Best Stay-At-Home Mom Resume Examples

Updated June 17, 20223.8k

As a stay-at-home mom, you might want to get a job while still taking care of your kids. Here’s how to create a stay-at-home mom resume to land that job.

Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

A stay-at-home mom job may also be called a stay-at-home parent job since many dads primarily handle childcare. Regardless of which parent stays home, this is typically a job where you’re able to juggle work and at the same time, take care of the children. This type of job application allows you to work from home, often on your own time, and still earn some extra money. If you’re ready to write a resume, here’s how to use a stay-at-home mom resume example to do so.

What to Highlight in a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

It is important to remember that for a stay-at-home mom resume, you shouldn’t approach it like you’re a homemaker. Approach it as though you’re any other job candidate looking for the perfect job. The best resume is going to include all of the same elements, no matter what you’ve been doing in the years before writing your resume. As a mom returning to the job market, you should approach a job posting the same way any other job seeker would.

General Structure of a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

You need to first consider the resume format that will work best for your job search. If you have lots of professional experience for the job you’re applying for, a chronological resume format may work great. However, many stay-at-home moms prefer to use a combination resume format or a functional resume format, which puts more emphasis on your skills and less on your experience. From there, you can move on to these resume sections.

Contact information

The resume header is technically part of your resume design. It features your full name and your contact information, including your phone number, location, email address and links to your professional job networking profiles, such as your LinkedIn.

Resume summary or objective

The resume summary or resume objective is a 2-3 sentence paragraph that goes at the very top of your resume. In the resume summary, you will present your top skills and achievements in a condensed package for a hiring manager. However, if you have little work experience, a resume objective would be a better choice. In a resume objective, you would state your career goals in this section of your resume.

Skills

Your resume skills section should usually be pretty extensive. Remember that in a stay-at-home mom resume sample, you’ll often see transferable skills that you’ll have developed through being a stay-at-home mom. Here are a few bullet points a recruiter might like to see:

Communication skills
Multitasking skills
Problem-solving skills
Time management skills
Stress management skills
Flexibility and adaptability

Although your resume will need both hard skills and soft skills, the hard skills will typically have to go along with the specific type of job you’re applying for, like writing skills for a copywriting job. Remember that your skills list will always depend on the specific resume writing you’re doing.

Work history

Your work experience section includes up to 10 years of experience and can include all kinds of relevant experience. This includes full-time paid jobs, part-time paid jobs, volunteer work, freelance work and even work you did for people in your family. Include job descriptions that help tie the job to the position you’re pursuing now.

Education

Lastly is your education section. If you only have your high school diploma, you can include it here. Otherwise, include any other college experience you have. A professional resume can always benefit from college experience, as it shows extra effort and a good work ethic.

Do’s and Don’ts for a Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind when writing your stay-at-home mom resume:

Do:
- Approach your resume as you would a career change resume. Think of it as though you’re changing careers from exclusively being a full-time mom to also holding another job title.
- Keep the applicant tracking system (ATS) in mind. This automated system scans through your resume before sending it to a hiring manager. Writing a resume that works well for a specific job title will help you meet the requirements of the specific job.
- Use the ResumeNerd resume builder. This resume builder can help you create a great resume that looks clean and professional.
Don’t:
- Identify yourself as a homemaker. Although your position as a stay-at-home mom might be a source of great pride to you, it’s typically not something to highlight in a resume.
- Skip the step of making a LinkedIn profile. Although you might not think the LinkedIn profile is important for part-time work, it plays a crucial role in making you appear professional to hiring managers.
- Make your resume longer than a single page. Two-page resumes may seem important, but may be considered too long for stay-at-home mom resumes.

FAQ: Stay-at-Home Mom Resume

Should I include a cover letter with my stay-at-home mom resume?

You should include a cover letter for any resume you create. A cover letter is a big part of ensuring that your resume is taken seriously. It allows you to talk directly to the hiring manager and request the job interview directly. If you haven’t written your cover letter yet, use the ResumeNerd cover letter builder to make the creation process easy.

Can I write a stay-at-home mom resume without much experience?

Typically, yes. Most stay-at-home mom jobs don’t require a lot of experience and may be considered entry-level jobs. If you don’t have a lot of experience, approach the resume as you would any resume without much full time work experience. Lean on your skills for the most part and cite any experience you do have, like volunteer and part-time work.

How do I personalize my stay-at-home mom resume for each job posting?

Every time you submit your resume to a new job posting, you’ll need to personalize it. The best way to do this is to look for resume keywords. These keywords are found in the skills and requirements section of every job posting. Using the right keywords will show you are qualified for the job and your resume will look perfect for each specific job application.

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About The Author

Cindi Cervone Carlson

Cindi Cervone Carlson is a Senior Vice President for Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. Cindi is responsible for developing, delivering, and implementing a dynamic, world-class organization dedicated to delivering outplacement consulting, training, support, and executive coaching. Cindi started her career at Challenger as a client who had lost her job. Over the past nine years, she has risen from an entry-level, part-time professional to Senior Vice President.