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!). Here’s my advice for crafting a successful stay-at-home-mom resume:
#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.
Example #1
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.
Example #2
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
PTA
- Raised over 10K in donations during 2019 Jogathon event.
- Developed protocol for tracking and managing budget and timeline for events.
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#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}.”
Or
“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 is the “professional” term for stay-at-home mom?
Some professional terms for stay-at-home mom that you can consider adding to your stay-at-home mom resume or stay-at-home mom cover letter include: Household Manager, Household CEO, Domestic Engineer, Director of Child Development.
Remember your value as a stay-at-home mom. Even if you do work that is not paid, it still counts as work experience and should be listed on your resume, cover letter, and / or CV under your work experience section.
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.
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2 comments
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.
Lee Beaser
Hi Alicia – so glad our tips and resources helped you with your transition back into the workforce!