How to Write a Stay at Home Mom Resume?

Have you finally decided to jump back into the world of work after spending time at home with your children?

Arguably you might be going into an easier job than you’ve had at home. Studies state that being a stay-at-home mom is the equivalent of working 2.5 full-time jobs. That’s right; moms have it hard.

There is no lunch break, no clock-out time, or quick coffee breaks to Starbucks. It is estimated that a stay-at-home mom works 98 hours per week! A new job might even be a break from busy mom life and an excellent opportunity to make new friends and build up your resume!

So, let’s take an in-depth look at How to Write a Stay at Home Mom Resume and land you that interview!

Why You Want To Return To Work?

For many women, it is rewarding to be a stay-at-home mom. Sometimes even a luxury. Not all families can rely on a sole breadwinner while a mother stays with the kids. If you have had the opportunity to do that, great, although many women report that becoming a stay-at-home mom faces several challenges.

This includes losing friends, social life, and losing a little bit of yourself. If you have felt that way and that’s another reason you wish to return to work, that’s normal. Make sure you are ready to return to work and plan for extra child care and help you may need.

A complete change…

Perhaps you wish to return to your previous role or company, or you may even wish to look for a complete change in your career completely; you need to be organized and research thoroughly what you want to do and why. You must match your skillsets to your job description.

The Importance of Preparation Before Entering The Working World

Many things have changed since you last worked, mainly due to the pandemic. There are many more remote options (which could be great for a mom, no commute, YES!) However, if you are looking to be back in a buzzing work environment surrounded by people over the age of 16, finding a role in an office, restaurant, or store might be more suited to you.

Decide What You Really Want

If you think that this is the start of a new career, sit down and take time to think about what you really want. Don’t just apply for any job; think about what will make you happy and what opportunities there are for potential growth. You may want to start in a corporate role where you can climb the ladder to earn more and more money.

Or perhaps you’re looking for something a little less demanding. You may be looking for the kind of job where you clock in and out and don’t have to take your job home with you. These are things to take into consideration when applying for roles. You can ask yourself the following questions to guide you to make the right decision.

Update Your Resume

Whether you have your old resume saved on your computer from a few years ago or only have a hard print copy from ten years ago, use this as a guide and look at ways to improve and add your newfound skills as a mom. I’ll touch on how to write a resume later…

If your employment gap as a SAHM is long, you can create a skills-based resume rather than a chronological date and employment resume. List your skills and things you have accomplished over the years. For example:

Anything that helps you sound like you’ve worked well with people, managed money, or reached an audience, is valuable to highlight your skills.

Refresh Your Skills

Perhaps you’ve been out of business for some time. Attending a refresher course is a great way to get your mind back in the game. Confirm whether you want to go back into a career you previously worked in. Or if you want to venture into a world of something new! There are starter courses that can give you an insight into what the job entails.

Free online courses

Google Grow offers free online courses. They range from startup business ideas to personal growth courses and content creation. These are great to add to your CV and show you have invested time and committed to improving.

Do Consulting Work or Volunteer

If there is work that you are specifically interested in. But, from your Google searches, you realize that you need to have some experience in the field. You could try volunteering to gain this experience; this could be shadowing a professional in that role once a week to get an insight into the role.

Returning to Work Workshop

Many bigger companies offer seminars for those wishing to return to work. Attending these are great networking opportunities and a way to meet more people in the profession of your choice.

LinkedIn And Social Media

It is important to get active on socials. LinkedIn is a great way to meet professionals and connect with people in your industry. You can check out your desired company, or if you are thinking of returning to your previous company, you can ask them for advice or openings.

Network, Network, Network!

Although it can feel slightly intimidating, or you worry about being a burden, don’t. At the end of the day, most people are willing to help, especially if you have good connections and relationships with your past colleagues and your family and friends.

Some may be a motivating voice, and others may have connections and lead you in the right direction. Either or, having a supportive network is an excellent start to achieving the success you want.

