Stay at Home Mom Resume Examples and Writing Guide

The number of parents, and especially mothers, staying at home to care for their children has increased significantly since 2020 and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the United States Census Bureau, 10 million mothers were not actively working In January 2021, 1.4 million more than in the previous January.

Whether you’re a parent who stopped working to care for a child during the pandemic, or you’re figuring out how to get a job after being a stay-at-home mom for 20 years, we’re going to show you how to write an impressive resume for a stay at home mom or dad.

Here’s how to write a great stay at home mom resume:

Highlight your relevant experience and skills

The most important part of writing any resume is to make sure that you’re highlighting relevant skills and experiences that demonstrate your qualifications and make you a desirable candidate. The same is true for any stay at home parent looking for new job opportunities.

If you have minimal work experience or are rejoining the workforce after a long period of unemployment, you should consider changing your “Work Experience” section to a “Relevant Experience” section, and using it to highlight any experience you have that might be relevant to the job you want.

For example, you could highlight any of the following information (as long as it’s relevant to the job in some way):

• Full time or part-time jobs
• Internships
• Volunteer work
• Past school coursework (should be highly relevant)
• Freelance work
• Online classes you’ve taken

Ultimately, employers just want to see that you’re qualified for the job. Showing them you have some relevant experience from your period of unemployment (or before it) is a great step to getting an interview.

Choose a format that showcases your strengths

When it comes to writing resumes for stay at home moms or dads, there’s no one perfect method. However, using the right resume format can help you highlight your strengths while downplaying any weaknesses.

The format that you settle on depends upon the employment experience you had prior to your time spent raising your child or children, as well as what you were doing while at home.

With current relevant work experience

If you have been working part time, self employed, or working from home while parenting, you should use a traditional chronological resume format, with each job listed in the order you held it.

You don’t need to mention that the position was part time or that you were also a stay at home parent.

With previous relevant work experience

If you have a lot of previous relevant work experience, the process for making a great resume is fairly straightforward because you already have a strong foundation to build on.

However, explaining an employment gap can be challenging when re-entering the workforce.

If you’re worried about the time you took off work to raise your child or children impacting your chances of getting a job, try using a functional resume to place emphasis on your transferable skills while downplaying your precise work history.

Without relevant work experience

If you’re applying for work you don’t have experience in, or are writing a resume for a career change, you can still use your resume to show off your relevant experience and transferable skills.

If you have previous work experience (that’s not directly relevant) you should use a combination resume to showcase your transferable skills and some of your career progression. This way, employers are able to see you have some expertise that will help you start off strong in your new career.

If you’re writing a resume with no experience at all (outside your experience as a parent), then you should use a chronological resume and find ways to add relevant skills and experience to it.

If you want to find a way to build up some more relevant skills and qualifications, here are some options to consider:

1. Volunteering: Many communities have Volunteering Centers that help connect you with opportunities you might not find on your own. If you’re smart about how you incorporate your volunteer work into your resume, and especially if you find opportunities related to the jobs you’re seeking, employers will value your experience as much as any paid role.
2. Freelancing: If you have a computer and internet access, there are tons of freelancing websites that you can take advantage of like Upwork and Freelancer. Do some writing, graphic design, data entry, or anything that will help you gain some relevant experience to show off on your resume.
3. Learn New Skills: It’s crucial to show potential employers that you have something to offer them. If you don’t have a degree or experience showing your knowledge base, you can bulk up your skill set with some of the free online courses that are available, and learn new skills.

Use the job description to tailor your resume

One of the best ways to get the attention of any employer is by tailoring your resume specifically for the job you want. If you aren’t sure how to tailor your resume to each job, the secret is in the job description.

Employers often include all the keywords and skills they’re looking for in the job description. These can be specific job duties, skills or attributes that they want a candidate to have. Finding ways to include these in your resume gives you the best chance of becoming a serious contender.

For example, here is a job posting for a Customer Service Assistant Manager position:

The words underlined in blue are key phrases that an employer wants to see. The most effective way to demonstrate to an employer that you’re qualified for a position is to use these key phrases in your resume.

If you possess the skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description, add these keywords into the bullet points of your work experience section, or in your skills section, or at the very top to start your resume.

Add these skills for a stay at home parent resume

There are a lot of skills you hone as a parent that are transferable to all kinds of employment opportunities. In particular, parenting requires a lot of the soft skills that make any applicant stand out as a desirable candidate to work with.

Here are some stay at home mom and dad skills for your resume:

Learn how to address a gap in employment

Perhaps the most intimidating part of writing a resume for a stay at home mom returning to work is addressing a significant employment gap. Despite how intimidating it can feel, it’s important to remember that having an employment gap on your resume doesn’t make you any less hirable.

Most employers will be understanding of your situation and curious about what you have to offer. No one understands a strong work ethic quite like stay at home moms do, after all.

If you’re looking to rejoin a fast-paced industry that is constantly evolving, such as technology or marketing, it’s important that you’re able to demonstrate to a potential employer that you have up-to-date skills and knowledge of the industry.

Here are our five key resume tips for anyone re-entering the workforce:

Decide whether or not to include “stay at home mom” on your resume

In some cases, it can be helpful to include your experience as a stay at home mom on your resume.

If your experience as a stay at home parent is relevant to the job you’re applying for, then you can list it in your work experience section. For example, if you’re applying for a teaching job and have been homeschooling your children for the last year and a half, this is relevant experience.

Other possibilities include applying to positions in childcare or housekeeping.

Here’s an example of how you might list your experience as a stay at home mom if applying for a housekeeping position:

However, for the majority of parents who are applying to jobs outside of childcare or housekeeping, this experience will not be relevant and is best left off your resume. Instead, focus on showcasing your related experience and qualifications.