Raising children is a full-time job.
And if you’re a stay-at-home parent watching your little ones head off to school for the first time, you might be considering returning to your career.
This can be an intimidating prospect and you might find barriers that you hadn’t expected; industries are moving faster than ever before, and you probably feel as though you’ve been left behind.
If you’re ready to return to the work force, then check out this handy guide that will make that transition a little easier.
Upgrade Your Education
Gaining further qualifications is a great way to differentiate yourself from your job hunting peers – and if you’ve been out of work for a while, a shiny new qualification is a great way to show employers that you’re still developing your professional skills.
As a parent, returning to university can be tricky. However, with a distance learning institution such as Anglia Ruskin University, you can study flexibly, allowing you to fit your study around your other responsibilities.
Update Your CV
As a stay-at-home parent, you’re going to have gaps in your employment history. However, use this as an opportunity to fill it in with other activities. Perhaps you volunteered for your local community? Maybe you helped out at playgroup? You’ll be surprised by the number of transferable skills you’ll have gained.
Resist the temptation to answer employment gap questions with responses like ‘worked full-time as a stay-at-home mummy.’ We know it’s a full-time job, but you don’t want to risk irritating potential employers who might disagree on that fact.
Spruce Up Your Social Media
Tidying up your online presence is important, particularly when applying for new jobs, and be sure to update your privacy settings if you don’t want recruiters to have access to your content.
Instagram might be great for posting photos of your little ones, but in the job market, Linked In still rules the roost. Make sure you have a professional looking profile to attract potential employers.
Use Your Connections
Just because you haven’t been in the work force, doesn’t mean you haven’t been making connections.
Think of all the parents you meet at the school gates? What do they do?
Invite them out for coffee, get to know them. They might have an in for you. Sometimes it really is who you know, rather than what you know.
Practice for Interviews
Interviewing is hard for everyone, regardless of how long you’ve been out of the office.
Practice in the mirror beforehand to make sure that you master a tone of confidence.
Research interview questions and start preparing general answers that will still apply regardless of how the questions are worded.
And don’t forget to dress the part, it’s always a good idea to slightly over dress for the role that you’re applying for, that way you’re sure to look smart enough.
Returning to the work after a career break is hard, but with these five tips, you’ll be sure to land the job of your dreams.
How have you found returning to your career after having children? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
