Returning to work after being a stay at home parent is not an easy transition for people. Some think that they have become rusty while others feel like they have been left behind, leaving a huge gap on their professional lives. There are several questions that certainly are crowding in your mind but one might be keeping you up all night – Can I do it?
Fortunately, a lot of parents have gone through the same scenario and came out victors. It’s undoubtedly a huge undertaking, but with a few simple things in mind, you will certainly be back on track in no time!
Keep Your Connections Fresh
Reconnect with your old colleagues, meet up with people in your industry and maybe set up a coffee meeting with your old boss. Your professional connections are crucial because this will most likely help you find a new job. Additionally, there are also several online resources which keep you updated with job offers.
Acknowledge New Acquired Skills
Being a parent enables you to learn several other skills such as time management, multi-tasking, people skills and creative problem solving. Your experiences as a mother can be a huge asset, and you should acknowledge these skills because these help boost confidence and self-worth.
Build Your CV
One of the concerns that stay at home parents who plan on going back to work is their seemingly empty CV. To draw the attention from the gaps in your work history, one trick is to come up with a resume that is functional rather than chronological. This way, you can focus on your new acquired skills, successful benchmarks, and other achievements such as volunteer work or even work experience such as freelancing if you have any.
Determine a Workable Pattern
At the end of the day, you are a parent and you have a family to attend to. So make sure that you determine a flexible setup wherein you won’t compromise any side. For instance, you can have a delayed start or finish to allow you to drop off or pick up your kids from school, project working so that you can take a time off once the project is done, or even a home-based job. To be successful at this, you need to determine what would work best for you, your family and your job.
Believe in Yourself
Never think that you are incapable. There might be a couple of bumps along the way but if you believe in yourself and work hard for it, you will soon be the captain of your own ship.
Remember that even if you’ve been out of work for quite some time, you’re still you. It is a huge change and major adjustments will need to be done, but if you stay positive, determined and you give it your best, you will get to where you want to be – doing what you love for the people you love. Now, go out and break a leg!
*affiliate links may be used
Some fab tips here! I’ll be going back to work soon after 3 years of being a SAHM. I’m nervous but excited! X
Emma @sophieellaandme recently posted…#CaptureChristmasMagic
Believing in yourself is so important! My lack of self confidence stops me applying for so many things. xx
Charlotte recently posted…The Day You Say I Love You
That is a common issue nowadays in some places. Whenever they see old people applying for a job, they will automatically turn down their application. That should be implemented in any part of the world that if an individual can still be productive in the field of work, they should be allowed to work with it.