I'm a stay at home mom who's going back to work...what do I put on a resumé or job application?

Question

I have been a SAHM for the last 7 years, and it's high time for me to get into the work force and contribute to the household finances. I only had one paying job before I had kids, almost ten years ago. What do I tell prospective employers when they want to know about previous job experience??

Curlz...great thought, but the business I worked for ten years ago is no longer in operation.

Ag-Haired fox...wtf are you implying?? I really take offense at your remarks. I came on here looking for suggestions, and you insinuate that I am a prostitute or something...totally uncalled for!

So many good answers and encouragement...I wish I could choose them all as "best answer"!

Answer 1

You fall under caregiver.
Good luck SAHM, You are the best employees.

Answer 2

Dear,

In response to your question, I'm a stay at home mom who's going back to work...what do I put on a resumé or job application?, I can say you that take a look at this site http://askresumeexpert.com may be it can help you

As you asked; "I have been a SAHM for the last 7 years, and it's high time for me to get into the work force and contribute to the household finances. I only had one paying job before I had kids, almost ten years ago. What do I tell prospective employers when they want to know about previous job experience??" it might help you.

Best of Luck :)

Answer 3

Well at least u-r- honest about ur self that u have been a sham for the past seven years n that u want to get back into the work force but here is one thing u never said what type of experience ur last job was n the company u last worked for what was there field of expertise what did they do or make.
I mean u have been out of the work force for ten years n a lot has changed since that time I mean come on a whole decade has passed I wish I could tell u what to put on ur resume the one thing u do not want to do is Lie!! that would not be the best way to start off after being out of the work force for ten years.
Hard worker ,reliable,dependable.always on time,r good starts tell them about what u could bring n contribute to the job even though u have been idle for ten years everyone has some values to bring to a new employer the things is u ur self recognizing that n conveying it in a resume or to ur new prospective employer try the honesty approach that usually works better than lying or inflating a resume that is not true n can be checked out a lot quicker these days Ok!Good Luck!

Answer 4

Good Question. I would take everything that you have been responsible for and find a way to make it work for your potential job. Having children and staying home with them is often underrated so what you'll need to do is really be prepared for what to say in an interview. Remember that as a stay at home mom, you are constantly at someone else's beck and call. You are used to early mornings, late nights and unexpected happenings. For that you have patience and a clear head. Remind potential employers that you are eager to get in the workforce and that you look forward to being a part of THEIR company. You have shown family values and that you aren't irresponsible. Remind them that although it has been awhile since you have been in the "workforce" that you have been working overtime for years, ya know? That shows you are more responsible than some teenagers they may be considering. If they ask about your choice to stay home be sure to not give off the impression that you had to. Instead remind them that your choice was to ensure your children started life with love, confidence and learning, so they would be stable adults. Remind them that you view being a mom as an important role and therefore at the time there was no question of what you should do. That being said, your childbearing days are over and they need not fret about you leaving to raise another. (assuming you don't plan to have a baby soon). Again, remind them that you are comfortable and excited to again be working. I would recommend focusing less on $$ issues in the interview even if it is a main reason for you returning to work. When the subject of pay comes up, already have an amount in mind. Because you have a family you will likely need at least a little more than minimum wage, however too much might lose you the job because you have been "away" form the workforce for a while, so be firm & flexible at the same time. Be sure to dress appropriately and be calm & collected. Turn off your cell so your kids don't call during the interview because that might scare an employer...

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

2

Answer 6

I was an HR Director for a large employer for 13+ years. Here is my $0.02 and sorry if some of it is redundant to what others have already said.

Tell prospective employers the truth. Truth is good.

It is enough to simply state that between the years of xxxx and xxxx you were a SAHM and performed all of the duties that go with that position. That is an extremely respectable statement and stands alone without a lot of additional explanation that simply fills up the resume page.

If and when you get an interview (and you will) you can elaborate a bit on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) that you have from being a SAHM.

Also, any volunteer work that you do, be it for your kid's schools, or your church, or a favorite charity is a good thing to list. Example: "Organized Annual Christmas Pagent for 5 years, with increased attendance each year at 3%+. Reported directly to the School Principal. Duties involved casting, set design, custom design, advertising, directing and; interviewing and training an additional 5 parent- volunteers who reported directly to me. Proceeds from ticket sales benefited building of new playground"

I would encourage you to brush up on your computer skills, via on-line classes or self taught. I say this not because I think you lack these skills, but it shows a prospective employer that you have the initiative to get back into the swing of things as many jobs now require some form of computer abilities.

