventually employ you isn’t an easy task when you’ve been out of the workforce for a while. You may have the right level of qualification, excellent education, and even lots of relevant professional experience. But, if your experience gap is too big, rejoining the workforce can be tough.

To get back into the game, you will need to craft a winning resume that will drive the recruiter’s attention and get you employed. As you can guess, ensuring success as a stay at home parent won’t be easy. So, it’s quite natural if you are wondering how to write a resume being a stay-at-home mom.

To get you started, let’s look at some basic tips :

• Tailor your resumes to a stay at home mom job description. Using a stay at home mom job description for resume helps you avoid making a generic resume that doesn’t stand out.
• Focus on the key skills you already have.
• Distract recruiters from your experience gap by putting the experiences section near the bottom of a resume, using only years for work dates, and drawing more attention to the skills section.
• Boost your chances to succeed in the job search by acquiring new skills.
• Complement your resume with a powerful cover letter.

Choose the Right Template for a Stay At Home Mom Resume

Now, let’s move to the actionable steps for writing a brilliant resume for stay at home mom. The first thing to take care of is the formatting and template for your resume .

The truth is, even if you’ve been out of the workforce for years, you still got everything to succeed. All you need is to lay it out for the recruiter the right way. So, here are a few handy tips for choosing a perfect stay at home mom resume template that will help you engage recruiters and employers:

• The reverse-chronological format is your best bet. Often, writing guides advise using a functional resume format in resumes for stay at home moms as it allows you to “hide” the gaps. But, your goal is not to hide but to explain your gaps.
• Don’t go over the limits with your design, fonts, and other elements. Keep it simple and clean.
• Structure your resume with consistent headings.
• Don’t make it cluttered with the info and leave lots of white space.
• Convert to PDF.

How to Write a Resume for Stay At Home Mom with No Experience

Writing a solid stay at home mom resume is hard by default as you will have to explain to the hiring managers why you had these huge gaps in your employment history. But, if you have no employment history at all, things get even tougher. Or, at least, so it seems.

Here are a few tips to help make resume sample for stay at home mom returning to work and still prove you are a great employee:

• Start with a resume objective.
• Put your education and skills sections higher.
• Emphasize the skills you have.
• Add extra sections.
• Bonus Tip: Consider an online job.

In this guide, we will also share with you a well-written sample resume created by pro resume writers for stay at home mom at Skillhub with no work experience created by one of our experts with years of experience in the resume writing business. Be sure to check it out to see how these tips work in practice.

Put Your Education on Resume or a Stay At Home Mom

The education requirements will always get down to the type of job you’d like to occupy. For example, opting for a job in finance, you will probably need at least a BA in a relevant field, but you may not be required to have a degree if you apply for a stay at home job. Despite this, the education section should always be included on a resume stay at home mom. After all, even if it’s not required for a job, at least it will help you make the right impression and get more interviews.

Besides, a solid education section can make up for the lack of experience or large gap.

Here is how to make it flawless:

• Don’t list only the highest level of education. Expand your section with other entries.
• Include such basic details as:
• School name/location
• Study years
• Provide extra info, such as minors (if any), relevant coursework, GPA, awards & honors, and other valuable accomplishments.

Put Skills on a Stay At Home Mom Resume

Whether you do or don’t have previous work experience, be sure that you do have plenty of vital skills. In fact, if you are a stay at home mom returning to work you probably have much more to offer employers than you could think. All you need to do is to prove this to the hiring manager and you will become a worthy applicant.

To put skills on a stay at home mom resume sample the right way, simply list the key soft and hard skills in a separate section. Also, don’t forget to include the best skills in your resume summary or objective and confirm them in your education and experience sections.

Here is a list of some of the most valuable stay at home mom resume skills job seekers may want to have in their applications:

• Organizational skills
• Computer & Internet skills
• Adaptability
• Self-motivation
• Written and verbal communication
• Strong ability to work under stress and pressure
• Time management skills
• Multi-tasking
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making

Add Contact Info to Your Resume

If you ask us what is the most integral part inherent in every sample resume for stay at home mom, that’s definitely a contact info section.

