If you are a stay-at-home mom and have been thinking about going back to work, or will be planning to when the kids are in school, then it can feel like an overwhelming idea, but overall exciting. The reason being is that it can be good to be doing something different to break up the day, bringing in your own income to the home, and generally using your mind for other things (at least for part of the day)! But as you have been away from the workplace, that can be seen by some employers as a gap in your resume. So how can you show off your skills and get back into the groove of working, when you have been out of it for a while? Here are some tips to help you get to the top of the interview pile, and get back to a career if you’re ready to do do.
Review the Basics
If it has been a while since you have looked at your resume or sent out a cover letter, or even been a while since you have had a job interview, then you need to review things and get up to scratch. While you aren’t applying for your first ever job, as you’ll already have some experience, it can still be worth freshening up on interviews and the application process, such as:
- Updating your resume is a must. It is the most important thing that can help to showcase what you have to offer. A cover letter that clearly showcases what you are looking for, as well as your skills, is a must.
- Getting yourself profiles on sites like LinkedIn can be a really good idea as it can be a great way to network. Depending on the industry that you are looking at, you could also make sure that your social media profiles are looking smart and slick too.
- Do some research on interviews, and the kinds of questions you should be looking at. There are a lot of tips online, and having some talking points ready to go can help you when it comes to the interview process.
Educate Yourself
If you have been a little bit out of the workforce, then there could be some basic skills that you need to educate yourself on. It could be that you need to work on an Excel spreadsheet, for example, especially if you are planning to work in an admin kind of role. You should also think about studying online to go for a different kind of role completely, such as studying for a BBA online or perhaps a masters. So then when you are looking for a job, you might want to increase your earnings potential and career potential, before you get back into the workforce.
It’s common now for people to change careers completely more than once in their working lives. Really think about what you would like to do. Some women find that their interests and ambitions change completely and they want to move into teaching or retrain as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP). There’s no reason you can’t retrain for an entirely new career direction. Do some research and find out FNP roles and responsibilities to see if it’s something that you can see yourself doing.
Have an Explanation for Resume Gap
When it comes to putting together your resume, then you might want to focus on your previous career, or perhaps on your volunteer work. But there will be a gap from when you were at home. It could be simply telling them what you did, worked as a stay-at-home mom for the past few years. If so, focus on the things you have done and learned during that time. Employers might not think that a career from seven years ago is relevant. So make sure that you explain your time well.
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