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 When tough financial times hit home, one-income households can sometimes use a temporary boost to help them make ends meet. Homemakers often find themselves scrambling to update their resumes, but they frequently don't know where to start.
In this publication, we're going to focus on resumes for homemakers. As part of that process, we're going to talk about the three types of resumes in use today. We'll also explain why the functional resume is usually the best choice for homemakers. Finally, we're going to provide some practical examples, including a resume you can download free of charge.
Resume Styles for Homemakers
There are three main types of resumes in use today - functional, chronological, and combination. Each of these resume styles has its strengths and weaknesses as listed below.
- Chronological Resume - a chronological resume is a good choice if you've been working for several years and believe your work experience is more important than the skills you've acquired over time. This type of resume is usually a poor choice for a homemaker without a lot of recent work experience.
- Combination Resume - the combination resume is the most marketable of the three resume styles in use today. If you have a lot of experience, and you possess strong skills, then this is arguably the best format to use. Once again, because the combination resume emphasizes work history, it's not a good choice for a homemaker.
- Functional Resume - a functional resume is a good choice for an individual that is just starting out in the working world, or someone that is trying to step up into a role from a junior position. Since the functional resume emphasizes skills and knowledge, and not work history, it's usually the best resume format choice for homemakers.
Special Considerations for Homemakers
The working assumption here is that the homemaker (housewife, or househusband) has been out of the working world for quite some time, or is looking for their first job. Since the layout of the functional resume does not emphasize past employment, this style is a good match for homemakers.
The list below outlines the various sections of the functional resume. When writing a resume, the first draft should consider the following:
- Name / Contact Information - if you're applying for a job, then your resume needs to include various contact information including a telephone number. Here you might want to consider providing a phone number that is readily accessible - such a cell phone. Since potential employers or recruiters will hopefully call, make sure you answer the phone professionally.
- Education - nearly all jobs will specify either minimum or a desired level of education for an applicant. If you're not qualified due to a lack of education, then you might as well be screened out of consideration early. There is no sense in wasting the recruiter's or your time.
- Honors / Certifications / Licenses Held - this section is common to all functional resumes. Long-time homemakers may have let past certifications or licenses lapse. If this lapse occurred more than a couple of years ago, then homemakers may want to avoid including this section on their resume.
- Careers Skills / Knowledge - the skills and knowledge listed in this section can be a deal breaker. If you don't include the right resume buzzwords, then you're very likely to be screened from consideration.
- Career Achievements - this section also needs careful consideration before sending a resume to potential employers. Don't be afraid to include community or volunteer work that can help highlight your capabilities.
Resume Writing Resources
Before circulating your resume, you need to make sure that it's as close to perfect as possible. Some of the other articles on this website that may be helpful to homemakers include:
- Resume Wizard - which runs through the pros and cons of using an automated software tool to build a resume
- Electronic Resumes - which walks you through the process of preparing a resume that can be scanned into a human resource department's database
- Resume Power Words - which contains an alphabetical list of key terms and words to use on a resume
- Resume Writing Guide - which outlines the process of constructing, polishing, and printing a final resume
As a homemaker, you may have been isolated from the working world for quite some time. When putting together your resume, stick to your plan. While many of your working friends may offer advice on how to write a resume, their approach will not work in your situation. The help you will need from trusted friends is proofreading your resume to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.
Sample Resume for Homemakers
The sample resume we have for homemakers is in the functional resume style that's been modified to accommodate the suggestions made in the paragraphs above. You can download our free sample here - Homemaker Resume. As is the case with all of the resume examples you'll find on this website, our hope is that this resume will stimulate some of your own ideas. Always keep in mind that your unique experiences increase your value in a competitive job market.
Finally, if you think of your resume as an advertisement for your professional services, then you'll understand why we advocate placing the information you'd like to emphasize early in the document - which is exactly what happens when homemakers use the functional style resume.
About the Author - Resumes for Homemakers
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