Career breaks come along for all sorts of reasons. When you feel ready to return to work again, the idea of applying for new jobs and starting the interview processes may feel overwhelming. Here are 5 tips to help put you in the best position for when you want to return to work.
Be Clear About Your Goals
Before you even click on your first job advert, you need to assess the job you are looking to find. Do you expect to re-enter the workforce at the position you left or are you searching for an entirely new career?
Go over your resumé and make sure it is completely up-to-date. If you have relevant experiences from your career break, such as a new language or a volunteer job, be sure to include them.
Familiarise Yourself with the Market
If you wish to return to the industry you were in before your break, make sure you spend some time catching up on any new innovations. The introduction of a new piece of technology can cause the industry to leap forward and, if you were on a break at the time, you might struggle to initially acclimatise.
Your former colleagues might be of help here. If you are on friendly terms with them, reach and let them know that you are returning to work. They might be able to help you either pick up on some new jargon or point you in the direction of a potential employer.
Search Strategically
Trawling through job sites endlessly can take a toll on your productivity and enthusiasm. Firing off CVs to everyone hiring can lead to a wad of rejections and downtrodden spirits. Consider only searching for jobs on specialist recruitment sites which are tailor made for your specific industry. There are plenty out there; ones for people in the medical field, ones for finance, ones for teachers. All you need to do is search. It may prove more fruitful than attempting to search through everything the Internet has to offer.
Boost Your Resumé
As the old saying goes, there is always room for improvement. If you still think your skills are a little sparse, consider taking up some evening classes to learn something new. Languages and communication skills are always sought after by employers.
If you would like to improve your confidence or public-speaking, have a look for debate or amateur dramatics. These are both fantastic ways to work on bettering yourself while also having fun and making new friends.
Be Honest
Employers will want to know why you had a career break. You must always be honest when asked; even if you are not proud of the circumstances which brought your break about. Honesty is truly the best policy and you do not want to find yourself being caught out by a lie further down the line.
Besides, the ideal employer will want to hire you no matter why you took a break. Returning to employment may be a stressful process, but you will be glad to go through it.
