As a stay at home mom who has re-entered the workforce (several times), I know how challenging it can be to write a resume and cover letter. You likely have questions like: Should you write about your stay at home mom skills and experience? If you have an employment gap, do you address it? How in the heck do you market yourself if you haven’t worked in a long time?!
First, take a deep breath. You got this. I’m going to take the stress and frustration out of this process. By reading about our top stay at home mom cover letter tips, you will be confident (and even excited) to apply for your dream job!
Step One: Target Your Cover Letter
If you are planning to write one generic cover letter and send it out to every single job you apply for, consider this. Hiring managers and recruiters read dozens of letters each week. Most of them are crappy (I know because I talk to hiring managers all the time). Most letters are not targeted to the specific job and company. In fact, a recent survey found that applicants who write tailored letters receive 50% more interviews! If you want to make yourself stand out in a good way, spend the time targeting every letter you send. Our stay at home mom cover letter template helps you easily target your cover letter to the specific position. Get the template package (including a SAHM resume template).
Before you even sit down to write your stay at home mom cover letter, I suggest doing some research. Study the company website. Look for information about their mission, values, and goals. What are their biggest problems, and how can you help solve them? Read recent press releases. Follow the company on social media so you can be privy to company and industry updates and trends.
In your cover letter for stay at home moms, you want to emphasize what attracted you to the organization and job. Why will you be a great fit? How are your values, goals, and strengths a great match for the organization? What sets you apart from other candidates? Don’t be afraid to sell yourself and your skills. Even if you haven’t had a paid job recently, your work as a stay at home mom counts 100%.
If possible, target your letter to a specific person. For example, let’s say you meet someone at a networking event and they encourage you to send your resume to the hiring manager. Ask if it’s okay to use their name in your cover letter as a referral. Or maybe you have connected with a recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn. You can address your letter to that person (just make sure to spell their name correctly!).
Step Two: Address the Elephant
When writing your stay at home mom cover letter, I don’t recommend ignoring or trying to hide your stay at home mom experience. Own it. Be proud of it. You can write something like “While working inside the home for the past five years, I have gained skills in time management, planning and budgeting, and remaining calm under pressure. These strengths, coupled with my experience as a volunteer with ABC School District, will allow me to add value to the Event Coordinator role with XYZ Organization.”
Similarly, if you leave a giant gap on your resume, a hiring manager will make assumptions about what you’ve been up to. Don’t let someone else write your story! You need to paint a positive and compelling picture of your background and what makes you awesome as a potential candidate. A recruiter won’t take the time to learn about what you have to offer.
Step Three: Sell Your Transferable Skills
This part can be difficult for stay at home moms and returning parents. You might feel like you’ve got little to offer after being out of the paid workforce. However, you have so much to contribute in terms of transferable skills and experience! Are you searching for a job that requires organizational skills? As a stay- at-home mom, you’ve likely gained skills in planning and coordination through managing academic and extracurricular activities for your kids.
Searching for an accounting or finance-related job? You’ve probably had to oversee and track your household spending. Or maybe you have also managed budgets through volunteering with the PTA or PTO. Remember that volunteer experience counts as work experience.
And let’s not forget about the skills that employers seek in every industry, like emotional intelligence. Moms are by far the best listeners around (how many times have you had to listen patiently to more than one kid talk to you at once)! And what about empathy? As a mom of two very accident-prone children, my empathy capabilities are on autopilot these days!
Build your stay at home mom cover letter with our easy-to-follow, easy-to-edit stay at home mom cover letter and resume template packages (starting at $10).
Step Four: Choose a nice design
If the verbiage on your letter sounds great, but the design of your stay at home mom cover letter and resume look sloppy or disorganized, you won’t make a great first impression. I recommend using a stay at home mom cover letter template (like we offer here). The design is already done so all you need to do is plug in your information. Stay at home mom cover letter templates even have writing prompts to guide you about what to write.
Step Five: Break the Process Down: Stay At Home Mom Cover Letter Steps
- First, write your cover letter introduction. To whom are you addressing your letter? It’s okay if you don’t have a contact name. You can write something like “Dear Hiring Manager.” Try to start your letter in a creative way, rather than the standard “I am writing to apply for XYZ position.” Instead, mention something specific about the company that attracted you. For example, the company culture or mission.
- Next, in your middle paragraphs, give specific examples of work or education-related experiences from your resume. Try not to just repeat your resume or copy and paste from your resume. I know it’s tempting. But if you just repeat information, what’s the point of writing a cover letter? Make sure to highlight skills that are emphasized in the job posting of your targeted position. Make a connection between the organization’s needs and how you can add value and help them achieve their goals.
- Lastly, make sure to thank the employer for reading your application materials. You can also mention that you will follow up in two weeks (if you include a statement like this, make sure to follow up!).
Frequently Asked Questions About Stay At Home Mom Cover Letters and Templates
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How do you say stay at home mom in a cover letter?
A few ways to say stay at home mom in your cover letter include stay at home parent, caregiver, and household manager.
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What is a good job title for a stay at home mom?
A few good job titles for a stay at home mom that you could consider are CEO of household, chief home officer, household manager, and domestic engineer, as well as the other stay at home mom phrasing suggestions above.
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Should I explain my work gap in my cover letter?
You should consider explaining your work gap in your cover letter in order to own your own narrative. Obviously, the decision is ultimately yours. However, there are pros and cons to both.
For example, a positive to addressing your employment gap is that the employer will know exactly what you have been up to during your career pause. You control the narrative. This is a golden opportunity for you to market the skills you acquired while working inside the home that are relevant to any industry. For example, problem-solving, creativity, calm under pressure, and planning and organization.
The upside to not writing about your stay at home mom experience is that you might reduce your chance of bias from the hiring manager or recruiter. Some employers might not recognize the value in your stay at home mom experience and make negative assumptions.
That’s why I recommend that returning parents address the elephant in the room, so to speak. I encourage you to write about your stay at home mom experience and to be proud of it. By highlighting your achievements and strengths and making a connection about how you can bring value to an organization, an employer will also recognize your value.
In Conclusion
By breaking the process down into manageable steps, writing your stay at home mom cover letter is doable. Don’t get me wrong, it will take you some time to craft a strong, tailored letter. If it takes you ten minutes, your letter will likely look like crap!
Set aside time when you’re alert and awake to write your letter. (use a stay at home mom cover letter template, like we offer here, to speed up the process). Try to make it fun. Grab your favorite caffeinated drink to give you an extra boost. I also recommend waiting until your kids are napping or at school to limit distractions!
For further cover letter guidance, consider purchasing one of our stay-at-home mom resume and cover letter template packages.
The Ultimate package has everything you need to showcase your strengths and stand out from the competition. Our cover letter 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.
Download the Stay at Home Mom resume & cover letter templates today
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