Survive This Economy: Shifting From Homemaker To Working Mom

CHICAGO (CBS) -- To survive this economy, many stay-at-home moms are looking to rejoin the workforce, but for moms like Sinora Wright – who last held a full-time job seven years ago – jumping back into the job market can seem daunting.

CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports the first step for Wright in her job search was paying a visit to Manpower Inc., an employment agency where she can get a free consultation to freshen up her résumé.

Sherida Thompson, a metro associate recruiter at Manpower, offered a number of tips for Sinora, and other stay-at-home moms, to highlight their experiences in their résumés.

Thompson suggested Wright list the variety of skills she gained from her previous jobs – which include working as a paralegal back in 2005, plus part-time jobs as a travel agent and income tax preparer. Thompson advised Wright to create a category called a summary of qualifications.

"What I see is customer service, sales [and] payment processing," Sherida Thompson said.

Even though Wright worked for just three or four months at a time at her part-time jobs, Thompson said every work experience counts. She advised Wright to create a category called "temporary contractor" with a start date from 2010 to the present to account for all her part-time jobs.

"List what general duties you completed – general office tasks, customer service, file clerk, whatever that might be – so it still looks as if you've done one set of job duties for that particular length of time," Thompson said.

Moms who help out at their children's schools or hospitals should also make a note of that on their résumés, Thompson said. Listing those experiences will show employers that you will be a committed member of the team.

"It shows that multitask that you're able to do. It shows that dedication. It shows that willingness; that you're still wanting to keep yourself busy," Thompson said.

With some fresh pointers in mind, Wright said she feels prepared to give her résumé a makeover.

"I learned that I have more skills than I put on my résumé. … I'm very excited to revamp it and see what I can get," Wright said.

She may not have to wait for long to get a call. Once Wright is finished revamping her résumé, she will be added to Manpower's list – where employers can browse through profiles of potential candidates.