At our first Back to Business MeetUp, we heard from 4 women who have successfully transitioned back to work after a career break. We talked about finding work you enjoy (and finding work that you don’t enjoy so much). Our panelists included Back to Business Conference Attendees Jeannine Herrick, Larissa Muchnick, Petra Sargent and Marla Wolf.
Here are 3 key points from this informative conversation:
“My first job back was not the right job”
Three of our 4 panelists returned to work after taking time off to be home with children, then switched jobs. Petra started back as a teacher, then realized that wasn’t exactly what she wanted to be doing. Jeanine and Larissa were both lured away to bigger jobs than where they originally started.
The good news for women returning to work is that you just need to get started somewhere. Yes, be choosy when you select your job but realize that it may not be your forever job. Let that take some of the pressure off of thinking you have to have the perfect job. We make trade-offs all the time in life, and returning to work is going to be another trade-off. Maybe you’ll take a lower-level job to get the experience or opt for a longer-than-ideal commute because you know you’ll love the work.
What works for you now may not work so well for you in the future and that’s OK. Flexibility is a survival skill, and if you’ve raised children, you’ve got it!
Jeanine suggested that taking interviews for jobs at all levels might lead to the right job down the road. If you make a positive impression in an interview but don’t get the job, you may be the right candidate for a future job opening at the company. You just never know. Hopefully soon you find yourself in Jeanine’s shoes: “Now I’m singing on the way to work!”
“You have to put yourself out there to find it”
Marla told us to stop blindly sending out resumes – “it just doesn’t work!” Petra volunteered at conferences in her field to build her network and stay current on the latest thinking. Jeanine got on the phone with a former colleague and found herself fast-tracked to an interview. While each of these women did it differently, the common thread was that they got busy growing their networks and connecting to people on a personal level rather than sitting at home behind their computer looking for a job.
One of our panelists compared job searching to dating – you have to meet people, talk about different possibilities and discover what you like and what you don’t.
What have you done today to connect 1-to-1 with someone who might be able to assist in your return to work? If you need guidance on conducting an informational interview, check out our blog on that topic – we’ll walk you through the whole process from start to finish.
“You are all amazing women with a skill set that could land you a job today”
The ever-upbeat Larissa reminded us of this very true (and confidence-boosting) fact. If you’ve been looking for a job for a while, you know that it’s hard work returning to work. Staying positive is so important when what you’re really selling is YOU – your skills and your presence as a team member. Don’t overlook all the amazing skills you developed while you were out of the paid workforce. Packaging these in a marketable way, owning them and being proud of what you bring to the table will make you a stronger job candidate. I believe in you!
Need more information? Take a look at the useful info on our site and visit our blog on positioning yourself for your return to work.
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