5 ways to know where you stand after a career break

When you plan to get back to work after a break, it is crucial to understand your standing in the job market. A thorough research goes a long way in negotiating the salary at your new workplace. These five tips can help you know your value when you are job-ready.

Setting a base limit

What was your last drawn salary? It’s imperative to know where to start from. Typically, when returning to work, it helps to use your last drawn salary as a mediating point. Explore available jobs in your area of work basis your last role. Then compare to see whether you can get an opportunity that offers you a salary similar to or slightly higher than what you drew before your break. If you only find opportunities that offer a lower pay than that of your last drawn salary, it's time to re-skill and re-invent yourself. Sometimes, it is not the career break itself that affects your value. It is the rapid change in trends that potential employers feel a returning professional is not fully aware about.

Compare your profile

Browse job portals and cross check your educational qualifications, skills and experience with others in the field and with requirements posted by companies. Despite having the relevant years in your kitty do not overestimate your expectations. After a break, you may be lacking the new skills that your contemporaries acquired over the years. 

Ask professionals

Once your CV is ready, float it around among senior HR consultants and ask them for their inputs regarding your industry-readiness and value. This feedback will be useful in planning the next steps. 

What can be v/s what is

There are many websites like Glassdoor that offer a sneak peek into what you should be earning for a particular job profile. Some websites even consider your educational and professional attributes. Compare your results across the websites to get a run-of-the-mill picture.

Understand current market demand

When you left your previous job, you may have been at the peak of your career and your sector may be among the most flourishing. But given the volatility in the global markets, your profile may be witnessing a high attrition rate in the current scenario. In such cases, the availability of a candidate with a lower experience bringing the requisite value to the company at a lower cost may blemish your prospects. So, watch out for the latest employment trends to know your value.

By Neha Dewan with inputs by Paroma Sen

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