The truth is, many of us take career breaks, sometimes for 10 years or even longer.  Whether you have been a stay-at-home parent, stepped away after early retirement, undertaken elder care, faced health challenges or embarked upon an expat move, you’re not alone in wanting to return to work after a long absence.

It can be a daunting experience.  You might experience self-doubt, question your abilities or worry about how employers might perceive your skills and experiences.  There are also practical challenges. Take for example technological changes, or changes in industry practices and the associated pressures to keep up-to-date. If you are a parent you might need to figure out childcare, work out how you split the home duties and decide who is going to stay at home if a child is sick.

Gaining clarity after an extended career break

When someone approaches me for help after being absent from work for a long period, I love seeing them overcome the initial challenges of returning to work and then realizing the benefits of taking that leap. In my experience, clients have enjoyed benefits such as time to themselves during the morning and evening commutes (unless working remotely of course), having colleagues to talk to regularly and collaborate with who perhaps will become good friends, and last but not least the confidence boost that a return to work can represent. 

Returning to the workplace and achieving goals can be a reminder of the skills and experience individuals possess. It can also be an opportunity to learn new skills and develop professionally, leading to a feeling of accomplishment. Being part of a team can give a sense of belonging, further enhancing self-esteem.

Before jumping into the job search itself, I believe it’s important to (a) get clarity on the direction you are looking for your career to go; (b) have a strategy for networking; and (c) have a plan to bridge your skill gaps. 

My goal is to give you a head start in rebuilding your career through one of my most tried and tested exercises designed to help you gain clarity on your career relaunch. When you’re ready to begin, grab your favorite notebook, some colored pens, your favorite drink and snacks, and settle into a quiet, comfortable space to start brainstorming and reflecting. I hope you find it as helpful as my clients do!  If you’d like to receive the exercise in PDF form, please go ahead and join my mailing list. By joining, you will gain access to relevant and effective content in the form of actionable tips, exercises and insights to help you make positive changes to your working life. My passion for helping others reach their full potential drives me to continuously stay abreast of developments in the ever-evolving landscape of the workplace.   

1. First, identify your competencies – these are quite simply the knowledge and skills you have built over time which will eventually translate into your ‘interview stories’.

• Begin by writing out a list of all of your work roles (include volunteer positions): write down key responsibilities in each of them.
• Highlight strengths & interests: Circle the responsibilities you enjoyed the most and those you excelled at (think of these as ingredients!)
• Brainstorm career options: Based on these ‘ingredients’, start to brainstorm new career options, rather than specific jobs. Be open to everything! It helps here to have someone to bounce ideas off. You can use linkedin or other job search sites to get ideas of careers by searching for your key strengths and interests identified above.

2. Consider some critical elements important in returning to work

• Values/behaviors: think about the type of workplace culture you thrive in—do you want to be collaborating as part of a team? Are you looking for a creative environment?   When you are researching companies, be sure to check out their mission statement, community involvement and engagement as well as company goals.  If you connect with anyone from the company on LinkedIn, ask them about the culture of the company – including the values, their views on leadership and teamwork.

• Job Satisfaction: What gives you the most job satisfaction? Is it the nature of the work, its impact, or the rewards (financial or social)?

• Reward & Recognition: Consider your financial goals and needs, including benefits like health insurance, retirement plans and access to share plans.

• Work life balance: Consider your ideal work-life balance (schedule, location, flexibility).  Make a list of what is important to you.
It is likely you will need to make trade-offs between these factors to find the best fit.

3. Activate Your Network from the past

• Be brave and get yourself out there: Use LinkedIn and other platforms to announce your return to the job market.  LinkedIn is especially important to those looking to relaunch their career.
• Reconnect: Reach out to friends and past colleagues, current acquaintances, and new contacts from community or professional groups.  Don’t forget neighborhood friends and school friends if you have school age kids.
• Gather Information: Ask for advice on industry trends, valuable resources (e.g., books, podcasts, blogs), but don’t ask for job leads.  Also, look to attend networking events for the industries you are looking at so you can meet new people and learn about opportunities. Be interested in others and their purpose!

Your goal here is to make sure EVERYONE knows that you are looking to return to work and have an idea of the roles and industries you are targeting.  It is not for you to specifically ask for a job at this stage.

4. Regain Subject Matter Expertise

• Research & Learn: Catch up on new industry developments—products, services, market changes in the areas you are interested in.
• Learn new skills: Consider enrolling in courses or certification programs and ask for advice from experts to refresh your knowledge.  Plan a regular time in your calendar each week specifically for completing courses/certification programs.

Next steps in rebuilding your career

I hope this exercise helps you feel more prepared for your return to work. I’ve kept it simple to avoid overwhelming you, but for personalized and expert support, I offer career coaching for this specialized group. I can help with clarifying your career direction, how to upskill, networking strategies, starting the job search, researching employers, assistance with your resume or LinkedIn (including how to cover off career-breaks and highlighting skills gained during this time) and interview skills.

I am passionate about helping people gain the confidence to get back into the workforce. There is a lot to think about when returning to work, but with determination and proper organization, you can confidently relaunch your career. Please drop me a note here with any questions https://thriveworklifecoach.com/contact/

I have over 20 years HR experience working with managers and executives in large international organizations with a heavy focus on Recruitment, Executive development and Talent management, helping to prepare individuals for key strategic positions. In the last 10 years, I have been working with clients who want to make changes to their working life, whether that be going back to work after a career break, changing jobs or planning a career change.