For anyone who has taken an extended period of time off work, trying to get back into the workforce is always a challenge. And for mothers who have taken time off work to have or raise their children, re-entering becomes even harder. The workplace is a dynamic landscape and will continue to change no matter who is actually in the office, but for mothers, it can often seem like they have been pushed completely out of their position whilst they were away. There are a lot of unfortunate biases that mothers can face on their return to the workforce, and it is worth learning how to safeguard yourself and prepare for what is to come.
Figure out where you stand
If you’ve taken a lot of time off work, then you should expect questions from any prospective employer. Make sure you have a good explanation to fill in the gap in your work history. Most people won’t hold it against you that you took the time off work to look after your children, but it is important to keep in mind that things have changed.
Before you decide to look for work, make sure to dust off your resume and give it a complete overhaul. Even if you don’t have any new experience or work to tack onto it, giving your CV a revamp will get you in the right frame of mind to be searching for work.
See what work lifestyle works for you
In the time since your last position, it is likely that the workplace climate has shifted, so have a look to see what areas are hiring and if they appeal to you. There are likely to be new opportunities opening up, and chances that you might not have considered before having a child. Your priorities will have shifted with your children, so see if there might be a position that allows you to work from home and spend more time with your family. Otherwise, if you were working 60 hour weeks before you took time off work, you might want to think about a position that gives you more time at home.
Work on your skillset
If you’ve taken a break from work but want to make some additions to your resume, look to see what skills you can hone and develop that will look good on your CV. Employers will value that you have taken the time to work on yourself, and it will also open up a range of opportunities.
If you already have the skills but don’t have a formal qualification to justify them, see what you can do to have those skills recognised. It will certainly stand out to new employers
Try something totally different
But maybe your return to the workforce is the best time for you to try something different and pursue a different avenue. If handling your family life is more important to you, try for a career path that will give you the time you need at home. Otherwise, now is the perfect time to try for a career that can add more excitement to your life, particularly with all of the new options available to you.
Working in areas like bookkeeping and accounting can help make the change that you might need to suit your new life, and they are just two of the options that National Training can open up to you with our range of certificates to help you jumpstart your new career.
