Many things can take you away from the workforce. Perhaps you took a leave to raise your children, to take care of an ill or elderly family member, or to travel the world or find yourself. Eventually, though, you might find yourself wanting to return to the workforce after years away.
The process of re-entering the workforce after a prolonged absence can be daunting. You now have gaps in your resume. You’re out of date with the goings on in your industry. Your skills might be rusty. And you might not know where to start your renewed job search.
You could be scared, nervous, and stressed at the thought of looking for work again. Don’t worry—you can ensure a smooth return to the workforce by following these tips.
1. Update Your Skills
Depending on how long you’ve been out of the workforce, you might feel a little less confident about the skills you acquired and used in the past. After so much time away, you could feel like your skills are rusty. Some of your skills might have become obsolete as well. Technology changes quickly and programs you might have used in your past jobs might have been replaced with programs that you do not know how to use now.
You don’t have to let this hinder your job search. Ensure a smooth return to the workforce by first updating your skills. There are many open online courses that you can take. You can also consider attending your local community college or public technology-based skills courses in your area if you prefer a more traditional learning environment.
2. Keep an Open Mind
If you’ve been away from the workforce for years, you must realize that things have likely changed in your previous industry. Your old job might now be obsolete or the role might be vastly different from what you remember. Ensure a smooth return to the workforce by keeping an open mind. Changes in technology or new innovations might have also created new career opportunities in your field. You might have to adjust your expectations.
3. Network
Networking is critical to a smooth—and quick—return to the workforce. Consider who you know from your past work life and what organizations you were involved in. Many people have successfully networked their way back into work. Reach out to past colleagues, supervisors, and acquaintances. You might be able to find the right job by building relationships through networking, or at least gain new referrals and references.
4. Consider Temp Work
Taking time off from the workplace means that you have gaps in your work history. Seeing that the last time you worked was five or ten years ago can be a big red flag for potential employers. You can easily combat this problem by taking on temporary work before jumping back into the permanent, full-time workforce.
Temp work can offer you many advantages. It can help you learn new skills and refine old ones. It can connect you with people in your industry that can help you find permanent work. And it can add much-needed experience to your resume, while also helping you decide what type of work you’re now interested in doing.
5. Engage a Staffing Agency
Looking for work after a long absence can be daunting. You might not know where to start, what options to consider, how to update and fix up your resume, or how to impress interviewers. A staffing agency can help. When you partner with a staffing agency, you’ll get the career advice, recommendations and job-search assistance that you need to ensure a smooth re-entry.
Contact Liberty Staffing to get back into the workforce today.
