Perhaps it’s been years since you’ve been in the workforce or you have no job experience at all. Maybe you have a college degree stowed away in the closet or no more than a high school education. Either way, don’t underestimate your job as a homemaker or mother—according to the University of Colorado's Career and Placement Center, many employers are more interested in experience than grade point average.

Choose a resume template from your word processing program or create your own with 1” page margins and 11-12 point type font.

Choose which type of resume best fits your experience. A chronological resume details past years of work experience starting with the most recent positions. A functional resume omits dates and merely lists your skills, responsibilities and accomplishments. If you have had long gaps between jobs or little work experience, a functional resume may be a better choice.

Divide your resume into sections. If you are tailoring your resume to one specific job, your first section could be titled “Objective" and highlight your specific job goal. Here is an example of an objective statement: “To obtain an assistant managerial position in the food service industry.”

Subsequent sections could be "Employment History," "Accomplishments/Responsibilities," "Education," or "Interests." For "Employment History", list the company you worked for and write a brief paragraph about your responsibilities. For Education, list your school (high school or college), dates of school attendance and a paragraph about your area of study or GPA. Finally, don't underestimate the value of your "Accomplishments" and "Interests" sections; these will flesh out your resume and allow potential employers to get a better idea of your strengths.

Select and prioritize categories based on your experience. If you have ten years of relevant work experience but little education, you may want to place the “Employment History” section high on your resume page. If you have served your community or volunteered but lack paid job experience, place “Community Service” or “Accomplishments” closer to the top.

Include the dates and duration of your homemaking experience. If you have been a mother of two for five years, write that you have “assisted with the growth and development of two children for two years.”

Don’t use personal pronouns. Instead of writing “I cook at the soup kitchen twice a week,” write, “Cooks meals for the soup kitchen twice a week.”

Be specific. Rather than stating that you are a “multi-tasker,” include an activity that demonstrates this ability. You could say, “Duties included cooking, cleaning, bookkeeping, and light typing while supervising three children.”