20 Resume-Building Ideas for Anyone on a Career Pause (10 hours a month or less)

Taking a career pause isn’t a “gap.” It’s a common part of our career journey and is becoming more understood as more people experience time away from their career. But when you’re ready to prepare for your comeback, you may feel unsure of what to put on your resume, or you may not be sure that you want to return to what you did before. The truth is: you don’t need a full-time job to demonstrate skills, growth, and accomplishments as you are on pause. Maybe you are exploring, maybe you just want something to write on your resume, or maybe it gives you purpose and excitement personally while you are taking care of everyone else.

Here are 25 ways to keep your resume fresh — in as little as 10 hours a month.

1. Engage in Your Community

• Volunteer at a school fundraiser or book fair → “Coordinated event that raised $500 for teachers and PTA.”

• Help at a dog or animal shelter → “Supported five successful adoptions in one month.”

• Join a neighborhood or faith-based committee → “Organized monthly community meals serving 200 people.”

• Support a food drive → “Collected and distributed 300 pounds of food donations.”

• Serve at a local library program → “Assisted with children’s reading program attended by 50 families.”

2. Enhance Your Professional Skills

• Manage social media for a small nonprofit → “Grew followers by 200 in three months.”

• Take photos at community events → “Created gallery used by three organizations.”

• Design flyers or newsletters for a local group → “Produced marketing materials that increased attendance by 40%.”

• Write articles or blog posts for a community site → “Published 5 blog posts highlighting local initiatives.”

• Support a friend’s small business with admin/marketing tasks → “Created email campaign that improved sales by 15%.”

3. Focus on Professional Growth

• Complete a LinkedIn Learning or Coursera course → “Earned certification in project management.”

• Attend an industry webinar → “Gained updated knowledge in digital marketing trends.”

• Join a networking group (online or in person) → “Expanded professional network with 30 new contacts.”

• Contribute to a professional association → “Helped organize annual conference attended by 200 members.”

• Shadow a professional in a role you’re interested in → “Observed HR processes and created notes on best practices.”

4. Turn Everyday Life Into Resume Wins

• Manage family finances and budgets → “Oversaw $2,000 monthly budget and cut expenses by 15%.”

• Coordinate caregiving schedules for family → “Managed medical appointments across four providers.”

• Organize household projects (like moving, remodeling, or event planning) → “Planned and executed move across two states with zero missed deadlines.”

• Run a side hustle, Etsy shop, or online store → “Generated $1,000 in sales in six months.”

• Document caregiving as advocacy → “Coordinated care team and managed communications for parent with chronic illness.”

Turning These Into Resume Bullets

The key is to write your activities in results-driven language. Ask yourself:

• What did I do?

• Who did it help?

• What was the outcome?

Example:

• Instead of: “Volunteered at shelter.”

• Say: “Supported five successful adoptions in one month by assisting families through the adoption process.”

A career pause is part of your story — not a setback. By dedicating just a few hours a month to intentional activities, you can keep your resume fresh, boost your confidence, and step back into the workforce with clear examples of your value.