It should include:

• Phone number (important: updated and error-free)
• Professionally-looking email address
• Extras like links to your social media accounts.

Pro Tip: Please note that depending on the stay home moms jobs you are applying for, you may also need to show what you’re capable of through a personal portfolio. If that’s the case, be sure to make a clear and inspiring portfolio and include the link in the contact info section.

Add Other Sections to Your Effective Resume

Whether you have many years of experience gap or no past employment history at all, you will need to compensate for that through other sections of your resume . First of all, as you already know, you will need to emphasize your skills and education sections. But even that’s not all.

If you are wondering how to get a job after being a stay at home mom for 20 years, we recommend showing recruiting firms more of you with additional resume sections. Extra sections help to make up for the lack of experience and showcase your personality. Therefore, they can significantly boost your chances of being hired because (despite a common belief) employers are looking to hire humans, so they would love to learn more about your true self. 

So, what extra sections can help you land the working at home mom jobs of your choice? Here are some ideas you can use for your stay at home mom resumes samples:

• Languages - Knowing a foreign language gives a competitive advantage.
• Volunteering - Volunteering experiences on stay at home mom resume samples always attract attention.
• Hobbies & interests - If you have hobbies and interests that somehow align with the job, they can be a great addition to your resume.

Add Cover Letter to Your Stay At Home Mom Resume

If you are just about to return to the workforce after a large break, you will need to seek every possibility to impress the recruiters and grab it. Namely, to land a solid work at home mom job, you will need to prepare a killer cover letter.

Even if you have a job-winning sample resume for stay at home moms, a cover letter is one more opportunity to give your career a head start. So, you should make use of this opportunity.

Now, how can one create a top-notch stay at home mom resume cover letter? Here are the main points to keep in mind while writing:

• Keep it concise, meanwhile providing maximum value.
• Organize your cover letter well.
• Write it in a clear, formal, and positive tone.
• Get straight to the point.
• Use it to showcase your communication skills, stand out from the crowd of competitors, and make your application memorable.

Use Key Action Verbs

Why do you need resume keywords and action verbs on your resume for a stay at home mom going back to work? There are 3 big reasons:

• This way you avoid cliches and generic phrases.
• It helps your resume get noticed by the applicant tracking system (ATS).
• It helps make the right impression on recruiters.

But, what words exactly do you need to use? Here is a list of effective action verbs to consider:

• Participated
• Volunteered
• Contributed
• Spearheaded
• Accomplished
• Succeeded in

Stay At Home Mom Returning To Work Resume

The tips and steps we’ve shared so far work for all types of resumes. However, if you are writing a stay at home mom returning to work resume specifically, there are a few more tips we’d like to give you.

If you are returning to the workforce, write a skills-focused resume. When writing your sample resume stay at home mom returning to work, you want to emphasize your skills from the time when you were professionally active, as well as those skills you gained afterward. And don’t let your employment gap distract you, if the gap was too big, you just need to de-emphasize this section of your resume.

Start your resume with a summary instead of an objective. List a few key skills and professional achievements, and quantify them where possible.

In this guide, you can find many great resume for stay at home mom returning to work examples. Be sure to check them out to see what you should do to land an interview with ease.

Work From Home Resume

Things can be a bit more tricky when applying for a stay at home work. The problem is that employers can’t really test your skills before they hire you for a particular job, which is why they will be even more attentive when checking your resume.

Here are a few tips to help you nail a work from home resume:

• Make an extensive experiences section. List all relevant jobs and add 3-5 bullet points. You may also list positions that are not relevant to the job you are applying for, but you should indicate transferable skills.
• Use relevant keywords.
• List your strongest soft and hard skills.
• If you need a portfolio, create one and add a link to your contact info section.
• Find ways to build up some useful and relevant qualifications and/or skills.
• Also, when applying for a stay at home job, be ready to complete some sort of a test task.

More Resume Examples

The Career Counter

Reinvention for Moms

Stay-At-Home Mom Resumes – Quickly Land that Job!

