Lessons In Restarting Your Career

Lessons In Restarting Your Career

Moms, Learn from These Lessons In Restarting Your Career

Today I want to share 4 big lessons in restarting a career that I’ve learned over the past 8 years from my own personal experience of returning to work after a career break and that of the hundreds of women I’ve talked to and coached through this transition. The job market of 2023 is challenging, so let’s learn all we can from people who have restarted their careers before us.

Restarting your career can be done, but it often takes longer than you think it should

The big take-away here is “it can be done.” I promise, it can. There are lots of women out there who have taken career breaks and then resumed their careers. And while we both know that you’re amazing and highly qualified for that awesome job, job search is called a “process” for a reason. It can move slowly, and it often involves trial-and-error that can lead to changing directions. Be flexible and be prepared for a long process. Keep a journal along the way so you can capture all that you’re learning about yourself and the companies and people you encounter. There is nothing wasted in this process, you can use almost every experience to get better. Even the frustrating ones!

You control much of the process as you restart your career

Keep this in mind, especially on the days when if feels like you’re not making progress. You control how much time you put in on your job search, what your resume looks like, how prepared you are for an interview, the types of jobs you apply for, how good your cover letter is and how you present yourself to potential employers, among other things.

You do not control a hiring manager’s decisions. Importantly, you also control your reaction after you receive bad news (or no news, as is often the case) while you are job-searching. Focus on what you can control and do your very best with those things. Invest in yourself. Take a class to keep your credentials fresh. Re-activate your network by reaching out to former colleagues. Scary? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely!

You don’t pick up where you left off when you restart your career

I’ve heard the following from so many women: “I took a job making a lot less than I used to but it was worth it just to get my foot in the door.” Ladies, all you need is a place to start, or re-start. When it presents itself, take it and run with it.

Just yesterday I received this email:

I attended your first Back to Business Conference and it gave me hope I could return to the corporate world after taking 16 yrs off to raise 4 children.

Thanks to networking, I was able to relaunch my career nearly 3.5 years ago. There were definitely challenges returning… I basically started back at entry level working with recent college grads and accepted a salary significantly less than I made in 2000!  But now, the sky is the limit because I have recent work experience at the top of my resume again.”

I love this! My favorite part is: “the sky is the limit because I have recent work experience at the top of my resume again.” It’s almost magic how recent work experience practically erases the impact of a career break on your resume. As they say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Take that step.

Get out from behind your computer to make it happen

Let me guess: You’ve been applying for jobs online, diligently attaching your resume and cover letter to job applications. Stop doing that! Your time is much better spent connecting personally with people who do what you want to do or who work at companies you’d like to work for.

You shouldn’t stop applying altogether, but restarting your career requires a balanced job search plan that includes as much person-to-person talking and meeting as you can schedule.

The online job application is often a black hole, while meeting in person with another human is not. Tell the people you meet with exactly what you’re looking for so they know how to help you. 

To wrap up, remember to be patient and stay positive when returning to work takes longer than you expected, focus on what you can control, take a long-term view and don’t worry about returning to work at a lower level or salary than you previously had. And finally, focus your job-search efforts on making personal connections. Here’s a blog on networking as you restart your career.

You’ve got this – I believe in you!

 

Keep Track of Your Career Break Activities

Keep Track of Your Career Break Activities

Keep Track of Your Career Break Activities

While you are on a career break, it’s critical that you keep a list of things you’re doing that will help you make the case that you are a better employee because of your break. Let’s talk about tracking your career break activities and what you can do with that information.

Quick! Grab a pen and write down 5 things you’ve done while out of the paid workforce that a future employer might be interested in. These are your career break activities.

Need help? Here are some ideas to jumpstart your list: 

-took an online course (LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, etc.)

-kept up a professional certification

-developed a new skill (what was it and how did you develop it?)

-took a course at a community college, a bootcamp, or anywhere

-managed a project at your kids’ school, your church, or a non-profit

-managed volunteers

-joined an industry association and attended their meetings or continuing education courses

-volunteered for a political campaign supporting a cause or a candidate that you believed in

-taught something (such as faith formation classes at your place of worship)

-started a group to get people with common interests connected

-joined a book club and participated in monthly discussions

-served on your homeowners association

-organized social events for an organization/school/church/neighborhood you are connected to

-took on gig or project work

-attended a conference that inspired you, taught you something, or kept you in touch with your profession or network

Why are career break activities important? 

For many reasons! For starters, as you update your resume you’ll draw on this list to fill the gap in your employment history. It’s also important because when you get to the interview stage of your job search, you will be asked what you did while you were out of the paid workforce. It will be up to you to tell a compelling story that convinces employers that you are a constant learner with a growth mindset. 

This week I met with a recruiter at a great local company and we talked about hiring women (and men!) who are returning to work after a career break. She’s interviewed lots of career relaunchers: The ones who rose to the top are those that spoke about their time out of the workforce as a time of growth and convinced her that they were busy using skills that transfer well to the workplace.

