Stay-At-Home Mom or Dad Resume Example (Plus Writing Guide)

If you're reentering the workforce after some time as a stay-at-home parent, you can update your resume before applying for jobs. On your resume, you can highlight the transferable skills you've developed while caring for your family, such as organization or budgeting. Understanding how to address your time away from work can help you communicate your qualifications to potential employers.

In this article, we provide a stay-at-home mom or dad resume example with a template and guide you can use in your job search.

Stay-at-home mom or dad resume example

Here's an example of a stay-at-home parent resume that you can use as inspiration for your own:

Related: 9 Tips for Stay-At-Home Parents Reentering the Workforce

Stay-at-home parent resume template

Here's a template you can use to help create your new resume:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City], [State]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements.]

Experience

(For the most recent role, list 5 experience items. For previous roles, list 3.)

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City], [State]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

Skills

[Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill]

Education

[Degree and major], [Name of school or university]

Related: How To Choose the Best Resume Template for the Job You Want

To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

How to write a stay-at-home parent resume

Follow these steps when updating your resume after a career break to raise your children:

1. Format your resume

When creating your resume, choose the format you want to use. A chronological resume is a good choice because it allows employers or recruiters to review your experience and achievements quickly. You can also use a combination or functional resume format if you want to emphasize your relevant skills for returning to the workforce.

When you've decided on a resume style, format your resume with these tips:

• Set 1-inch margins on all sides of the document.

• Choose a professional font, like Arial or Times New Roman, and use a 10- or 12-point font size.

• Bold your name and resume section headers so hiring managers can skim them quickly.

• Use white space to increase the readability of your resume.

• Keep your resume to one page unless you had over 10 years of relevant experience before leaving the workforce.

Read more: Top Resume Formats: Tips and Examples of 3 Common Resumes

2. Display your contact information

The top portion of your resume includes your full name, phone number, professional email address and city and state of residence. Providing your contact information allows the hiring manager to contact you if they wish to schedule an interview. Depending on your industry, you may also have a professional profile or portfolio website. Including this brief link in your resume header gives the hiring manager a chance to view and assess your prior professional experience, which can be especially useful when you're returning to the workforce.

Read more: How To Write Contact Information That Gets Your Resume Noticed

3. Write a resume summary

Start the body of your resume with a two or three-sentence summary of your previous work experience and your professional goals. For example, if you were a graphic designer before becoming a stay-at-home parent and hope to return to this type of work, you can discuss your years of experience and notable career achievements in the role. You can also mention your most relevant skills and how you hope to contribute to the organization to which you're applying.

Read more: How To Write an Effective Resume Summary (With Examples)

4. Address employment gaps

Provide details on your resume to address your time away from the workforce. You can include your parenting experience as part of your work history. Use a job title like homemaker, house manager or caregiver and add several bullet points to describe your primary caregiving responsibilities. Check the job description to determine how you can describe your caregiving experiences to indicate your ability to fulfill the new role.

You can also add other types of work you may have completed while caring for your children, such as:

• Volunteer positions: During your time as a stay-at-home parent, you may have volunteered with a group for events like fundraisers or charity drives. You can list your volunteer work in your experience section to describe the relevant duties you had and the skills you used in the role.

• Freelance work: Some stay-at-home parents complete freelance work when they have time, including tasks that appear similar to their previous work experience, such as editing, online tutoring or helping with customer service. This experience is relevant work that you can add to your resume.

Read more: How To Explain Gaps in Employment on Your Resume

5. Describe your previous experience

After addressing your employment gap, outline your previous work experience on your resume in reverse-chronological order. Include details like your job title, employment dates, employer and location. Write bullet points to describe your professional duties and achievements in each role. Reference the job description to identify keywords and phrases you can use when describing your previous experience, which can help your resume pass an applicant tracking system.

Read more: How To Highlight Work Experience on Your Resume

6. Identify transferable skills

Create a new section under your work experience to describe your skills. Include some technical skills you've developed in previous positions. You can also list the transferable skills you've gained while working at home. Some examples of transferable skills you may add to your resume include:

• Schedule management

• Budgeting

• Accounting

• Computer technology

• Negotiation

• Leadership

• Communication

• Organization

• Adaptability

• Collaboration

• Attention to detail

Related: How To Translate Caregiver Skills to Your Resume

7. List your education

Your education section includes any degrees or diplomas you hold and the institution from which you graduated. If you graduated more than three years ago, you can leave out your date of graduation. If you took any professional development courses or workshops during your time at home, you can list those as well, alongside the institution through which you completed the course.

Read more: How To List Education on a Resume (With Examples)

8. Include additional information

While optional, you can include additional information on your resume to further demonstrate your qualifications. When reentering the workforce, additional information on your resume can help you show employers your passion and commitment to the role or industry. Some additional sections you may add to your resume include:

• Awards or honors

• Certifications

• Professional organizations

• Publications

• Languages

• Client or customer testimonials