About Jobs: A Woman’s Guide to Returning to Work After Being Out of the Market
It’s often difficult for a recently divorced woman to return to work after an extended absence after taking time off to be a homemaker or stay-at-home mom. While the emotional ramifications will typically be significant and your need to return may be financially driven, there are other potential obstacles to returning to work in a job that’s comparable to the one you left.
To compensate for the gap in your resume, it’s often necessary to focus on your education and skills and put less emphasis on your employment history. So instead of utilizing a traditional resume format, you might opt to use a skill-based resume format. A resume book or online career websites, such as Monster.com or Hotjobs.com, will offer resume formatting advice for a skill-based resume.
Depending on the type of career path or specific job you’re pursuing, one way to find the best possible job opportunities, including the ones that aren’t advertised, is through networking. Talk to the people you know. Pinpoint a handful of companies you might want to work for, and then find people who will be able to make a personal introduction for you to those employers. Personal referrals are one of the best ways to get your foot in the door with a potential employer.
Friends, relatives, spouses of friends, past professional acquaintances and your college’s career guidance office, for example, might be able to provide valuable leads about job openings. Newspaper ‘help wanted’ ads, career-related websites, plus attending industry trade shows and job fairs are other sources for potential job leads.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 63 percent of all jobs were found by job seekers through networking, not through responding to job listings,” said Robin Ryan (www.robinryan.com), a career counselor and career book author. Focus on jobs you’re qualified for. In doing so, consider all of your options, including job opportunities offered by small, medium and large-size companies, as well as with various government agencies and non-profits. Figure out exactly how much money you need to earn, and then focus on pursuing positions that will meet your salary requirements.”
Part of setting your budget and determining how much money you need to earn involves being realistic. While you were married, you might have driven a BMW with a $1,200 per month payment. Now, you may need to drive a Honda Civic that has a $250 monthly payment, because that’s currently what you can afford,” said Ryan, who also recommends that women update their wardrobe prior to kicking off their job search efforts.
Many women who have been out of the workforce for a while don’t understand what ‘business casual’ means in today’s working world. I recommend asking your employed friends, reading magazines, and looking at what people are wearing at the companies you want to work for. Determine what’s appropriate. Dress pants with a nice blouse or jacket are usually acceptable. If you’re a manager, executive or business professional, chances are a business suit will be more appropriate, especially for the job interview. Look like you’re focused on success. Wear contemporary clothing and have a current hairstyle,” added Ryan, author of “60 Seconds And You’re Hired (Penguin Group).” A new edition of this bestselling book will be published in January 2008.
CONSIDER TAKING CLASSES
If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, consider taking classes to bring your skills up-to-date. Then, focus on applying for jobs you’re qualified to fill at family-friendly companies,” but understand that it might be necessary to accept a job that is a few rungs lower on the corporate ladder than the position you once held. While you’ll usually probably be able to work your way up to higher-level jobs quickly, you’ll probably need to prove yourself to the new employer.
Ryan, who has also appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “Dr. Phil,” explained, First and foremost, before you start looking for work as a newly single mom, you need to have a solid daycare situation in place for your children. This includes having a plan and backup plan for when your child gets sick, when they’re on vacation from school, or when you have to work overtime. Be prepared to discuss your plan with potential employers. Demonstrate you’re focused on your career and won’t become a liability to the company.”
Nancy Collamer, a career coach, founder of www.jobsandmoms.com, and creator of “The Back-to-Work-Toolkit: A Guide for Comeback Moms” (www.backtoworktoolkit.com), recommends investing in job training. One of the best ways to calm your anxiety about the job search is to improve your technical and job-related skills.In addition to the degree programs sponsored by colleges and universities, investigate some of the less expensive educational options offered through on-line courses, adult education programs, industry-specific workshops and business school training courses.”
Another way to brush up your job-related skills, while earning a paycheck, is to take on temporary employment with a temp employment agency. Even if you’ve only been out of the workplace for a few years, you may be surprised by the changes that have taken place in today’s office environment. Temping can help ease the transition into the workplace of the 21st century by allowing you to test out new equipment and practices, within a relatively risk-free environment. Temping can also be an excellent way to secure permanent employment, so approach your temp assignments with a serious attitude. You never know when an employer might have a job opening that would be a perfect fit for you,” said Collamer.
As you’re creating your resume and cover letter, avoid mentioning your recent divorce or the fact that you’re now a single parent who will need to juggle a career with motherhood. When it comes to discussing your situation with potential employers during a job interview, be proud of your past professional accomplishments and focus on them, but be equally proud of the time you’ve spent as a homemaker and stay-at-home mom.
Explain that you feel fortunate to have been able to be home with your children while they were young; emphasize that you have gained valuable skills during this time period; then quickly steer the focus of the discussion back to your interest in the job.Whatever you do, never apologize for your decision to stay home or make excuses about why you didn’t return to work earlier,” stated Collamer.
DEVELOPING A PITCH
Collamer said you should have an “elevator speech,” which is “an effective but brief description of yourself and your job objective, delivered in 120 seconds or less.Once you develop your pitch, you’ll be using it for networking, socializing and in response to that perennial job interview question, ‘So, tell me about yourself.’ Think of it as your own commercial that should captivate your audience and motivate them to learn more.”
Your pitch should include the job or position you’re looking to fill, why you’re qualified to fill it, what problems you can help the potential employer solve and how you can help the employer achieve its objectives. You’ll want to backup whatever statements by describing experiences and/or explaining what related skills you possess.
Developing a powerful pitch takes practice. Write it out. Rehearse it, and then try it out on your friends and professional support team. Ask for suggestions on ways to improve it. Remember, the key to an effective pitch is to make it crisp but pertinent, providing enough information that the listener gets a good general outline, but not so much detail that their eyes begin to glaze over. Deliver your pitch with energy to help convey your enthusiasm and genuine interest in your career,” said Collamer.
As you conclude your pitch, mention (but don’t harp on the fact) that you’re a re-entry candidate. Collamer recommends saying something like, Over the past three years, I’ve been home with my children. While I was home, however, I took several accounting courses and did some freelance accounting work for a small business. Now, I am looking forward to going back to work and learning more about this opportunity.”
In addition to work experiences, you can describe skills you have acquired doing volunteer work, raising your kids, managing your household or by participating in internships, for example.Collamer added, Give enough information to address the elephant in the room and move on from there. Delivering a convincing two-minute pitch about yourself can be difficult, particularly if you feel uneasy about your market position. Practice will pay off.The more you rehearse, the more convincing you will sound.”
Ryan stated, Employers will place a value on your skills and experience doing volunteer work, so focus on how you’ve spent your time outside of the working world and determine what skills you’ve been using that are marketable. For example, maybe you’ve been planning events for your local PTSA. Event planning and organizational skills are useful in the workplace. If you coordinated schedules for your child’s sports team, scheduling is also a skill that can be applied on-the-job.”
Remember, you are not alone as a single mom who is now forced to return to work. By seeking out jobs with family-friendly employers, you’re more apt to find people who will understand your situation. Never look at your situation as being a crutch or make excuse for it. If you’re able to effectively demonstrate to an employer that you possess the skills, knowledge, personality and experience they’re seeking, you will get hired.