For a comprehensive look at how this fits into your job search plan, check out Back to Business’s Ultimate Guide To Returning To Work After A Career Break.

My advice to you: Keep track of all the things you do while on a career break 

Start a google doc or a page in your journal to list every project and volunteer post you take on along with the skills you used and the outcome of the project. Don’t forget the outcome! If you’re ready to return to work and you haven’t been keeping track, no worries! Start your list now and spend the next few days adding to the list as you remember what’s been keeping you so busy all this time. 

What if my list stinks? 🙂

OK, say you start your list and you decide it’s not impressive. Start doing list-building activities today by finding a course to enroll in, a group to join or a volunteer activity that will help you grow. Here’s a link to my blog about resources for job seekers that contains some ideas for you. I repeat, start today! 

Being home with kids is a full-time job!

Yet so many of you manage to do this well in addition to volunteering, managing projects and improving yourselves on a daily basis. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I always marveled at how that title really missed the mark: I was never home! Between all the activities my children and I got involved in, I was constantly on-the-go.

I even took a fencing class with one of my children, which let me to include “Beginning Fencer” under the Interests section at the bottom of my resume. I didn’t exactly learn practical job skills in the fencing class, but it was a great conversation starter! Also, it gave me the opportunity to talk about how my career break allowed me to explore some unique activities that expanded my mind and kept me physically fit. 

So start that list and keep adding to it as you craft your story around how you used your career break to get better. Don’t forget to tell future employers how that career break time will benefit them too – it made you who you are today!

Greatest Hits:  Job Search for Moms

Greatest Hits: Job Search for Moms

Job Search Tips for Moms Returning to Work

Calling all Moms doing a job search to return to work after a career break! This is an exciting life change for you and Back to Business is here to guide you through it.

Here is a quick list of our job search tips for Moms returning to work:

Looking for a job is your job now. Schedule time to do this work and stick to the schedule.

Spend some time up front thinking about what you want to do. You don’t have to narrow it down to one option – recognize that there are multiple possibilities that could work for you and be flexible enough to change course as you learn more about yourself and the job market throughout your job search. My favorite book on this subject: Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

Invest in yourself. A few things worth spending money on as you restart your career are a killer resume, a course to update your skills, and professional coaching to ensure you know how to conduct a job search in 2023.

Set goals for yourself and write them down: Reach out to 3 new people each day, schedule 3 informational interviews each week, find 3 interesting new companies per day. Reward yourself with a healthy treat for meeting your goals.

Realize that this can take longer than you’d like. Persevere. Learn from your mistakes – because you will make some. Pick yourself up and keep going, even when it gets frustrating.

Set up informational interviews. You will learn a lot and grow your network by doing informational interviews. (And you thought these were just for kids!) Buying someone a cup of coffee and learning from them is a highly productive way to spend job-searching time. I’ve got a guide to mastering this process.

Have a supportive network as you transition back to the paid workforce. Looking for a job is hard work and it can be frustrating. You will need a tribe to help you get through it. Plan to meet regularly with them – coffee every Friday morning, for example. Keep each other accountable and encourage each other.

Get out from behind your computer! You will not find a job from the comfort of your home – this I promise you. You must get out and talk to people if you want a job. This can be uncomfortable at first, but it gets easier and you may even enjoy it as you get better at it.

Your job will come from your network, not from a job posting you saw on the internet. Start building your network today and you will reap the benefits of being a connected person for the rest of your career.

Networking is all about building relationships with people – it is a give and take. You may not realize it, but you’ve been networking your whole life and you already know how to do it. Be interesting and interested in other people and always ask what you can do for them. Here’s how.

Don’t let the “what if’s” keep you from pursuing a job you want. When Mom returns to work, the entire family has to adjust – and they will. “What if I can’t pick up at school every day?” and “What if I can’t make dinner every night?” are valid concerns, but don’t hold back on getting a job you’d like because there’s a chance that others in your house will be inconvenienced. You can outsource almost anything and planning ahead will solve a lot of these dilemmas.

Consider a Returnship. Returnships are jobs specifically created to welcome people back to the workforce after taking a career break. Check out my blog on Returnships to learn more.

Get Back to Business! Back to Business holds Meet-ups and workshops in the Raleigh, NC area and offers useful information and resources in blogs and through ebooks in order to help women returning to work. Visit us at www.backtobusinessconference.com.

 

How Do Moms Returning to Work Get Started?

How Do Moms Returning to Work Get Started?

How Do Moms Returning To Work Get Started?

Let’s Get Started!

I get this question a lot from moms who want to return to work after a career break. Some of them are unsure of how to get started because they’re planning to return to a career that’s different from the one they left. Some just don’t know yet what kind of work they want to do. Others know, but need a big dose of encouragement before taking the first step.

