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.
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.
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
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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}.”
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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
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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.
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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!!!”
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!
Lee Beaser
Hi Nis,
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.
Lee Beaser
Hi Leeann,
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.
Lee Beaser
Hi Alicia – so glad our tips and resources helped you with your transition back into the workforce!