Writing a killer stay-at-home-mom resume can feel daunting. For example, you might be wondering how to write your resume with an employment gap. Maybe you’re afraid you are lacking skills to re-enter the workforce . Or maybe you’re just not sure what to put on stay-at-home mom on resume.

Well, you’re not alone! According to a recent article by US News & World Report , millions of women left the paid labor force over the past couple years due to caring for kids during Covid-19.

Fortunately, there are several ways to structure your resume to honor your time away from the paid workforce. I’m a career coach and professional resume writer. But I’m also a mom who has returned to the paid workforce (several times!). Below is my advice for crafting a successful stay-at-home-mom resume:

Looking to Reenter the Workforce?

#1: Set Your Resume Up for Success

For stay-at-home mom resumes and stay-at-home parent resumes, I recommend including a professional summary or professional profile section. Here is where you make a connection between your strengths and achievements and the specific job for which you’re applying. You want it to be immediately clear what field and/or position you’re targeting. (Check out our stay-at-home parent / stay-at-home mom resume template package here for specific guidance and formatting).

In this section, you can also highlight any continuing education, volunteer, or contract work you’ve recently done or are currently doing that is related to your targeted career path.

Here’s an example of a mom who is targeting the field of education. Notice how she strategically added a recent certification and coursework to her profile. This demonstrates to a hiring manager her motivation and dedication to the field by pursuing continuing education and training during her career pause:

“Seasoned elementary classroom teacher with over ten years of experience delivering exceptional academic instruction to diverse populations of learners. Highly skilled in using positive reinforcement techniques & differentiated instruction to facilitate student learning. Recently certified in social / emotional learning & completed coursework in utilizing classroom technology to English Language Learners.”

Our resume templates for stay-at-home moms / stay-at-home parents will guide you through more specific ideas of what to include here and how to format this. Learn more here about our templates .

#2: Don’t Hide Your Employment Gaps

It’s important to own your stay-at-home mom or stay-at-home parent experience! Don’t be ashamed of it or try to hide it on your resume. If there’s any missing information on your resume, the recruiter or hiring manager will fill in the blanks for you. You own your narrative and experience. Your resume is your opportunity to market your biggest strengths and achievements as they relate to the position you’re targeting. As such, there are several ways you can highlight your career pause:

One route you can take is to list your stay-at-home mom experience under your work experience just like you would a paid job. Titles you can use include: Household Manager, Stay-at-Home Parent, Household CEO, or Chief Home Officer.

Household Manager January 2018 – Present

Self-Employed

• Expertly juggled multiple projects and priorities like childcare, scheduling & logistics, and educational / after-school activities.
• Ability to maintain extreme calm under pressure and chaos.
• Strong advocacy and organizational skills as evidenced by successfully navigating interventions & accommodations for special needs child.

Another route you can take is to list volunteer, contract, or freelance experience on your stay-at-home-mom resume. You can also list these types of jobs under your work experience section of your resume. List whichever experience which relates the most to your career goal first, followed by your additional experience.

Recent Relevant Experience

Math Tutor 2017 – 2021

ABC Company

• Tutor middle and high school students in Math, English, and Reading.
• Utilize patience and differentiated instructional methods to teach students from diverse backgrounds.

Additional Experience

Volunteer 2020 – Present

• Raised over 10K in donations during 2019 Jogathon event.
• Developed protocol for tracking and managing budget and timeline for events.

Take Charge of Your Future

#3: market your mom skills.

You’ve worked hard as a stay-at-home mom, parent, or caregiver. Even though you weren’t paid, it’s important to value your experience and recognize all the skills you acquired and how valuable it makes you as a candidate!

In your stay-at-home mom resume, I recommend targeting a different resume for every job you apply for. Use the job posting to determine which skills to highlight. For example, let’s say in the job posting it lists multitasking skills.

Parents are multitasking rockstars! Rather than just writing “strong multitasking skills,” take it a step further and paint a clear picture about how you have strengthened those skills. Here’s an example:

“Honed multitasking skills by overseeing health, academic, and extracurricular activities for three children during a ten-year period.”

