Revolutionary Idea: Put ‘Motherhood’ on Your Professional Resumé

No, motherhood doesn’t come with a paycheck, but it’s definitely a job—and one with many transferrable skills. So, how do you articulate it (proudly) on your resumé? Katya Libin, co-founder of HeyMama, an online community for working and entrepreneurial moms, says it starts with applying a professional lens to your motherhood role. Here are her tips for getting started (and not feeling weird about it.)

1. Update Your LinkedIn Profile

Some women choose to expand their professional headline to include the word “mother.” (For example: a graphic designer who took four years off when her kids were little, and now spends a third of her day running her household might list her career as “Freelance graphic designer and mother.”) Others make their job as a parent a stand-alone item in the “experience” section on LinkedIn. But no matter how you incorporate motherhood into your resumé, the goal is to add depth to your overall experience, says Libin. “Quite often, mom is chief everything officer at her house. [Adding motherhood to the resumé] is about highlighting that fact, and relying on business language to do it.”

2. Bullet Out (or Describe) the Skills You’ve Honed in this Position

Did you learn multi-tasking, listening and policy while advocating for a child with special needs? Did you master Quickbooks and Excel while serving as PTA treasurer? Put it on your resumé! On LinkedIn, we spotted a Washington-based consultant whose bio mentions that she’s a mom of three, a.k.a. the “next generation of rebels,” as well as a sales director in upstate New York, who brags about vocalizing motivations and challenges learned as a parent as a way to encourage her kids to pursue their own talents. (A smart way to demonstrate how she might manage her own team.) We also saw a Seattle VP working in IT who spelled out the fact that being a mom has taught her to be patient, empathetic, flexible, big-picture focused and calm when dealing with adversity.