Staying at home with your children is an incredibly rewarding experience. However, when it comes to updating your resume, you may feel unsure of how to list this experience. You may even feel like hiding or covering up your time as a stay-at-home mom. The skills you’ve built up during this period are valuable and absolutely should be included in your resume.
First, Reflect on Your Time at Home
To begin, consider what the stay-at-home experience has provided you. This could include financial management skills such as budgeting, negotiating with vendors, successfully stretching a limited income, or developing alternative income streams. It may also include organizational skills. Think about all you have accomplished like scheduling doctor’s appointments and activities for children, managing household tasks, and keeping up with school paperwork. You could also list soft skills, such as empathy and patience if that is a significant part of what your stay-at-home mom experience has brought to your life. These are all skills that can be applied to the workforce. Don’t forget to connect these more recent skills with past professional experience as well.
It’s also important to highlight your achievements. Think about any specific successes you’ve had while at home. Maybe you led a committee in your local PTA or secured sponsorships for a school fundraiser. Any specific positions and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to take initiative, collaborate with others, and lead can be included in your resume.
After all, being a stay-at-home mom requires many of the same skills as those needed in a professional setting. But often in a much more fast-paced (and sleepless!) environment. Why not showcase these incredible assets and skills in your stay-at-home resume?
Next, Craft a Story About Your Experience
Once you’ve identified the skills and experiences that are relevant to a professional setting, it’s time to craft your unique and compelling story for your stay-at-home experience. This will prevent hiring managers from glossing over this valuable period in your life. It will also convey exactly why you are a great fit for this job.
Examples of connecting your stay-at-home mom experience could include how you utilized budgeting and negotiation skills to purchase essential items for your home. It could also include how you managed your time effectively in order to balance children, household tasks, and volunteering. As mentioned before, be sure to tie this in with your past professional experience as well.
Examples of Stay-At-Home Mom Job Titles
You may be wondering if there is a professional term for stay-at-home moms. To effectively communicate the experience of managing a household, consider using job titles such as Household Manager, Stay-at-Home Parent, Household CEO, or Chief Home Officer. It’s essential to present the information clearly and concisely. You must emphasize the significance of owning these experiences while highlighting the transferable skills gained from such roles. This approach can help potential employers understand the value of your unique background. It can also show how your skills can be applied in various professional settings.
You could also consider using stay-at-home mom resume templates and advice from a professional career coach (and fellow mom!). A coach can help find the right wording, structure, and flow for your resume.
Tips for Writing Your Stay-at-Home Mom Cover Letter
The cover letter is an opportunity to provide more context and explain why you are qualified for the position. This is yet another great opportunity to highlight how your recent experience staying at home is a valuable asset that builds on your other qualifications. Begin by focusing on the most relevant experiences that apply to the job. Emphasize how those skills can be used within the job’s responsibilities.
Once all of the relevant information, skills, and experiences have been included in your resume and cover letter, you will be well on your way to successfully marketing yourself as an ideal candidate for any job. Your stay-at-home mom experience is a valuable one, so don’t forget to showcase it. Good luck!
