Stay at Home Mom Needs Resume Tips for Returning to Work

Tjoelle@aol.com in Hagerstown, Maryland said: I'm returning to work after almost 8 years of being at hoe with my kids. For the past 7 years I have been doing freelance work. What I want to know is, should I mention in my cover letter that I've been a stay at home mom? Suggestions please.
Thanks!

Staying at home with kids requires skills. You've been freelancing too. Use those skills used in raising and running your home to your advantage. Convince them that you can do the job. If they hold that against you, you shouldn't want to work for that company....Raising kids, that's the greatest job!

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Thank you for your input on SAHMs and their resumes. I am not sure what to put as my title or position. Can you give me some examples of how you worded it or websites I can look at?

Thanks.

bakerms3 in Denver, Colorado said: Thank you for your input on SAHMs and their resumes. I am not sure what to put as my title or position. Can you give me some examples of how you worded it or websites I can look at?

Thanks.

Here is my two cents. Take out your checkbook and have your resume professionally done. Find someone local, in the Yellow Pages and ask to see some of thier work. If it impresses you, it will impress someone else.

You have about 15 seconds to make an impression with a resume and in this market many companies are so swamped with candidates that those SAHMs who want to return to work because the kiddies are now in school, go to the bottom of the pile.

I have stayed home for almost 10 years with my children and nothing irritates my more then when someone asks me if I "work." Assuming, of course, that if I stay home, I do not work. Thankfully, my husband has some appreciation of what I do and corrects them and tells them that I work harder then he does. I just don't get paid for it. I am needing to go back to work as well because we need the money and my husband would prefer I stay home. He has beome quite content. However, when I do go back to work, the understanding is that all of the work does not continue to fall on me. We will then share the responsibility within the household. Even the older children can take on some more chores. It is only fair. Especially if hubby wants some quality time too. :)

bakerms3 in Denver, Colorado said: I have stayed home for almost 10 years with my children and nothing irritates my more then when someone asks me if I "work." Assuming, of course, that if I stay home, I do not work. Thankfully, my husband has some appreciation of what I do and corrects them and tells them that I work harder then he does. I just don't get paid for it. I am needing to go back to work as well because we need the money and my husband would prefer I stay home. He has beome quite content. However, when I do go back to work, the understanding is that all of the work does not continue to fall on me. We will then share the responsibility within the household. Even the older children can take on some more chores. It is only fair. Especially if hubby wants some quality time too. :)

All of this is quite commendable and you are fortunate to have been able to do this.

However, just because it is now convenient for you to re-enter the workforce, understand that this is one of the toughest job markets since the Great Depression. It ain't gonna be easy.

Hey, just wanted to fill everyone in.

Two years ago or so now, I was stuck financially and had to return to the work force after being a SAHM for 10 years. I was distraught, and posted some where here.

Yes, I'd done volunteer work for the kids school activities but didn't think they would count for much. What I did was apply for a 12 month position, and being a long term unemployed woman worked in my favour. I was pretty much applying for anything, and I actually ended up getting two jobs and turning one down for the one that I thought had more growth, which was an intern position.

Obviously I wasn't going to step into an executive position straight away, and you need to start at the bottom. It actually looks great on the resume as a marketing tool - shows initiative etc.

The women interviewing me were not obnoxious as I thought they would be, there were very understanding. I stayed there eight months before I landed another job in a sister company - which was upgraded after seven months, and I'm now, much to my husbands frustrations - earning more money than him.

There is hope out there! I was completely honest about being a SAHM for so long, and focussed on my 'pre kids skills' and the fact that I wanted to use the skills I had to offer and that I had a lot to prove and was up for the challenge. It was surprising how many people understood in the work force.

As for home, there has never been more strain. I continue to do 100% of the workload and even though it was agreed if I went back to work full time, my husband would chip in with chores, he does nothing however. It's been a tremendous strain on the kids as well. I wish I didn't have to work, becaue it's ruining my family life.