Make your online presence known…

Renew your connections, whether via LinkedIn or Facebook. You never know; they might know of a job opening or a listing that suits you. Job leads can come from anywhere and everywhere. Make it well-known that you are looking for work again.

Know Your Options For Work-Life Balance

Remember, don’t feel pressured into throwing yourself into full-time work. As previously stated, flexibility is becoming widely available in the workplace along with a promoted work-life balance. Many companies offer work from home and a few office days a week. Some may provide flexible time, which means starting and finishing work with your schedule. Others may offer contract work.

These are all up to you, and many companies are willing to accept your requests if you are the right fit. If you decide that a part-time role is all you can commit to at the moment, mention that you are willing to open up your hours if the opportunity is right and if there is a need for more work from you.

Listing Stay-at-Home Mom On Your Resume

You might be surprised that you can list your job as a stay-at-home mom on your resume. It’s up to you if you want to change your SAHM mom to a homemaker, chief home officer, or house manager; this shows your creative side and a slight sense of humor.

Make sure to include activities, dates, and information on things you have completed. A stay-at-home mom is a super demanding job and requires you to juggle ten jobs at once, budgeting for the household, and delegating and scheduling tasks. The job never has a start or end date and shows you are a resilient person.

Resume Tips

1 Layout the resume in reverse chronological resume format.

2 Be honest.

3 Stick to simple fonts and colors.

4 Use simple words and action verbs.

5 Keep your resume to one page.

Examples

Although you’ve been a stay-at-home mother, you have been improving and working on skills that will benefit you in a work setting. You just have to find the right way to get this across to your potential employer. While it may be different from your previous role pre-mom, you can include new skills that working at home has taught you.

Before you became a mom, you would likely have been employed or self-employed. You will have worked in a work environment. Make sure to list your previous roles and experience. With so many great resume creators on either Google Docs, Word, or Grammarly, there really is no excuse to create a bad-looking resume.

Here’s an example of what you could include in your resume:

Jane Smith

Queens, New York

123-456-789

jane.smith@.com

Work Experience:

June 2016-Present

Smith Household Manager

I spent six years at home as a stay-at-home mom. Now ready and fully committed to returning to a full-time job. During that time:

Key Skills:

Associate News Editor, Women’s Health May 2014 – May 2016

Culture Reporter, The Daily Beast, September 2013-May 2014

Education

Masters of Journalism – 2012

Georgetown University

Communications Studies – 2009

University of California (UCLA)

GPA: 3.5

Let’s Help You Get Back Out There!

We salute the stay-at-home moms and what it actually takes to get it right! So, firstly, let’s take a look at a few online handbooks and guides to help you rejoin the workforce!

Let’s begin with resume advice in The Mom Gap: Resume Strategies for Stay at Home Moms, or how about Coming Back To Work: Steps For Reentering The Workforce After A Long Absence: Resume For Homemaker Entering The Workforce, and Where to Find Work from Home all available in 2023.

Next, we also found BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL STAY AT HOME MOM: A GUIDE TO WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU END THAT CAREER & BECOME A STAY AT HOME MOM, and the Who Else Wants To Go Back To Work? – What you need to do while you are away from the workforce – A Guidebook for the Stay-At-Home Mom.

We also recommend the Flex Mom: The Secrets of Happy Stay-at-Home Moms, and the Help! I Need a Break from Motherhood – The Stay-at-Home-Mom’s Guide to a Balanced Life as well as the In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms book to help you find that needed balance while juggling everything!

Final Thoughts

Now you know the best way to Write a Stay at Home Mom Resume! Of course, your resume has to include the job roles you had before becoming a stay-at-home mom. But that doesn’t mean you should shy away or hide your experiences as a SAHM.

Who knows, it’s the most challenging job in the world for many, and you can learn many valuable skills from being a mom and bringing them into the workplace. Remember, list your key skills from being a stay-at-home mom and link them to the job description.

Good luck and enjoy entering a new stage of your working life!