Take a look at your local craigslist, or even the paper and see what jobs are out there that match your interests and KSAs.

Do not lose heart, you will get a job. Keep applying, keep interviewing, you will get a job.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

You should be commended for being a stay at home mom! Congradualations for being able to stay at home to raise your children, alot of women dont get to do that. But as far as the resume goes, start with a basic one and then build from there. When I look at an application I want to see that you have experience in doing what im looking for. For example, since you do have work experience then use your best attributes. If you worked at a grocery store one time, then you have organizational skills, cash handeling and customer service. You might have only checked people out, but what you were actually doing might be something Im looking for. Let's say its a marketing position, but you worked at Dillard's or Macy's part time while in college. You then have experience in organization, sales, customer service, cash handeling, merchandising and marketing of your department. The important thing is to first read what the requirements are and then make sure that in your application, resumen and cover letter you highlight in some way the things that you've done that is specific to the job your applying for. You need a basic resume to start, and then it needs to be tweeked based on the job. Making one resume and then using it for every job you apply for is not the best way to go about it. Take your time and do your homework. Once you've gotten in the interview, then you can sell yourself, but first you have to be able to sell yourself on paper. I wish you luck!

Answer 8

I wish I still had this paper I found a few years back. It had this whole job description thing laid out, and it was absolutely wonderful. Basically, a SAHM is a "Child Development Research Analyst", or something to that effect. I did a quick search online and couldn't find it. I wish I could be more helpful. And to the person who said, "don't lie"...I'm sure you don't need to be told that. You can elaborate on your extensive experience as a volunteer child development research analyst during the interview, on your resume, and in your cover letter. No need to lie. And I'm sure anyone who has been a SAHM can verify that the above job description fits quite well, and is not an exaggeration. Bottom line, DO NOT undermine your skills and experience. You've been running a household for the last 7 years. You have a tremendous amount of experience. Use that to your advantage.

Edit: THAT'S IT!!! The answer two or three above me! That's the paper I was talking about! Rock on!

Answer 9

Do a skills based resume instead of a work experience based application. Also emphasize education.

When prospective employers ask about your work history, tell them the truth, that you've been a stay-at-home mom, but don't be apologetic about it. Present it as an asset and tell them all the ways your years at home with your kids have prepared you to do a great job at their place of business.

Answer 10

I agree with Scarlett. Four months ago I was in the same position as you. I had been a stay at home mom for 6 years. I had only been a restaurant server before and all the restaurants were closed down. I surprisingly found that quite a bit of people who interviewed me for jobs admired me for what I did. I had a job in 2 weeks. I work for a hospital in radiology as a tech assistant. I help with the care of patients while they are being scanned, xrayed, and having ultrasounds. There are a TON of opportunities for advancement and numerous free employee education courses I can take through the hospital to potentially make quite a bit of money. I was hired 10.50 an hour and although it is not a lot. It is more than I ever expected to make with no college degree, only waitressing experience, and a 6 year gap in work history. My advice is use the internet and apply like mad to places you know would have advancement opportunities. Maybe a hospital isn't for you, but it's worth a try. There are plenty of non patient contact positions in hospitals, too. It's the perfect place to look.

Answer 11

What field were you in?
What field do you want to go into now, the same one?
If you're in a medical field, technology field or any fast moving industry you should proabably take some courses before you go back to work.
Translating stay at home mom skills into full-timework force skills on a resume can be tricky and sometimes can backfire on you.
I think it's great that you stayed home with your children all that time. Kudos to you.
If you like genuinely like other people's kids, want good work hours so you can still spend plenty of time with your children, have the school holidays and summers off (probably without pay though), and you have good reading, writing and math skills try applying at your local school for a substitute teacher or paraprofessional position working with kids.
Many school districts do not require a degree to be a para or a sub. Most schools need paras and subs in all grades from kindergarten through high school. Often a school district will offer courses for paras to take to help them with their jobs. It can also be a way to find out if you'd like to be a teacher.
If you've stayed at home all that time then you probably were involved in community activities like your local rec center or theatre group, etc. Did you do volunteer work such as tutoring the underprivileged, work with boy or girls scouts, volunteer at your children's school, etc while home with your children?
Do you have a serious hobby that you are good at like photography, sewing, writing, etc?
Did you have a home business like Tupperware, or PamperChef etc. Those things all belong on a resume. They show initiative and involvement.