A lot of women take job breaks to give time to their priorities. These career breaks may be because of marriage, pregnancy, taking care of the kids/family, or taking time out for oneself. After this break, women often get stuck thinking about whether they should rejoin their workplace or start searching for new opportunities. Even after deciding to return, they have many questions that remain answered. 

Are you one of those who want to restart their professional journey but do not know how to? Or is your mind throwing questions at you making you think about rejoining? Here are ten tips to help you get back to work after a career break.

10 Tips To Get Back To Work After A Career Break

1. Trust That You Can

It is all in the head, they say. Your mind is what drives you to take action. Getting back to work after a long period can bring moments of hopelessness. To deal with such situations, you must sit with yourselves at times and reflect. 

Relive your life situations of failures and success. Ask those who took a break about their journey. Experienced mentors can regain your lost confidence since you have a live example in front of you. Trust yourselves that you will reach the goal point. Do not hesitate to ask for hope from your close ones and trusted communities.

2. Make A Plan 

Before starting anything, we have many points in our heads. Chances are that these facts can create obstacles of unclarity. That is why planning is the first step to putting your decision into action.

Based on your prior work experience, try to have a clear answer for some of the basic questions. For, e.g.,

• How to start working
• Which sectors or industries do you not want to work with
• What salary range to apply for
• Which platforms to use for applying like LinkedIn, etc.

You can put your thoughts on paper and write all the questions. Having a concrete plan will result in quality actions. A clear plan works as an effective tool to evaluate your steps and understand what points you need to rework. It also works as valuable feedback on your strengths and weaknesses.

3. Gather Family Support

Having the support of your family while you get back to work is like a cherry on the cake. Involve your family members as you plan. Your family members will only be a strong pillar if you let them before applying for jobs. You will be surprised when they give you suggestions you had never thought of. 

Getting family support onboard can be challenging but will work in the long run. 

4. Research New Market Trends

In this rapidly growing environment, things change constantly. One needs to be informed about all the current news and happenings. Due to a career break, there is a possibility you may have left out knowing about the recent market trends. So, having all the information and news about your profession becomes significant.

Start researching the related topics of your profession. Be a part of local groups that involve interactions with good profile people. It will keep you updated and help in leaving the old workstyle.

5. Upgrade Your Skills

If you find you lack skills, upgrading your mastery will boost your resume. Nowadays, many online platforms like SHEROES offer online certification courses. You can benefit by enrolling and brushing yourselves with the recent market trends.

If time permits, you can also volunteer for a practical experience. 

6. Give Your Resumes And Network A Makeover

Before applying, have a look at your old resume. Reconnect with your old connections and connect with the new ones. Why do your resume and your professional network need a change? Let’s get the answer to this question before you start afresh.

Benefits of updated resume

• Your experiences stand out while applying

• Enables you to reach efficient organizations

• It helps you to be on par with candidates who did not face a break

Benefits of change in professional network 

• The updated network makes you aware of the current openings.

• Easy to get referrals.

• Advice and suggestions always are a big yes.

You can rebuild your resume with the help of short online courses from Glow & Lovely Careers.

7. Get Your Break Story Straight

Everyone comes across life moments where priorities change. Taking a break should be a story of pride and not embarrassment.

Pick up the points as to how this employment break helped you grow personally and professionally. Present this story first to yourselves to give you the confidence to crack interviews. Eventually, you will be prepared to face this question as and when asked.

Keep your break story genuine. Employers appreciate the fact when you give them the correct details and be honest with them. Fake information may help you reach a place faster, but it may not keep you at that place for a very long period. Thus, always believe in the quote, ‘Honesty is the best policy.’

8. Start Applying For Freelance Or Remote Opportunities 

There was a time when working remotely or applying for freelance jobs was not in trend. But, post-covid, it has become relatively easy for many companies to roll out job profiles allowing them to work from home. 

You can also work on freelance projects, which allow you to be flexible with timings. Freelance working can pay you after you complete a particular assignment or can pay you a fixed monthly amount.  

As they say, there are endless roads to reach the destination. Once you start exploring, you automatically find your preferred paths. 

9. Value Your Time And Energy

You might face red flags asking you to settle for a low salary, overqualified job scope, or other unaccepted terms. But, being on a career break does not make you less qualified. At times like these, you need to go back to point one and remember why and from where you started. Creating boundaries from toxic work cultures makes you value your time and energy.

Career breaks bring along with them a fresh perspective on life. Hence, adapting to work cultures that take away your energy is a deal to be missed!

10. Be Patient In The Whole Process

Getting back to work after a long time requires adjustments so you can get frustrated quickly. Hence, patience and consistent efforts play a vital role in this process.

It is essential to keep reminding yourself that you have reached here. That proves you have the will to restart your professional career. Good things always take their time. Remember; do not stop trying and be patient with yourselves and progress.

Declutter your mind by taking regular breaks. Physical exercises, meditation, yoga, etc., push your mental health positively. It will make you achieve a slow but steady win in your professional career.

We hope the above-mentioned little points will make you in charge of your decision to relive your professional life. The topics will require your consistent efforts to give you the desired result.

Which of the above tips made you proud of your decision? Or helped you the most to act on your decision? Do let us know in the comments section.

Join Glow Lovely Career Community on SHEROES to stay ahead in your career and excel in your professional life. The community offers chat consultations with career experts who support you in achieving a personal and professional work-life balance. Get on board with a career guidance expert by joining the Glow Lovely Career Community on the SHEROES App now!