If the job posting lists ability to handle stress, show how you’ve tackled the stressors of being a parent. For example:

“Expertly handle multiple child-related emergency health and safety situations by maintaining extreme calm under pressure.”

You should also own your family experience in your cover letter as well, tailoring each cover letter to the unique job. Get cover letter tips and a stay-at-home mom cover letter template here .

#4: Fill in the Gaps

Do you feel like you’re lacking in skills or experience? First of all, it’s important to know that you do not have to meet 100% of the employer’s “wish list.” Job postings highlight an employer’s ideal candidate. But we all know there’s no perfect candidate. So if you feel like you meet many or most of the requirements, go ahead and apply! What’s the worst that can happen? You don’t get called in for an interview.

Fortunately, you can take quick and easy actions to remedy any key skills you might need to acquire or brush up on.

For example, I am a proud YouTube University graduate! I took advantage of free video tutorials to teach myself Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. On my resume I have these skills listed as “Intermediate knowledge of” since I didn’t receive formal training.

If you want to get more formal training or education, there are many reputable online learning platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Udacity , where you can earn certificates and training in a wide variety of subjects. Community colleges and universities also offer in-person and online degrees and certifications in all subjects and disciplines.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stay-At-Home Mom Resume Templates and Tips

What is a good objective for a stay-at-home mom on a resume.

To write a good objective on a stay-at-home mom resume, I recommend including specific details about your key strengths and how they can add value to the organization or position. Here’s two examples:

“Seeking to apply my leadership, project management, and event planning skills to make a valuable contribution as {insert job title} with {insert organization}.”

“Highly skilled communicator with 10+ years of experience managing hectic household of six seeking to add value in a customer service role with {insert company name}.”

What are compelling stay-at-home resume skills to include?

As a stay-at-home mom looking to return to the workforce, it’s important to highlight the valuable skills and experiences you gained during your time at home. Employers often appreciate the skills that come with managing a household and raising children.

Here are some key skills to include on your resume that will show off your current expertise: Time Management, Organizational Skills, Problem Solving, Communication Skills, Financial Management, Flexibility and Adaptability, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Project Management, Leadership, and Emotional Intelligence

What are your top, must-know tips for writing a resume for stay-at-home moms?

The first top tip for writing a resume for stay at home moms is to own and be proud of your stay at home mom experience. Your experience working inside the home, while unpaid, still counts as work experience that can be included on your resume.   The second top piece of career advice for writing a resume for stay at home moms is to determine your career goals. Do you want to return to your prior field? Do you want to change career paths? This will help you target your resume toward your current career path.   The third top tip for writing a resume for stay at home moms is to highlight transferable skills like communication, empathy, problem-solving, and time management. These can be derived from experiences like professional development, volunteer work, and continuing education.   The fourth piece of career advice regarding must-know tips is to make sure to also target every resume you send, including marketing relevant and transferable skills from the job posting.

How do your stay-at-home mom resume templates work?

If you need to write a resume for stay at home moms, The Career Counter’s stay at home mom resume template is fast and easy to use!   The first step is to purchase the stay at home mom resume template . Next, download your new stay at home mom template. Then, open or print out your prior resume. Finally, print out the job posting of your targeted position.   After that, you can copy and paste the text from your prior resume into your new resume for stay at home moms. Use the job posting of your targeted job to help you include relevant transferable skills and keywords.

What’s the best way to explain a stay at home parent gap?

The best career advice for the best way to explain a stay at home parent gap is to first and foremost be open and honest. Don’t try to hide your stay at home parent experience. Be proud of what you have achieved as a stay at home mom or parent.   On your resume, cover letter, and in the interview, market transferable skills, or skills that you have gained during your work gap and that are relevant in every field. For example, oral and written communication skills, empathy and compassion skills, time management, project management, budgeting, and multitasking to name just a few.   Another great way to positively explain a stay at home parent gap is to emphasize your achievements on your resume for stay at home moms. For example, did you volunteer during your career pause? Maybe you helped raise money for the PTA or your child’s school. Or perhaps you earned a certificate in your targeted field or participated in professional development.

