As hard as it is to sit out from the work race once you’re deep into it, it’s equally difficult to jump back in the swirl after you’ve been out of it for some time. Don’t you worry though, for here we are listing 11 ways to help you get back on your feet after a career break…
1. What did you miss while you were gone?
You may have been at the top of your game earlier, but things change at rocket speed in the corporate world. New people join in, new technologies come in and new ways of functioning are put to trial. Before you get back in the race then, pick up from where you had left. Talk around and understand what is it that employers are looking for in potential candidates and find a way to learn those skills.
Let this classy brown planner (Rs 799) be your best friend as you resume your job search.
2. Get your social avatar to do the talking
You were on a break and your Instagram and Snapchat were witnesses to brunches, movies and happy time spent with friends and family. Now that you’re gearing up to get back in the game, make sure your social media is testimony to this change too. If you’re a writer, post old articles, if you’re an artist, showcase your old work. Either way, make sure that your digital universe knows you’re once again looking for job opportunities.
3. Learn a new, relevant skill
It’s always better to refurbish your skills when you start over. Join a short term course to learn a relevant skill so that you feel confident about stepping into the industry even after a break. It’s going to additionally help if you’re making a career shift or changing industries. Plus, you’ll have a good reason to give to employers when they ask as to how you kept yourself gainfully occupied during your break.
4. Update your LinkedIn profile and your resume.
Your resume is the first countenance any employer will have of you, so you obviously have to update it. But you also have to know where employers go looking for candidates and make sure you’ve updated your profile on employment-oriented social media sites such as LinkedIn.
5. Get in touch with your old contacts
Your professional network and your contacts will take you where your education and your skill might not. Get in touch with old colleagues then and see where they’re working, what they’re doing and let them know you’re looking out for an opportunity to dive back in.
Let the book Reinvention Roadmap (Rs 731) help you take the first step.
6. Do not regret your decision to take a career break for it would show
Whether you took a career break to give more time to your family or to make a shift from the industry you’re currently working in – do not regret your decision. Of course, it slowed down the speed at which your career was progressing, but there’s a reason why you chose the break. Plus, the worst part about regretting your decision is that it’d show in all your interviews and that’s not something any employer would want.
7. Brace yourself for the interview and the questions.
When your employer asks you the reason why you took the break and what you did with your downtime, what will you tell them? Prepare yourself for this crucial question for it can make or break your interview. Frame your answer in a manner that the break you took sounds constructive, productive and well-thought-out instead of just spontaneous and reckless.
8. Know that joining the workforce won’t be as smooth as before. You’ll have to give yourself time
You started out at the lowest rung and climbed your way to the top, earlier. But now, after having taken a career break, you’re neither a fresher nor a leader. So it might be slightly difficult for you to navigate in this in-between role. Give yourself time to adapt, then. Don’t worry about not knowing how things work or how all of it feels new, for things will take their own time to fall into place.
9. Start searching for your dream job
This might just be the perfect time to look for your dream job. We’re presuming that having taken a break, you must be comfortable financially to take time out to review your past career decisions and decide where you want to move next. Look for jobs where your interest lie and then sit out for as many interviews as possible. It will add to your experience.
10. Sort your priorities
Kids, family, parents or education – whatever reason you may have taken a break for, now that you’re planning to join work again, make sure you sort it out. You don’t want to start over and have the same problem plague you again, right? So, get babysitters or fix weekends for your hobbies, but do what it takes to sort out your priorities so that they don’t get in the way of your work life later.
This motivational poster (Rs 140) will help you look at the bright side of things, always!
11. Start freelancing!
It’s not easy shifting from life-at-home to life-in-the-office. To get used to the change then, you can start freelancing at home. This would teach you how to juggle between both the worlds even before you actually join the race and also equip you with the required skills to take upon a job.
GIFs: Giphy
