Want to see the professional in you rise again?? Want to be back in your professional realm?? Well, we have got your back with some tips and tricks which can prove immensely helpful for you in restarting career. Career breaks can be of many types and due to vivid reasons like maternity, higher studies, etc. Having taken it once, it accounts to be one of the tedious tasks to step back into your job profile. So, before we understand how to get back to work-life let’s first make an effort to understand what are the types of breaks taken and how they can be used to your advantage! So, they are three types enlisted here:-
1. MATERNITY LEAVES:- The most common kind of break taken by women is maternity leave. Especially, in a country like India, we possess plenty of well-qualified females who, when once go on maternity leave, never seem to turn around to the professional realm. The reasons to which are many ranging from, confidence level depletion to lack of time. The biggest hurdle they face, in this, is the lack of an updated self and hence confidence! Larger the duration of your break, farther you are from the work environment. But if you keep your skills on point, you always have an upper hand on your employment terms. Having been back from your maternity leave, you can look for the companies which provide work hours relaxation for your childcare.
2. UNPLANNED BREAKS:- There are plenty of circumstances in life which are absolutely unplanned and in lieu of which we have to take breaks. In such situations, try hiding the apologetic undertone in your curriculum vitae. Don’t mention it in a sad manner. Your curriculum vitae should be reflective of positivity and nothing else. Your next employer should not have an impression of you being a past dweller! Keep such reasons short. Even if you were fired or something, try speaking it straight to face else these companies have lots of links within and it’s absolutely easy for them to pull up references, and catch you red-handed!
3. PLANNED BREAKS:- There’s this third type of break called planned ones. At a point in your career, you may have a soul calling when you will realize that you should take a break. It can be your conscious decision. So, having taken it up so rigidly, you must make up your mind completely before you choose to return back.
Your current CV should be extremely reflective of your commitment to the job lest your future employer feels you will leave in no time. Put up the exact reason why you took that break, but in a concise manner. If you took this break to enhance or add up to your existing set of skills, then this can act as one of the best ways to convince your employer. At a pace on which the throng is turning blindly competitive, taking a career break can seem like one of the most absurd things to do, but having known the right way to do it, it can work wonderfully in your favor.
Tips To Be Back Your Career With A Kickstart
Now, let’s come to the points to be kept in mind:
- JOB ANALYSIS:- Identify the kind of job you want to step into. It can be either the old profile you exhibited or a new one in the same genre! Try charting it out on the basis of time available for childcare, salary requirements, etc. Also, it should be we thought why you want to work apart from the monetary issues. It can be anything ranging from a passion to a long-lost dream that you want to fulfill. Analyzing it on these grounds will help you in figuring out the best deal for yourself.
- INDUSTRY UPDATES:- This is one of the most important aspects in fetching you a new job. You must be well aware of the recent changes in your industry. Having taken a career break, it becomes really tough for you to know the tit-bits of your industry. So, take some time out daily to look up to the new developments done. Joining sites like LinkedIn, Quora etc. can prove to be beneficial for this purpose as it broadens your network.
- SKILL UPDATES:- Having chosen to come back to your job industry, you should be well aware of the skills being demanded in it. Many of these skills are available as online courses which you can easily get admission into. Watching informative videos from experts of your field can also be a beneficial consideration.
- A JOB READY SELF:– Try having yourself all done up for fetching a job. Whether it’s about updating your LinkedIn profile or your pictures on social media, do it all in no time. Also, a good hack to avoid career break is not to mention qualifications in a chronological manner. If you mention it that way, chances are that your profile may not be paid much heed! Also, make a list of probable questions that can be put up and practice answering them all confidently by looking at yourself in a mirror.
- EXPLAINING THE GAP:- Taking a gap can be well dealt with if done in a good manner. Avoid lying about the reasons. Keep it simple and concise. Explain it in not more than one single sentence and don’t avoid eye contact with the interviewer when you do that. Also, try shifting the focus of the conversation from your break to your pre-break job life.
Having understood these points well, there’s a maximum chance of you coming out victorious out of the interview room! We understand what all a woman goes through when she is on a break and honestly it’s not an easy deal to come and mingle up in the pace. But to have yourself empowered and standing on your legs, you have to go forth with this!
Wish you luck! 💚
Also Read: How Does A Woman's Career Change After Having A Baby?