What if my SAHM (Stay at Home Mom) experience is more than a couple years long?

If your stay at home mom experience is more than a couple years long, you can include the experience under your “work experience” section of your resume just like a paid job. If this has been your primary job during your career pause, don’t exclude this experience. If an employer sees a big gap on your resume for stay at home moms, it will raise a red flag.

What if I’m also changing careers after being a stay at home mom?

If you are changing careers after being a stay at home mom, there are several things you can do.   First, make sure to write a professional summary at the top of your resume that is directly targeted toward your new career path. You don’t want an employer to have to guess about your career goal. For example, “Seasoned real estate agent seeking to utilize client relationship and marketing expertise to drive company growth and success as a pharmaceutical sales representative.”   Every resume for stay at home moms should also be full of skills you have gained while working inside the home that are directly relevant to your new career goal. For example, if you are targeting a sales position, you can market mom skills like perseverance, self-motivation, time management, empathy, and listening.

Do you offer professional resume writing services for SAHMs (Stay at Home Moms)?

Yes, we offer professional resume writing services for stay at home moms. If you need a resume, check out our resume writing services or sign up for your free 15 minute career consultation .

In Conclusion

Remember your value as a stay-at-home mom. Even if you do work that isn’t paid, it does not mean it’s not valuable or valued. But you have to own your experience and market yourself proudly. When you articulate the value of your skills in your resume, a hiring manager will be sure to see it too!

For further resume guidance, consider purchasing one of our stay-at-home mom resume template packages

The Ultimate package has everything you need to showcase your strengths and stand out from the competition. Our stay-at-home mom resume templates are specifically designed for stay-at-home moms / parents, complete with a customizable cover letter template that highlights your unique skills and experience.

It also includes a comprehensive PDF guide that will help you navigate the job search process with confidence. Our guide includes an exclusive list of vetted job sites with flexible, family-friendly options, as well as tips on how to minimize employment gaps, job hopping, and career changes on your resume.

We’ll even show you how to create a strong LinkedIn profile that will catch the eye of recruiters and hiring managers. And when it comes time for your next interview, our list of common questions for returning parents will help you prepare with ease.

Hear what people say about our stay-at-home mom resume templates:

“Awesome templates!!! Easy to customize and edit. What you get for the price is unbeatable. Thank you for saving me hours of time trying to update my resume on my own. Even though I’ve been out of the workforce for a while, my resume doesn’t show it. I feel confident applying to jobs now. Thanks again.”

“Returning to the workforce is scary and overwhelming. I was dreading updating my resume, but the resume and cover letter templates made it SO simple. I had my documents updated in a couple hours. If you need to update your resume after a career break you need these templates!!!”

Lee Cristina Beaser

Lee brings over two decades of expertise in guiding individuals towards career success. Having helped thousands of professionals in a wide variety of industries, she has a deep understanding of the intricacies of the job market. Lee founded The Career Counter, a platform dedicated to providing busy people, especially moms returning to the workforce, with tools and services tailored to their unique career goals.

Nis Castillo

Thank you so much for this information. It really made me feel so much valuable on writing my resume after being at home with kids for years and now getting ready to start in the work force. God bless you!

Thank you so much for the positive feedback! Everything you do inside of the home is incredibly valuable. You can’t put a pricetag on it! I’m so happy that the article was helpful for you.:):)

Leeann Jacket

You use & instead of the full word and. Are you allowed to do that now? I thought abbreviations were lazy and looked bad.

I do use both the spelled-out version as well as the acronym. I do this because both versions are commonly used in internet searches.

As far as what to include on your resume and cover letter, I suggest first using the spelled out version and then list the acronym next to it like this: stay-at-home mom (SAHM). After that you can just use the acronym or you can continue to spell out the entire term. Whichever you decide just be consistent. It’s similar to using an acronym when listing your degree (for example, “bachelor of arts degree vs. BA). I don’t see it as lazy. You can think of it in terms of keywords. For example, if the term is listed in the job posting, use whichever version the employer uses (spelled-out vs. acronym) so that you get a higher ATS (Applicant Tracking System) score, as many ATS look for keyword matches.

