Stay at Home Mom Resume: Example, Template & Writing Guide [2024]
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
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.
FAQs
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.