I want to fly. I want to run. But I can’t be bored at home anymore. I am done with this sabbatical. Are there any job openings? Child! Are you looking for work? Yes! I am, but how do you know and who are you? I am the goddess of careers. I know you didn’t look for work hard enough to find.
You took a break from your career without thinking it through. And now you’re full of regret! You’re right! What should I do now? Fast every morning for the god of jobs. And also vow to fast on a full moon night. You’re the greatest, goddess of career. Thank you!
I swear to donate pencils worth Rs. 11 after someone to write my cv. Not sure about these tricks, but it takes a lot of work to find a job after a career break. But no pain, no gain right? And because of the lack of self-trust and confidence a lot of us fail to do this properly.
Recruiters Hire Candidates
But don’t worry, recruiters these days are more than okay to hire candidates with a break on their resume. Some of them even have ‘Re-entry programs’ and ‘Returnships’ to help people join back the workforce. So watch this video till the end as we share with you some very important tips to help you resume your career.
Lie Or Hide On Resume
Thinking of it as the easy way out, some of us try to lie or hide this on the resume. But that’s one mistake you must never make. Be honest, transparent and explain your absence from the workforce. You might have to answer some difficult and tricky questions about your break. Having said that, you’re not obligated to answer any deeply uncomfortable personal questions.
Hiatus In A Positive Light
Instead, try to show your hiatus in a positive light. So if you voluntarily took a break to attend to your family then you can say – It’s possible that while you were away, a lot may have changed in the industry and it’s important to familiarise yourself with it. You will have to take some steps to do so.
Glassdoor.Com
A basic google search and an in-depth look at companies on Glassdoor.com should help you with this. You should study salary range, company reviews and trends related to your industry. Also look out for the skills mandatory for your updated job profile. Attend seminars and workshops.
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Great Way To Speed You Up
Online meets can be a great way to speed you up to all the new developments in your industry. These can prove to be highly informative, especially interviews with industry experts and leaders. Networking is literally the answer key to everything career related. So head to LinkedIn career community to understand a basic outlook of the industry, the big and new players, even jargons.
Get Advice On Joining Back
Connect with colleagues old and new to get advice on joining back. It’s advisable to use social media platforms to network with connections better and faster. A lot of people voluntarily take-off, to work on themselves and their craft, but for those who may have gotten laid off or had to take an involuntary break, it’s time to upskill yourself.
Cut-Throat Competition
Especially with a deeply saturated market and cut-throat competition, you have to have something more to offer than you did before. Not only will you enhance your skill set and confidence, the recruiter would also get a chance to see your learning and enterprising self. Which in our opinion is a great side to show. So assess your needs and accordingly take up some online courses or programs to make your resume look well-rounded.
Udemy, Upgrad, Courser And Edx
You can go to udemy, upgrad, coursera, edx and even google for some free and paid courses. You can use your career break to stand out in a pool of job applications. So add that to your resume and an explanation about it on your cover-letter. Impress your potential recruiter by highlighting your old skills that are relevant to the job you are applying to and the ones you acquired in your hiatus.
Online Courses
You could also list down the online courses you completed in the achievements section. Your resume should also speak with motivation and confidence so don’t shy away from being truthful about the gap and make up for it by showing your success. If you’ve some freelance work to show, mention that as well. This will increase the chances of getting a call back.
Quick Background Check
Adding references for a quick background check will help too. All your job seeking efforts will ultimately boil down to a job interview. So as soon as you receive that call back, make a list of the most asked questions and answer them accordingly. Practice these questions with someone at home and take feedback on how you can improve your answers.
