How to Write a Resume That Won’t Emphasize Your Career Break

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Sep 6

Written By Jay Van Dyke - Top Rated Squarespace Web Designer in New Jersey

A career coach shows you how to write a resume that puts the focus on your skills and achievements—not your time away from the workforce.

Once upon a time, applying for a job with a career gap on your resume was a source of great anxiety. After all, how would you explain your time away from the paid workforce? And would hiring managers interpret your employment gap as a sign you were less committed to your career?

A 2018 study provides some context for this fear. Surveying more than 3,000 hiring managers, researchers uncovered an unsettling bias against stay-at-home parents re-entering the traditional workforce. When compared to applicants who did not specify the reason for their unemployment, stay-at-home parents were viewed as less reliable, less deserving of a job, and less committed to work.¹ That’s enough to make any at-home mother dread her job search.

But it’s important to note that this was our reality prior to 2020. Since then, the pandemic has upended our way of life, changing our work culture²—and with it, our perceptions around employment gaps. While career breaks are more normalized than ever before, we understand that it’s hard to shake off the fear of being penalized for your choice to lean into family life.

That’s why we tapped Julia Lynch, a New York-based career coach who has helped hundreds of clients land their dream jobs. Below, Julia shows you how to write a resume that puts the focus on your skills and achievements—not your time away.

Meet the Expert

Julia Lynch: A career coach, resume writer, and job strategist who has helped hundreds of clients across industries rethink their careers.

How to Handle an Employment Gap on Your Resume

Transitioning back into the workforce after you’ve taken a career break for motherhood can be overwhelming. The to-do list for any career transitioner includes reconnecting with old contacts, creating a childcare plan that will support your new working hours, and finding a position that supports your career ambitions, yet allows you to balance the demands of parenthood.

But chief among these considerations is how you will present yourself to prospective employers. In other words, how will you frame your skillset, your career break, and what you can bring to an organization?

An abundance of resume templates exist online and it can be difficult to parse through and figure out which one is the best fit for you. Of course, a traditional, chronological resume format is always an option. Using this structure means listing out your prior work history, including the dates you were employed and the responsibilities you covered. However, if you don’t want to overtly call out your career break, you might want to consider a skills-based resume.

What is a Skill-Based Resume?

A skill-based resume, also referred to as a functional resume, is a type of resume that emphasizes applicants’ skills and qualifications, rather than their job history. It enables a potential employer to immediately see the value of your skillset—and not be swayed by your career break. This format may be a great fit for you if:

You took a significant career break—and don’t want to make your time away from the workforce the focal point of your resume.
You want to shift career functions—and all of your relevant experience comes from volunteering, community advocacy, or school-related positions.
Your work experience comprises many nearly-identical positions—and listing out the responsibilities of each position individually feels redundant.
You are new to the workforce and lack traditional work experience.

How to Write a Skill-Based Resume

1. Align Your Skills With the Job Description

To craft your skills-based resume, begin by choosing a position to target. Then, determine the skills required for that position. It’s always good practice to review the job description and mirror the qualifications the company has listed.

For example, let’s say the position you’re applying for is a project management role at a healthcare startup. The skills required for the role are project management, cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and oral and written communication. Be sure to speak to these qualifications in the skills section of your resume.

2. Detail Your Accomplishments

Next, back up your skills with bullet points that speak to your accomplishments. For the stakeholder management category, for instance, you could note: “Uncovered needs of classroom teachers from grades 3 - 7; shared actionable feedback with school administrators. Resulted in purchase of $5k technology solution that enabled greater student learning outcomes.” No need to mention the names of the organizations you worked for or your exact position. This is a place to focus on the results you drove as it relates to a specific skill category.

3. Go Light On Your Work History

Once you’re finished rounding out your skill categories, include a short section about your work history. This will serve as an addendum to the skills section rather than be the main focus of your resume. After your work history, create a separate section about your education, any professional testimonials you have, and any professional affiliations.

Read More:

How To Job Search After a Career Pause

FAQs

A skills-based resume is ideal for stay-at-home moms re-entering the workforce. This format highlights relevant skills and achievements, like those gained through prior employment, volunteer work, or community involvement, instead of focusing on the employment gap.
Many stay-at-home moms face hiring biases that favor candidates with uninterrupted career histories. The good news is that this perception is slowly changing, and career breaks are now more accepted than ever before.
While career breaks are increasingly common, experts are often divided on how best to address employment gaps on your resume. One tactic to sidestep the issue altogether is to create a skills-based resume. This strategy allows you to showcase your strengths, without emphasizing your time away from the paid workforce.
Stay-at-home moms re-entering the workforce should align their skills with the job description, highlight relevant achievements, and include a short work history section. Adding professional affiliations, certifications, or testimonials can also boost credibility.
You may choose to briefly mention a career break in your resume summary. For example, in the profile section, you might say, “Ready to return to a dynamic role after a career break focused on family.” This approach acknowledges your pause while also centering your professional strengths.
A skills-based, or functional, resume may be your best choice, as it prioritizes professional skills over chronological work history. This allows you to showcase your abilities and achievements without highlighting your employment gap.
To create a standout stay at home mom resume, focus on aligning your skills with the job description, using specific accomplishments to demonstrate expertise, and keeping your work history concise. Adding a brief summary about your career break for family can also provide clarity without overshadowing your qualifications.