There are approximately five million women and 176,000 men that are stay-at-home parents according to some of the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Although the number returning to work isn’t tracked, hundreds of thousands make the decision to venture out into the workplace each year.

Here are some resume tips to help you get your resume noticed despite the gap in employment:

Convince employers you have the skills

Your resume must actively sell you in order to convince employers that you still have the skills and experience to do the job. Include only activities that back up the skills relevant to your career goal when writing about your time out of the paid workforce.

Highlight activities

Just because you weren’t paid to do them doesn’t make any volunteer work less valuable so you should treat it like you would a paid position on your resume. Volunteer, community involvement, PTA, charity work, fundraisers are all accomplishments and the key skills developed from them will help sell your ability to do the job to a potential employer.

Continuing education

If you’ve taken courses i.e. online learning or independent study, show these on your resume as the will show that you’ve kept your skills fresh.

Freelance

If you’ve done any freelance/consulting work that is relatable to your target job, include this as well – especially a project that would highlight your work experience.

Professional development

Include membership in professional organizations and/or participation in conferences on your resume. This will demonstrate your commitment to their particular industry.

Self-employment

Include the experience on your resume even if you worked part-time for yourself or a partner.

Type of resume format

The right resume format is critical to getting noticed. Most career advisors state that parents should avoid chronological resumes and consider using a combination format because it can eliminate a parent’s candidacy in seconds.

Honesty is key

Don’t be afraid to explain your recent gap but emphasize that you’ve kept up with your skills and are eager to reenter the workplace.

Connect with us on social media: Facebook – Twitter – LinkedIn – Google+