If encouragement is what you need, you’re not alone. This is a big transition we’re talking about and you’re going to need a healthy dose of self-confidence to pull this off. But don’t worry, because you’ve got that. You may need to remind yourself occasionally, but you’ve got it and I believe in you. So, let’s get started.

Moms, Make a Plan To Return To Work

To get started, we’re going to make a plan. And write it down.

 

I’ve already started this for you – it’s called the Back to Business Return to Work Checklist.

 

It’s long, I know. So let me give you just one thing to work on today: Think about what you want to do for work.

 

Think big. Don’t limit yourself to traditional occupations. The world is a big place and people make a living doing all kinds of things.

Moms Returning To Work Should Think Really Big!

And after you think about each of these things, take the time to write them down. Do it. The difference between thinking about something and writing it down is often the difference between getting something done or not getting it done. Let’s get this done!

Consider This

Here are some things to consider (and then write down):

 

  • What are the accomplishments that make you most proud when you look back on your life? Don’t limit yourself to accomplishments made while at work. I know you’ve accomplished a lot, so give yourself credit for everything you’ve done. This is no time to be modest. You’re awesome and we all know it. Now, what are your biggest accomplishments?

 

  • What skills and strengths do you possess that could be clues to finding work in a field that you will enjoy? Put another way –  where are your natural talents? Think seriously about what these are and let’s find a way to get you using these on a regular basis in a job you’ll love. Ask a friend if you need help answering this. Others often see things in us that we don’t recognize in ourselves.

 

  • Think about your motivation for returning to work.  Is it financial? Do you miss using your adult brain and interacting with people your own age? Do you have time on your hands now that your kids are getting older that you want to do something meaningful with? Understanding your motivation will help you determine if that job offer that comes your way is the right one for you.

 

  • And finally, let go of the idea that you have to be pursuing your passion.  Grab hold instead of the idea that you will find what you love, get good at it, and develop a passion through hard work and positive feedback. It can be paralyzing to think that you have to know what your passion is before you can get started looking for a job.  I think the passion part kicks in once you’ve found the right thing and realize that you’re really good at it  – not before you start looking.

Learn From Other Moms Who Have Returned To Work

You are not the first person to make this transition back to work after a career break. Here’s an article that shares lessons from other moms who have returned to work.

So let’s get started on our plan to return to work….You’ll find more tips here

Reasons to Return to Work After A Career Break

Reasons to Return to Work After A Career Break

Reasons to Return To Work After A Career Break

There are so many reasons why returning to work after a career break can be a positive experience for you, your children, and your spouse.

Independence. Role Modeling. Responsibility. Additional Income.

These are just a few reasons why returning to work can be good for you and your family. Let’s break this down:

Your kids will learn Independence

Our job as parents is to raise children who will be happy and productive members of society. At the most basic level, they have to be able to support themselves, cook for themselves and do their own laundry if this is ever going to happen. When mom returns to work, a shift occurs in the household and other people pick up more responsibility for the things that we used to do.

This shouldn’t be a burden on our children, it’s an opportunity to develop the life skills that they need. Better that they learn them while you’re around to provide guidance than when they’re out on their own and don’t have you to redirect if necessary.

So go ahead, post directions for using the washer and dryer in the laundry room and let your children have at it! It’s possible to raise successful kids without over-parenting.

You will role model having a balanced life for your kids

You’ve role modeled good parenting, problem solving and many other positive qualities all these years. As a job seeker, you have an opportunity to model successfully navigating a process that your children will one day go through. Let them see you put in the hard work, ask for help when necessary, pursue a goal and deal with the inevitable rejection that is part of the job search process. Talk to your family about what you’re doing so they can learn from you and support you.

Your return to work will give your kids more responsibility at home

This goes along with the independence we talked about above. Don’t just hope your children will step up and help out when you return to work – make it their responsibility to carry part of the weight. They’ll feel good about contributing (even if they don’t say so). And they’ll know that being part of a family has both benefits and obligations. Their future spouses will thank you!

Return to work to earn additional income for your family

Know what college costs these days? Yikes! Even if your brilliant children will earn scholarships and you don’t need the income to feed your family, I promise you’ll feel good earning your own paycheck. For some of you, going back to work isn’t an option – it’s a financial necessity.

And some of you may be facing life changes that require you to return to work, such as a recent divorce. Aside from the necessity of earning, returning to work can help you find new meaning with how you are spending your time and give you the opportunity to develop new skills.

So if you are looking to return to work – enjoy this! Look into the future and imagine yourself with a whole new set of competencies, then make a plan for getting there. Here’s some help with taking those first steps.

And if you’re not certain if you’re ready to return to work, check out our blog on How To Know If You’re Ready to Return To Work.

Also be sure to check out the Back to Business Ultimate Guide to Returning To Work After A Career Break.