Hopefully that makes sense and great question!

Alicia Hursley

Thank you so much for sharing this. Our kids are finally old enough that I feel comfortable getting back to work. After reading your tips, I went with Home Manager on my resume and it actually became a big talking point during my interviews. Definitely helped me get a job that I love as a virtual assistant, and it pays me pretty great. It’s really all thanks to your tips.

Hi Alicia – so glad our tips and resources helped you with your transition back into the workforce!

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• 15 New Skills You’ve Honed as a Mom You Can Add to a Resume

Once you have a child, it is your choice to either stay at home or return to work. However, many women don’t return to their jobs after childbirth because of lack of flexible work to accommodate family life, pay gap between men and women, and high childcare fees.

Another overlooked issue that makes many women not get back to work after maternity leave is lack of confidence. But did you know that there are so many valuable stay at home mom transferable skills you have gained from being a parent that you can leverage in your career? And you can use these skills to compensate for the employment gap in your resume when you look for a new job.

Here are fifteen new skills for resume you have gained by being a mum that probably didn’t know you had:

1. Time Management Skills

According to a recent study, 41% of US adults say they lack adequate time to do all they want to. However, as a mother, you definitely have superb time management skills gained from balancing several tasks in little time. For example, you have to feed your kids, get their clothes ready, drop, and pick them off from childcare or school daily. You can transfer these time management skills to work as well. You can adjust to working under pressure and make sure project deadlines are met.

2. Planning Skills

As a mother, you will gain great planning abilities. For instance, you will need to work out meals for your children in advance, taking into account what each child likes or doesn’t like. You will also be planning what they will wear and carry for lunch the following day of school. These are great transferrable skills to add to resume when you do decide to return to work.

3. Prioritization Abilities

In most days as a mum, you will have numerous activities that need to be done. Therefore, you will need to figure out what needs to be done right away and what can be pushed to later or another day. These soft skills are also important in a high-pressure work setting.

4. Crisis Management Skills

From nursing a sick child, treating wounds from playing, and so many other situations, you eventually learn to be calm and resourceful in times of crisis. You quickly become adapted to dealing with unplanned challenges and emergencies. These mom skills are valuable to employers too. Put them in your resume when job seeking after maternity leave .

5. Problem Solving Skills

Children come with a long list of problems that need to be solved. As they grow, you will be juggling fixing broken toys, potty training, sleep training, explaining new things, mediating arguments between them and their friends, etc. These challenges are not so different from issues you will find in the workplace. So, you can apply problem-solving skills to mediate disagreements within your team, fix complications that arise in daily operations, etc.

6. Communication Skills

According to a 2018 survey, 80% of company executives agree that excellent oral communication is vital. Believe it or not, you gain great communication skills from being a mum. From telling your children what you need them to do to having talks with your child’s teacher, you will be doing a lot of communication. As a result, you learn to speak clearly, communicate in understandable language, and be sympathetic to others feelings- all essential skills at work.

7. Being Persuasive Influencer

As a parent, you will often need to persuade your kids to go to be on time, eat their vegetables, prepare themselves for school, etc. This ability to influence is one of those relevant skills that you shouldn’t leave out when updating your resume to get back the job market.

8. Negotiation Skills

Whenever your power of influence fails you, you can always rely on your excellent negotiation skills. All mothers have undoubtedly honed their convincing skills by offering care to little kids, who are known to be naughty, stubborn, and often unreasonable. As such, the next time you write a CV, be sure to include this skill. You sure can manage to reason with anyone just because you are a mother.

9. Project Management Skills

You might not know it, but your project management skills are what have seen you pull off those successful family holidays and trips. These skills have enabled you to prepare for these occasions adequately. All the time, you have managed to ensure that each child’s specific food and drinks are packed, there were adequate supplies to last the duration of the vacation, and so forth.

