You’ve spent the last decade or so raising your kids, but now you’re ready to get back into the workforce. You may be overwhelmed by the thought or think you’re unqualified, but there are things you can do to make your transition easier and impress the HR department
1. Start with a part-time job
While you might be looking for full-time work, a part-time gig might be a good place to start. Your hours will be more flexible, it will give you more experience and it will allow you to ease back into the feel of working outside the home. And who knows, it could eventually lead to a full-time position.
2. Target family friendly companies
Businesses that offer on-site child care, flex-time, etc., will probably be more understandable if an emergency occurs and you have to rush off to tend to your children.
3. Tell your friends you’re looking
Often times, people get jobs through word of mouth, so don’t be afraid to tell your friends and family members you are looking for one. They just might know of someone who is hiring and can even put in a good word for you.
4. Update your resume
You might feel like you have nothing to add to your resume since your last paying job, but think again. Did you participate in charity fundraisers? Did you volunteer at your child’s school or local charity? Did you take classes? Even if you just add all the organizational skills required to run your home, all these details will reinforce how productive you’ve been since your last position.
5. Refresh your skills
If you’re going back into the same field, you might want to brush up on the latest changes, technologies, etc., that may have been incorporated since you left. You can take classes, read journals or hit the internet to keep yourself up-to-date.
6. Rethink your goals
You might want to jump back into the same position you left several years ago, but depending on how long you’ve been gone, that might not be realistic. Look at smaller companies or not-for-profits who might appreciate your community volunteer work more than a major corporation would.
7. Change your career path
If you can’t pick up where you left off with your old job, why not look into new avenues. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do, but never felt you could? Now is the time to test it out. Again, starting out part-time or even volunteering might be a good way to see if you even like the field. Starting here will also help you gain experience to pursue it further.
8. Interview
It may have been a while since you sat in front of a prospective boss trying to convince him/her to hire you, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. Update your resume, research the company, act confident (even if you aren’t) and highlight your qualities that would benefit the organization. Role play the interview at home or even go on interviews for jobs you don’t necessarily want just for the practice. If you’ve decided it’s time to get back out there, don’t be intimated by all the years that have gone by. Because if you can handle being a mom, you can certainly tackle this!
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