Best Resume for a Stay-At-Home Mom

There are several types of resumes that people generally use to apply for jobs. More precisely, there are four formats that people go for. These are:

Chronological
Functional
Combination
Targeted

Each of these resume formats has its own strengths and purposes. Let’s dig into those a bit, so we can decide which type works best for a stay-at-home mom who wants to get back into the job market.

The chronological resume has a quite self-explanatory name. It is the type of resume in which experience, education, and all the other elements are listed starting from the most recent to the oldest one.

This is, perhaps, the most commonly used resume format. It is used by people who have an extensive employment history and experience.

The functional resume emphasizes the skills and abilities of the candidate, putting the work experience to the background. This is usually the go-to format for the newly graduated students and those that have big gaps in their resume.

The combination resume is when you both list your skills and your work history. This is probably a resume format that gives the best and the most comprehensive image of you as a worker and employee.

The targeted resume may be one of the most efficient formats for today’s job market. This type of resume is created by “reverse engineering” of the job listing.

In other words, you read the job description and then list and emphasize those skills and experiences that you possess, which are required in that description.

Which Type of Resume Format to Choose for Stay-at-Home Moms?

Given that you are a stay-at-home mom and that you probably have a gap in your resume, you should think about going for the Functional resume or the Combination one, depending on the experience and the skills you have.

If you have some work experience that you want to show off, you should go for the Combination resume. It will give you space and the opportunity to present yourself as a good and reliable employee.

However, if you don’t have any working experience you should make sure that you list the skills you have obtained so far. Even during your employment gap, you must have obtained some transferable skills that make you a better employee.

How to Organise the Resume Sections?

Obviously, your resume needs to have different sections. You already know that you need the contact information, work experience, education, and skills.

You already know which one of these sections you want to put out first to make the most of your resume. Here are some useful tips about each section of your resume, as well as some ideas about how to organize them.

Contact Information

You will need an email address and your LinkedIn account if you want to apply for an online, remote position. You should also include your Skype Id.

Your phone number is not necessary, but it is good if you want to list it. Your physical address is rarely needed for remote positions, so you can leave it out.

When listing your email address, make sure that it looks professional. The best format for your email address is name.surname@gmail.com, but these are usually taken.

Stay away from cute and funny emails as they don’t look professional. If you have such an email, create one just for job hunting.

Objective

This is a great space where you can address the long gap in your employment and briefly explain that it was due to dedicating your time and efforts into raising your child.

You should also use this space to point out your best features, personal traits, and skills that recommend you as a great employee. It is important to establish yourself as a great worker who is ready to get back in the saddle.

Skills

The way you present your skills very much depends on your situation. If you are looking for a job in the same industry as you had before your employment pause, then it is easy to emphasize those skills that are necessary for such a position.

If you are looking to switch careers and go for an entirely different line of work, perhaps even online, then it is a whole different story.

You need to emphasize the skills necessary for the job you aim for.

For example, in most industries, having great communication skills is a big plus. Even if you still don’t possess any other job-related skills, a transferable skill like this one can work in your favor.

Being a stay-at-home mom is not just about feeding and cleaning up after your baby. It is also about gaining some transferable skills that can be used in a company, as well.

Those are skills such as budgeting, cooking, accounting, and even event organizing.

Work Experience

Your work experience doesn’t have to cover every single job that you ever had. This is the section in which you can take a chapter out of the Targeted res ume rule book.

List that work experience that has something to do with the job you are applying for. If there is nothing in your work history that could apply to the new position you are targeting, list your work experience chronologically.

However, make sure that you list all the duties that you have had in the companies you worked for, as well as your achievements and the results.

Education

Start with the latest obtained degree and go back from there. If you have attended university, list that, as well, even if you haven’t graduated. Your GED should be listed only if it is high and something to show off.

Stay-at-Home Resume Sample Templates

Since you have all the recommendations about every important section of your resume, it is time to see some examples. The examples below feature some of the resumes that are used by the stay-at-home moms.

Some of them are real, while some of them are created as templates for you to use. Let’s point out the good sides of these examples.

Example #1

The first thing you can notice here is a nice design. The rosy separating lines give it a really appealing look. The second thing you see is the name, which is fine.

Also, you can notice that contact information is succinct and doesn’t take up much time.

The largest section is the section that displays Core Competencies. This section is packed with responsibilities and duties that this person has been trusted throughout their career.

In other words, the entire resume is based on what this person can do and what they have already done.

Example #2

This is a nice, elegant and clean resume that can be a good template to those stay-at-home moms that don’t have a lot of work experience and struggle to come up with a list of skills they feel would be enough for a job application.

Note the way the title of stay-at-home mom was included in the work history. This position is treated just like every other, as it should be.

Stay-at-home moms have to learn a lot of useful transferable skills that they can use in any organization.

Example #3

This is a nice template for those stay-at-home moms that have a lot of working experience. It starts with listing the qualifications, instantly offering the potential employer insight into what this person can do for their company.

Professional experience is listed afterward and it serves as a backup to the above statements. In that way, skills are emphasized while the employment gaps are pushed back a bit.

Example #4

Let’s finish this list of examples with this handy Microsoft Word template that is aimed at those that want to switch careers.

Again, it starts with listing the qualifications obtained at previous job positions and only then focuses on the professional appearance.

The best way to go about your resume is to sit down and do some brainstorming about your skills and your strengths. Think about your achievements and responsibilities that you have carried out successfully.

If you think you lack some skills, take useful courses that will equip you with the necessary knowledge. When you have a good list, compose your resume so that it showcases it in the best possible way.