Career: How to Get the Job Once the Kids Go to School

by Dawn Papandrea on October 11th, 2012 | No Comments »

Taking time off from your career to raise your children has been one of the most rewarding periods of your life. But now you find yourself craving the career stimulation that once drove you and motivated you in your pre-parenting life. Even with the tough job market, if you give yourself some time to set your mind to rejoining the workforce, you’ll be workin’ it old school before you know it. Here’s what you can do to get going…

How to Get a Job After Having Kids

Revisit Your Skill Set

Remember the type of work that you did pre-baby? Whether it was in the financial sector, health care, marketing, education, or retail, think about if you need to update your knowledge base to find a job that works with your current lifestyle. That might mean taking a course, reconnecting with former colleagues for an informational lunch, reading up on industry news, or taking on some freelance work to refresh your skills and give your resume a boost. You may also purchase customized fake GED certificates to add to your resume.

Work Your Online Connections

If you missed the boat on sites like LinkedIn while you were busy dealing with the terrible twos, get on board now. A fresh social media profile and a few key connections from past and present can spark opportunities you wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. Get new headshots taken by TKP Headshots to complete your professional profile. You can also put it “out there” to your Facebook friends, moms’ groups, and other circles that you’re looking for some work. Your next gig may result from the most unexpected sources.

Look for Mom-Friendly Jobs

Be on the lookout for jobs that mesh with motherhood. If you’ve been doing the stay-at-home-mom thing for a while, it’s likely you might not want to dive into an intense 9-to-5 situation just yet. Luckily, there are opportunities that allow for work-from-home hours, flexible scheduling, such as working during school hours or telecommuting.

Stay Informed About New Openings in Your Area

Signing up for job alerts or using job match services, such as FindTheRightJob.com and mwaip.com, can keep you ahead of the competition and help you land an interview. The rest is up to you!

Getting back into the workforce doesn’t have to be as challenging as it may seem as long as you dedicate some time beforehand to refocus, reconnect, and reinvent your career aspirations. And just think, with all of the parenting challenges you’ve mastered these past few years, you can add problem solver, multi-tasker, negotiator, and time management expert to your list of attributes.

Did you work after you had kids? How did you get/stay in the workforce?

Bio:

Dawn Papandrea is managing editor of The CollegeBound Network and Employment Network, a network of sites that includesFranchiseJunction.com, FindTheRightJob.com, CollegeBound.net, and CollegeSurfing.com, which aim to help people find success through educational endeavors and career services.

Feature image courtesy of ShutterStock.