If you’ve stayed at home with your kids (or taken time off from work for whatever reason, really) and you’re ready to jump back into the paid workforce, it can feel daunting. But of course, it can be done and done well. Here’s how to find a job after being a stay at home mom.
Refresh Your Resume
It’s fine to have a gap in your work history if you’ve been doing unpaid work—raising your kids, caring for someone with an illness, etc. Life happens, so don’t worry about that. You can address it in your cover letter or interview.
You’ve probably even gained some valuable workplace skills like people management, time management, project management, and so on. If you’ve done any kind of volunteer work, you’ve gained some skills from that too. It’s great to include that on your resume.
Whatever your accomplishments are in paid or unpaid work, quantify them as much as possible. Use numbers, dollars, and percentages to describe how much, how often, how long, or how many. Find out how to use quantification to make your resume pop.
Get On LinkedIn
You must get on LinkedIn with a business-appropriate photo and compelling headline. Join groups in your field to inform yourself and start connecting with others. See some LinkedIn tips here.
Tap Your Network
Job seekers almost always have a much more extensive and varied network than they think they do. Your network is basically everyone you know (because you don’t know who they know). And everyone you know should know that you’re job hunting, as well as what kind of job you’re looking for. See job search networking tips here.
Over Prepare for Interviews
The best way to get the job offer is to wow them in the interview. That means going a step or two above and beyond what your competition will do. Find out as much as you can about the company and your interviewer. Learn the best answers to interview questions and practice delivering them. And most importantly, bring a 30-60-90-day plan to your interview. It’s like giving the hiring manager a test drive of you on the job. If they have any fears about hiring you, a 30-60-90-day plan will put them to rest. See how to knock their socks off with a 30-60-90-day plan and find out how to write a 30-60-90-day plan.
Consider Job Shadowing
Anyone returning to the workforce or switching careers should consider completing a job shadow. It gives you current, relevant information for your resume and will make your interview performance stronger. Read more about job shadowing here.
Work with a Career Coach
A good career coach can quickly spot potential issues, boost your confidence, and make you a much stronger job candidate. See how working with a coach can help you and what you should know before working with a coach. Find out more about Peggy McKee career coaching and schedule time here.
Remember: Be confident. We’re in a great job market, and you have skills. The important thing is to learn how to market those skills to employers. These tips will help. Best of luck.
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