Katie Roberts Career Consulting

Whether you have just finished a short period of maternity leave, or you’re returning from an extended career break, there are many things to consider. Whatever your reasons for taking the break in the first place, you may not be feeling so confident about your return.

When you’ve been out of paid work for a period of time – it’s sometimes difficult to know what to expect. Your industry may have gone through changes or you may feel that your skills have fallen behind. Whatever your reason for the work break, it’s now time to look to the future and take those first steps in getting back into the workforce. Here’s five tips to help you on your way.

1. Decide What Type of Work – Think about how you’d like to return. Would you like to return to work full-time or part-time? Would you consider contract or temporary work to start with? Do you want to work in the same or similar field as before or would you prefer to re-train in a slightly different or completely new area? What work can you do with your current skills? Do you have long term goals of where you’d like to be and are you willing to work towards those – through re-training or starting with an entry-level job? Or are you simply looking for a job at this stage to fulfil some financial and/or working goals?

2. Research the Field – Use the internet to research and read everything you can about your career/field of choice. Find out about any current opportunities and/or constraints, attend seminars/lectures/webinars where relevant, and talk to people already working in the field to hear their thoughts on how you might succeed. Once you have done that, research current jobs on offer using online job search sites, LinkedIn, direct company job boards etc. to better understand the specific skills and expertise you might need to succeed.

3. Develop Your Offer – Once you have decided what you want to do, you need to work out what you have to offer. Assess your values, interests, strengths, weaknesses, achievements, abilities and goals and be clear about your qualifications, skills and experience in the context of the jobs you are applying for. Put your recruiters’ hat on for a minute and think about what you have to offer that might make you stand out from the next candidate. You should also think about areas for development. Time away from paid work can leave you feeling nervous and apprehensive, but try not to think about the negatives at this stage. Don’t worry about looking bad to potential employers for spending time away from the workforce because career breaks are common for many reasons these days. Think about how you’ll overcome your negative thoughts in an interview because it’s hard to be confident if you’re worried about how to explain your break. Whatever the reason for your break, be honest and focus on the positives. You should talk about the skills and knowledge you can offer and how quickly you will be productive. Consider getting some advice from a trained Career Counsellor at this stage because they can help you formulate a response you’re comfortable with.

4. Put Together Your Job Search Material – Prepare a killer Resume that makes you feel confident. Make sure it is up-to-date, clear, concise and tailored towards the roles you are seeking. Research current Resume trends, ask a friend who knows about recruitment to help, or enlist the services of an experienced Career Consultant. Re-package your current skills to suit the roles you are applying for. Think about participating in training if you need to up skill. Write a customised cover letter for each role you apply for. Update (or create) your LinkedIn profile and achieve as many connections as you can. For inspiration, visit our Career Advice Blog for a broad range of articles on job search strategies, LinkedIn, Resume Writing, Selection Criteria preparation and Career Counselling.

5. Get the Word Out – Start applying for positions, tell everyone you know that you’re looking for work (and what you’re looking for). Update your LinkedIn profile to announce the fact you are seeking new opportunities and don’t overlook contract positions which could turn into a longer term role. Think about volunteer work, or internships if you have very little experience in the area you’d like to work – this may help you achieve the experience (and contacts) you need to succeed.

It’s important to set yourself some short, medium and longer terms goals since you may not achieve your ideal or ‘dream’ job straight off the bat. Understanding that you might need to work in a lower paid or less than ideal position initially to gain some experience will help you survive. If this is the case, you should aim to quickly gain the experience, training and skills required to move on to the next level. For more information on job search strategies, visit our Blog.

Would you would like assistance from a Career Coach to help you prepare to return to the workforce? Have you been applying for roles but don’t feel you’re achieving the success you deserve. If so, please see our Job Search Coaching Services.