Are you thinking of returning to work after an extended period of parental leave? The following are 5 tips and suggestions for making the transition easier.
1. Focus on Getting Exactly the Right Job for You
If you’re in desperate need of cash, it’s tempting to rush your job search; but it would be a mistake to find a business directory and blindly send your CV out to every business in it. Instead, consider what kind of job you want and what kind of company you want to work for. Then take a focused, conscious approach to seeking exactly the right role.
2. Polish Your Online Presence
Employers usually research potential hires online before interviewing them. Imagine for a moment that the hiring managers from your soon-to-be prospective employer are scrolling through your Instagram photos or checking out your Facebook profile. What will they find? Do your current profiles represent you well, or could they hinder you from obtaining an interview?
Devote some time to revamping your social media profiles to better reflect the image you want to present to your future employer. If you have a blog or website, you?ll also want to update it accordingly.
3. Update Your CV
There are at least two main CV challenges that mums face when returning to work after raising children. The first is trying to explain the sizable gap in time between your last job and now. The second is outdated skills. Neither challenge is insurmountable.
Gaps in employment history can be explained with a single line:
?Parental Leave 2018 ? 2020?
However, you should also give some thought to recalling what your actual activities were during the time you ceased working. For example, if you volunteered, those experiences can absolutely be included on your CV.
There are numerous possible ways to handle outdated skills. The first is to be conscious of the fact that you likely gained a whole new set of skills as a mum ? and many of those skills transfer to the workplace. It would be a mistake for you to fail in acknowledging this important truth. As a mum, you no doubt made great progress in refining your communication, listening and negotiating skills, at a minimum ? and all of those skills are critical for success at work.
If your other essential skills are truly outdated, you could address that by seeking additional training. For example, if your computer skills are a bit rusty, there are many resources you could use for updating them. These could include books, Youtube videos, free or inexpensive massive open online courses (MOOCs), certifications, tutoring or degree programmes.
One other possibility would be to seek work in a different career than the one you left ? ideally, one that emphasises skills you already have. For example, you could seek out a career in aged care, which is currently a high-demand sector of the Australian economy. This happens to be an occupational niche where a mum?s skills are highly valued.
4. Network Like a Boss
Networking is the most vital activity you can participate in if you hope to get hired for a new job. One survey revealed that a dramatic majority ? in fact, 85 percent ? of all jobs are filled by networking. Clearly, this is a strategy that yields favourable results.
5. Have Patience
Finding a job is probably going to be more time-consuming than you?d expect. On average, it?s likely to take at least 9-10 weeks; and it may take even longer than that. So don?t be discouraged if your phone doesn?t immediately start ringing with callbacks after you start sending out those CVs. It will take time to find your ideal job. Have patience, don?t lose your momentum, and avoid allowing yourself to feel discouraged if you don?t get hired right away.
We hope these 5 tips will be helpful to you if you decide to return to work after having taken a career break. Best wishes for a successful job search.