If you’re a stay-at-home mom revamping your LinkedIn profile as you prepare to re-enter the workforce, you’ll be glad to know there are several creative ways to illustrate the valuable experience and knowledge you gained as a stay-at-home parent and connect it to your career and the jobs you’re applying for.
Should You Even Add Stay-At-Home Mom to Your LinkedIn Profile?
Absolutely! As a stay-at-home parent, you’ve gained invaluable experience and developed many skills. First, take the time to consider how your stay-at-home parenting role has helped shape you as a professional. Develop a list of skills and experiences relevant to that recent experience that you’ve acquired during this time, such as organization and multitasking. Then follow the tips below to optimize your LinkedIn profile accordingly.
LinkedIn has a new feature where you can list your stay-at-home mom experience, just like a job, under your experience section. You can choose either stay-at-home mom, stay-at-home dad, or stay-at-home parent. Underneath, you can list all of the transferable skills you have gained working inside the home related to the skills listed in your targeted job postings and industry.
In addition, LinkedIn has a “add a career break” option. When you select “Add an Experience,” you can also select “Add a Career Break.” You can choose from several options, including caregiving, full-time parenting, and continuing education.
5 Tips for Adding Stay-At-Home Mom to Your LinkedIn Page
1. Highlight volunteer work and all other experiences
As a stay-at-home parent, chances are you have much experience volunteering at school events or local organizations. Showcase these experiences on your profile – highlight what projects you worked on and how you contributed positively to the organization.
In addition to volunteer work, you can also include part-time jobs, freelance work, contract work, or community leadership roles in the “Experience” section of your LinkedIn profile. This experience is just as valuable as full-time employment. Listing volunteer, part-time, and contract work can help potential employers understand the breadth of your experiences and skills and help fill in any gaps you may feel you have.
It’s important that no matter what you include, the information is presented clearly and easily digestible, and connects to your overall career aspirations.
2. Mention any accomplishments outside of specific roles
Showcasing non-parenting-related accomplishments and professional pursuits outside of specific roles boosts your profile professionally. Did you finish a certification program? Did you take online courses in your area of interest? Did you write articles for an online publication? Did you pursue a passion project? Make sure to include those on your profile!
3. Own your stay-at-home parent skills on your profile
Being a stay-at-home parent requires various skills, including multitasking, problem-solving, and communication. Use your profile to highlight the special talents you developed as a result of being a stay-at-home mom. Use specific language that positions being a stay-at-home mom as an important job – think phrases like “team building” and “conflict resolution” rather than the term “parenting” itself. You can also consider titles such as Chief Home Officer, Household Manager, Stay-at-Home Parent, or CEO of Household.
4. Connect your parenting skills to your career
Think of yourself as the CEO of a small business: you are handling budgeting, time management, and problem-solving. Look for ways to express these unique skills in your profile – you’ll stand out from the rest of the crowd!
5. Don’t just copy and paste your resume
Although it’s tempting to copy your resume to LinkedIn, your LinkedIn profile should tell a unique story – highlighting additional details, aspirations, goals, and/or experiences you’ve gained as a stay-at-home parent and any other professional qualifications.
If you’re looking for resume-specific tips for stay-at-home moms (including a resume template), check out The Career Counter for professional career guidance.
LinkedIn Headline Ideas for Stay-At-Home Parents
Your LinkedIn headline should consist of a short phrase that conveys your professional experience summarizes your skills, and connects everything (including your time as a stay-at-home parent). Your LinkedIn headline should also describe the jobs and industry you’ll apply for.
Here are some different examples of LinkedIn headlines for stay-at-home parents:
- Financial Analyst and Expert Household Manager
- Project Manager and COO of a Family of Four
- Marketing Manager and CEO of Household
You can tailor the professional title to the role and job you desire to have.
How to Handle the Career Gap
Spending time as a stay-at-home mom inevitably means you’ll have a gap in your career, but as we’ve outlined above, there are numerous ways to own this career gap and make it a valuable part of your story. You can highlight how you’ve become a more well-rounded professional, showcasing experiences outside of a full-time job (such as volunteer work, part-time positions, community roles, and more), and owning your stay-at-home mom experience.
By following these tips and ideas, you’ll be able to impact potential employers with your updated LinkedIn profile as a stay-at-home mom. You can shine brighter than ever with some creative thinking and effort!