APU Careers Careers & Learning

From home to the field

By Cathy Francois, Guest Contributor

As a mother of two young children, I understand the challenges of managing a work/life balance. Sometimes in effort to maintain balance as parents we make the decision to stay at home to raise our children and/or go back to school full-time. However, stay-at-home parents may find reentering the workforce like trying to push through an invisible force field.  What can one do in today’s economy, where the job applicants are plenty and employers are less willing to take a risk on a candidate that has been absent from the workforce? The following are some tips to help break the barrier and transition back into the workforce this New Year.

Volunteer. This may be easier said than done, and does not necessarily mean being the head of the bake sale fundraiser committee for the PTA. Although it’s great work, be strategic and deliberate about the volunteer/internship opportunities you take on. Do a good deed and help yourself while helping others. Does it align with the career you left behind or the career that you are seeking to pursue in the future? Does it bring added value to your resume? Use your free time wisely. 

Network. If you’re thinking about leaving the workforce temporarily (short term or long term) for any reason, maintain the network you’ve already created. And if you’ve already lost touch, it’s time to reconnect. Remember the force field I mentioned earlier, keep it open; don’t put yourself in a bubble by disconnecting permanently. Thankfully, there are social networking platforms that make it easier to do precisely that, like LinkedIn and Facebook. Keep your face in the place; have lunch with former coworkers occasionally or crash the company Holiday party (they will be glad you came), after having reached out to a former boss, or HR specialist, of course. In general, continue to make connections and stay connected with the workforce while staying read up on trends and changes in your industry of interest. Forming and keeping your network “alive” will make it easier to put the word out when you are ready to go back and to have references.

Think Outside the Box. Sometimes, if you can’t find a door, you just might need to build one. As the previous statement implies, it’s easier said than done. However, it’s important to open yourself up to new opportunities. Depending on your skill set you may be able to enter the workforce as an independent consultant or apply your skills in a different area where there’s a higher demand.

In conclusion, all the points made are futile without persistence. Remember: even if you are on the bench, you still have to keep up your game for when it’s time to get back onto the field.

Comments are closed.