Resume work after a pause in your career
An unplanned sabbatical or a planned break from your work can be as daunting as liberating for you. If you are resuming your work after a long time it can be a tough challenge for you. Depending on the situation a career break can work in favor or against it if you have not wisely planned and utilized your time during the break. HRs recruiting employees around the world demand a justified absence before hiring you. You need to be smart, not clever in working on your resume and cover letter which explicitly does not try to hide your career gap. Here is a list of some dos and don’ts that will be of value to you and help you prepare in reentering the workforce after a long absence.
The judicious use of your gap years
Unless your career break involves a paternal leave or any critical health casualty, the gap years cannot go unproductive. You can do fun blogging, freelancing, can work with an NGO or volunteer for various social programs. You need not always look for an involvement that has to pay, just get engaged with something positive and keep your brain cells alive. Suppose you want to take a break from your corporate world, then in those gaps, you can choose to be artistic, or creative with your time. Write personal accounts, travel places and you know what, you can work remotely or as a part-timer (to pay your bills) or as a freelancer; anything that suits your mood and attitude for positive outcomes. Participate in professionally oriented activities or fun social activities where you will get exposure and who knows you might find a job opportunity there.
Update your skills and resume
Many a time the trend of job profiles keep changing, let’s say marketing. The trend changes quickly, but there are also other career options that remain constant for a considerable amount of time. When you plan to re-enter the workspace, first brush your resume and you might need to update and learn new skills according to the current requirements of the industry. Elimination of outdated skills and credentials can be a good starter for you. Attend online classes and workshops that are career-oriented. Be thorough with the newsletters and podcasts that interest your work specialization, you will get updated with the current jargon meanwhile. Show that you have kept current.
Explain your Career Break
This part is very critical. you have to explain your career break which convinces the recruiters that you have a genuine reason and that you were not just lazing around. But the key is to keep it brief, also distill down your briefing. The key is to prove your work absence as a positive factor for yourself and recruiters as well. This positive attribute can help to put you in a positive light and can show as someone who is in for a long haul. Demonstrate that you are a worthy investment.
Display Accomplishments
Your resume needs to boast more things other than your job responsibilities and key skills. Feature the list of your appreciable accomplishments, for this, you can go beyond your comfort zone and volunteer for something that doesn’t involve your core competency. Take challenges and show that you are able to handle a diversity of situations positively.
Customize your job search
This is very necessary for you to keep in mind when you start searching for jobs, don’t choose anything because you think you have lost your experience over the absence. The experience stays and it will, sure enough, get you placed somewhere good that you deserve. You need to choose focus while job searching. Don’t just scroll down job offering websites, first research what you actually want to work with, set your priorities as an employee because if you end up in any job you might get easily frustrated because it might not suit your profile. This can badly undermine your confidence. So, narrow down your search of job and have patience, you might face rejection but you will get a good job in time.
Attend conferences & informational interviews
To be up-to-date with your industry you should attend conferences, seminars, and interviews that will provide you information regarding your work and you can also expand your connections. You can use these references during your job interview. Join the relevant groups on LinkedIn which will keep you in the loop. These meetings and seminars give you an exposure that is beneficial for every career-oriented person.
Last but not least what you can do is read other people’s stories to keep yourself motivated and get some useful tips from their experience. Don’t get upset and DON’T questions your worth if you face rejections. Take them positively and face challenges confidently. If you think that nothing is working out then you should consider taking professional assistance through a private career coach, a government-funded counseling agency or library job searches. You can always find us available to help you with such problems.
Fuzia with its dedicated team is always happy to help. We encourage creativity and work devotedly to make it less difficult for you. We wish you all the best for your future endeavors.