Rivet in Alexandria, Louisiana said: I didn't start this blog, but happy to be apart of it. :) I've been able to help many homemakers and I thank you for allowing me that opportunity. Please contiune to contact me and I'll do what I can to help.
Take care.

Hi. I'm a Stay at home mom needing resume help as well. I haven't worked in 2 years as a LPN and when I go for interviews they either tell me they'd rather hire a new graduate nurse or I dont have enough experience. I had no choice of staying home, son was having behavior problems, I was having numerous health problems. Now I am going back to school for Medical Coding, but would like to work part time while in school. If anyone would like to help me please email me or look me up on facebook under angela yvonne, marion, Indiana and eamil is ascott74 at ymail dot come Thanks

Deb in Fayetteville, North Carolina said: Hi,

I'm a writer (and also a SAHM) that is doing research regarding SAHMs trying to re-enter the workforce. Specifically, I'm interested in SAHMs who are rewriting their resumes in accordance with the latest HR "trends" that seem to advise mothers to "disguise" or "fill in" their unpaid "employment gaps" with applicable work skills etc. As a SAHM yourself, I'm interested in knowing how you feel about having to "discoun" your work as a SAHM in this way - in other words - by essentially "ignoring" it on your resume. Do you feel that even in this day and age the work of motherhood is still being devalued and discounted? I would love to hear the opinions and experiences of other SAMHs as well.

Thanks so much,

Deb

I do feel de-valued for having been a SAHM. I took the off ramp knowing that it would be difficult for me to go back, so none of this comes as a shock. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it. Before I had a child, I thought SAHM's had the life!! I couldn't stand them and swore I would never be one. Fast forward to today. I have been a SAHM for 6 years and it's time to start getting back into the workforce. Staying at home with a child all day, every day is probably the most challenging and taxing job I have ever had. To have to justify my decision and how I spent the past six years really irks me. But I'm glad to see, from blogs like this one, that I'm not alone. I would be happy to help you in your research on this topic. Feel free to contact me!

I just found a job after being a sahm for 6 years also. The job I have is not ideal, its not really what I want to do. Even though, Its a starting over point so that I can save up alittle until I can start my own business. It was very hard trying to find a job after that long and in this economy.. Good luck to you and try not to settle into something you don't want it will make your return that much harder.

Hi I am shivani. I worked for one year and I took 3 years break for family reason and went back to work for 2 years and I took another break with a same reason. How do I fill up my gap?
I did volunteer work in school, church..
I did a computer teaching for those student who want to persuade their career in an IT field. I earned little cash from teaching and kept of with my new technology. I took some online course.
How do I fill up my gap with strong leadership role in my resume?
I appreciate a feedback.

Shivani in Bristol, Connecticut said: Hi I am shivani. I worked for one year and I took 3 years break for family reason and went back to work for 2 years and I took another break with a same reason. How do I fill up my gap?
I did volunteer work in school, church..
I did a computer teaching for those student who want to persuade their career in an IT field. I earned little cash from teaching and kept of with my new technology. I took some online course.
How do I fill up my gap with strong leadership role in my resume?
I appreciate a feedback.

Shivani, consider using a functional resume instead of a chronological one. That will focus on your skills and results as a opposed to dates. It also sounds like your volunteer work is relevant to the job you are trying to get. So instead of just listing your volunteer work describe your results as well as the impact you had. Use the key words of the technology you worked with etc.

I am also having trouble with my resume, as I have no work experience relating to my degree. I had my daughter my junior year in college and graduated a year later. I've been out of school eight years, and have been waiting tables 2-3 nights a week just for extra money, but I'm ready to do more than that now, and I don't know where to start. I always told myself that when my daughter started school full-time (which was last year!), that I would finally put my degree to good use. I do volunteer at her school quite often, but I have no idea what to put on my resume. My resume is so light!