So, no matter what you had thought previously, you sure have the right project management abilities to handle company duties. Make sure that you include them in your CV this time.

10. Event Management and Planning Skills

Your event management skills are showcased whenever you plan those children parties. Most of the time, you will have to find the perfect location, create and manage a list of visitors, plan the entertainment, get the right food, and so forth.

All this can only be pulled off if you have excellent pre-planning skills. But apart from that, your actual event management abilities are tested by how well you manage the occasion itself.

11. People Management Skills

No matter what you might have heard, no workmate can manage to be as impulsive and uncooperative as a toddler who is having an outburst. So, as a mom, handling a group of adults will prove to be as straightforward as it gets. All the while, you have managed to negotiate with difficult children, settle conflicts, and guide your kids in the right way. With all these management skills, there are no employees you cannot work with.

12. Responsibility and Team Management Skills

The next time you create your stay at home mom resume, be sure to list responsibility and team management among your skills. The fact that you managed to take care of a newborn around the clock, ensure that your children are well fed throughout, offer guidance whenever they are lost, and so forth shows that you are responsible and can manage any workers.

13. Financial Management Abilities

Excellent management of finances is one of the most common mother skills. Once you become a mom, you will be forced to manage the budget of your household, especially since you might be on maternity leave, thus with tight finances.

Apart from that, as a mother, you need to show your kids the value for money, how to stretch a dollar and negotiate their pocket money to reasonable amounts.

14. Creative Skills

Creativity is yet one of the skills to list on resume as a mom. Some of the things that make you a creative person include the ability to think about and tell bedtime tales on the spot, come up with innovative games for the afternoon or car trip, and so forth.

15. Mentoring Skills

Mentoring has long been a typical stay at home mom skills for resume. As a mother, you will have to tutor and nurture your kids in a host of things that you are not even familiar with. You will have to teach them essential things such as confidence and independence to ensure that they turn out to be useful members of society. As you do this, you sharpen your mentoring abilities; and note, this skill can help you get promoted at work fast .

To conclude, if you were pondering on skills for resume, be sure to include these capabilities. You have undoubtedly picked up on several of them just by being an amazing mom. They can either be your key or additional skills on resume. And to boost your chances of getting hired, always write a powerful start for your resume .

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How to Write a Resume for Stay-at-Home Moms and Dads

How to Include Your Experience as a Stay-at-Home Parent on Your Resume

How to Make Your Resume Current

Consider alternative resume formats, add volunteer roles, look at older jobs, add freelance work, including your sahm experience, review a resume sample.

Tetra Images / Getty Images

If you're a stay-at-home parent, you're not alone. Nearly one in five parents in the United States is a stay-at-home mom or dad, according to the Pew Research Center.  

But if you decide to return to work after being  out of the workforce for a while , it can be challenging to kick off a job search. Updating your resume is the first and most important step to take. With time away from a paying position and a gap since your last job title, how can you make sure hiring managers don't flip past your resume? What can you put on your resume so that you're taken seriously as a qualified candidate? 

Fortunately, there are strategies that can make your experience look current. With a little preparation and creativity, you can highlight the skills you've developed during your time away from the office, and develop an interview-winning resume—without ever once referring to yourself as the “Chief Home Officer.”

Ask someone to write a resume from scratch, and chances are they’ll start listing their experience in reverse chronological order, with their most recent position at the top of the page. That's advantageous on a traditional career trajectory, where each position involves more responsibility and pay, as well as a better title. But for a stay-at-home mom, a  chronological resume  can serve to emphasize the gap in time since her last formal position.

Fortunately, there are  many ways a resume can be formatted  besides chronologically. Choose, instead, to create a  functional  or  combination  format resume. That way, the emphasis is on your skills rather than on your recent work history.  

As well as selecting an advantageous resume format, you can also include optional resume sections like an  objective  or  summary statement  to highlight your qualifications for the job.

Are you worried that choosing this format identifies you as a stay-at-home mom or dad rejoining the workforce? Never fear.

