SIX TIPS FOR GETTING HIRED AFTER A CAREER BREAK
By: Harish Desai
Tags: Interview, Career Returner, Tips, Network, Career Break

Introduction

Are you considering joining the corporate world back, after a brief layoff? Are you a first-time mom who wishes to enter the mainstream to get back her money-making inertia? Are you a professional who has taken a break in his/her career to attend to personal issues in your life? Are you a divorced ex-husband who wishes to start making money once again to eliminate the guilt of spoiling a young girl’s life? Are you considering joining the corporate world once again, after completing a brief period of forced retirement? If you answer YES to any of the above questions, then, this article is for you. You may utilize the information present in it to be gainfully employed.

Tips for getting hired after a career break

Whatever your motive for taking a break, there comes a time when you will need to start making money once again. There will be times when you may feel anxious wondering whether you will be accepted back in the corporate world. You may also spend anxious moments worrying about your skills getting outdated during the break. You do not need to worry, as 4% of employees have taken a career break of six months or more. Research reveals that 73% of women take a career break for family reasons as opposed to 47% of males who take a break for personal reasons.

If the tips mentioned in this article are followed, it will not be difficult for you to get back to making money once again. These tips are not exhaustive. However, they may help people who have taken a break from their career for any reason. Following all of them or some of them will help readers surmount the hurdle of getting a job. It is important that you find time for yourself before you get back into the rat race. During this time, you can see in-wards to seek answers, which you seek. You can also go to watch a good movie. Doing so will help you get rid of boredom and help you find answers to your problems.

i. Assess your situation

It will be worth your while to not take up the first job that you can find. If you are not sure about a job, the interviewer will sense your uncertainty and will be very unlikely to consider you further in the hiring process. Secondly, if you take up a job that you do not enjoy, you will want to change the job as soon as you have joined it. At such times, it is better to re-assess your professional goals and decide finally, what you wish to do. You also need to assess what kind of support you have in order to perform the job you take up.

ii. Update your resume with your career break

If you are someone who fears that a career break will mar your career, you are wrong. You can always include your career break in your resume and explain it convincingly once an interviewer asks about it. While he is putting questions to you, the interviewer is assessing whether you will be able to do client handling. The way you handle his questions will give him more confidence that you will be able to handle his clients. At such times, if you are within the budget he has fixed for the position, he will always favor you. This is because you are saving your company’s money by sticking to the budget the company has fixed for the position.

iii. Network

If you have built up a network on any social media site or a networking site, talking to those contacts and asking for guidance before taking up the first job will go a long way in telling them about your condition and make them consider your candidature seriously for future opportunities in their respective companies. Reach out to your previous colleagues, clients, friends, and family. Let them know that you are seeking a suitable position. They may have the perfect job for you or they may be able to guide you in the right direction. This may also help you build references for any job application.

iv. Be prepared for an interview

Always be prepared to answer questions on your resume. There may be questions about your career break or your job changes or job profiles. The questions of the interviewer will help you judge the company’s requirements for the position. For example, if the interviewer asks you about your frequent job changes even after you have spent two years in each job, then it means he wants someone for the long-term. Therefore, you can give an offer accordingly, if you are looking for making more money in a short time or you are looking for a long-term opportunity at a low wage.

v. Look for a career returner program

There are companies who offer tailor-made returner programs. Deloitte is a case in point. Their program lasts for 20 weeks. It is aimed at both men and women who have taken a career break for whatever motive. JP Morgan is another company offering a returner program. It offers a global reentry program. This program offers professionals both networking and mentorship opportunities to senior executives who are looking for a job after a career break. If you do not have the resources to take a returner program, you can always start networking with your friends who are successful. It is always beneficial to be in the company of people who are positive in attitude.

vi. Be confident

You need to be aware that you are unique in your own way. You need to understand that there is no one like you to work for a particular company. Different people want different things from a job. You have to remember and keep in mind what your objective of taking up a job is. Depending on that objective, you have to conduct yourself when you are preparing for joining the corporate world after a small layoff in your career. The skills that you bring to the table are unique and they cannot be replaced. Therefore, be confident in your abilities and attend interviews.

Conclusion

Thus, we have seen the six tips to be followed when you are joining the corporate world back after a break. I reiterate that these tips may not be exhaustive, but they will help you get employment and help you fulfill your goals.