It was a bitter sweet moment when I hugged my youngest kid at the school gate as she started her first day at school. I was happy to see her so excited about school, but was also feeling quite wistful about the kids growing up so fast. It didn’t seem that long since I was nursing her.  I have also started to think about getting back into the workforce. For the past seven years I have been busy raising a family, and so put my career on hold, but I’m now ready to go back and am feeling a rusty with my outdated skills and lack of experience. I don’t know where to start. Do you have any suggestions?  Barbara

Hi Barbara

Returning to the workforce after a few years gap can be a great time to re-evaluate your career and life goals. Try the following steps:

1)    Get clarity around your career goals.
If you are unsure of your career direction then completing career assessments, attending career planning workshops, and having conversations with a professional career counselor will help you sort out and clarify what you hope to achieve in your life and career.

2)    Develop concrete steps to help you achieve your goals.
Write down the action steps you need to achieve your goals ensuring that you address any of the barriers that you may potentially face with each step.

3)    Research your field(s) of interest.
If you are clear on your career direction, but want further information on the industry or specific job,  try talking to some of the people working in that field, both employers and employees. Research information about current, detailed industry requirements, and ask about the future prospects and pay rates. You may find that you need to brush up on your qualifications through skills training or  upgrading. Speak to a qualified employment counselor about training options and potential funding options.

4)    Consider volunteering to gain experience.
If you already have the necessary skills but are not up-to-date with work experience, seek out opportunities where you can volunteer in your field of interest. This will help in a number of ways. It will give you direct and relevant knowledge of the industry. It will also provide you with recent work experience, offer you networking opportunities and give you a professional reference for your resume.

5)    Get job search ready.
Finally, if you know what you want to do and have the current skills as well as the experience required for the job you seek, then you’ll need to develop a top notch resume and cover letter to highlight your qualifications to their best advantage. Ensure that your resume effectively targets your work objective and demonstrates why you should be considered for the job.

As  you start to plan your return to the workforce consider using it as an opportunity to discover a new career direction and opportunities to find work that is fulfilling and meaningful to you. See it as a fresh start in finding employment where you can be more aligned with your values and life purpose.

Ask the Career Expert is a regular feature of Kootenay Career Development Society.  If you have questions you would like to ask the Career Expert, would like to share your own experience of looking for work in Nelson and area or any comments, please contact us at admin@kcds.ca