Plenty of job seekers use non-chronological resume formats these days.

Sometimes it’s because they have gaps in their resume , and other times it's because they wish to highlight skills over experience for other reasons, such as making a parallel move to a slightly different job.

The fact is, hiring managers are busy. They’re likely to spend mere seconds looking at a resume, regardless of its format. Putting your abilities in the spotlight increases the chances that they’ll see what you can do and sort your resume into the “yes” pile.  

During your time as a stay-at-home parent, you may have devoted a lot of time to volunteer responsibilities. After all, nearly 40% of parents volunteer, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.   

While volunteer positions may be unpaid, they still serve as an excellent means of showing off your skills.

Describe any  volunteer work  using the same action words as you'd use for paid work. Showcase accomplishments (e.g., "Raised twice as much money in the school's silent auction as the previous year" or "Balanced the school's PTA budget, tracking thousands of dollars in expenditures and donations") with the same direct language as you use in bullets describing past positions.

Don’t pull your punches just because the work is unpaid. Look for chances to describe your work with  action words  that show your impact on the project and the mission.

Have some of your oldest positions fallen off your resume as you've updated it? Now that you're redoing it as a non-chronological version, you may find that some of that experience that felt dated can be phrased in a relevant way.

Just be careful to avoid changing job titles. During a  reference check , hiring managers may ask for your exact job title at the organization. If you  stretch the truth , you’ll look like you’re dishonest and remove yourself from contention. If your job title is dated (e.g., webmaster), it may be better to leave it off your resume or to include the knowledge and experience you gained under your skills section without referencing the job title.

For some stay-at-home moms, being at home with the kids meant a break in full-time, salaried work, but did not mean a break in paid work. If you've worked on a contract, temp, or freelance basis, that's absolutely relevant information, and it should be included on your resume.

This is a divisive question: some parents and human resources professionals argue that there is no reason not to include this experience on your resume. That being said, most hiring managers recommend against including stay-at-home parenting experience on your resume as a job title.

It's easy to be cutesy, giving yourself the title of "Chief Home Officer" and describing responsibilities in work-like terms. However, this approach likely makes the most sense if you're applying for a position where your  skills are directly transferable , such as working with young children.

As with many more personal details, the cover letter is likely a more appropriate place to mention and  explain your employment gap . 

Review an example of a sample resume for a stay-at-home parent returning to the workforce.

Stay-at-Home Parent Resume Example (Text Version)

Tara Jackson 456 Smith Street Pittsburgh, PA 15106 (555) 098-7654 tara.jackson@email.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Experienced administrative assistant with a track record of success supporting professionals in high-pressure environments. Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and other office productivity software.

Key skills include:

• Communication
• Attention to Detail
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Controlling Expenses
• Organizing Meetings
• Anticipating the Needs of Supervisors
• Customer Service

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 PTA Secretary, 2015-Present Northside School District – Pittsburgh, PA Elected to this volunteer position four years running. Ensure effective communication between the PTA and the community.

• Take minutes, keeping an accurate history of all PTA meetings.
• Manage correspondence, arrange events, and book meeting spaces.
• Control budgets and co-sign checks and important documents.

 Administrative Assistant, 2013-2014 Allegheny Inc. – Pittsburgh, PA Supported several executives at this busy professional services firm, organizing meetings, booking event spaces and travel, and processing expense reports.

• Answered phones and directed client calls.
• Managed correspondence, reports, and paperwork.
• Provided proofreading and editing services as needed.

Associate Degree, Office Administration Central Northside Community College, 2013 Coursework in Information Management, Business Editing, Marketing

Pew Research Center. " Stay-at-Home Moms and Dads Account for About One-in-Five U.S. Parents ." Accessed Feb. 18 2020.

CareerOneStop. " Select the Best Format ." Accessed Feb. 18, 2020.

Ladders. " Ladders Updates Popular Recruiter Eye-Tracking Study ." Accessed Feb. 18, 2020.

Corporation for National and Community Service. " Demographics ." Accessed Feb. 18, 2020.