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There are millions of women especially mums who go on a break for a variety of reasons. You certainly are not alone in going on a hiatus and then looking at restarting your career.

Naturally, starting your career after a break doesn’t make it easy to get a job especially when the unemployment rates are reaching the skies.

Here are some tips to help you kickstart your career after a break:

Stay Positive

The last thing would be to create negative thoughts towards entering into the job market only because you feel that you do not have the skills anymore to stay ahead of the game.

You should be the last person in the world to stop yourself from going ahead and welcoming yourself into the job market that you were once so diligently a part of.

Acknowledge that you have grown as an individual in the break, and now you are once again all set to handle the professional reins in a much better way.

Promote Yourself

Don’t feel silly or shy in endorsing yourself. You should make it clear in your head that you are endorsing your skills that you know for sure are developed enough to suit the market needs.

There are so many legitimate ways to promote your skills, thereby, improving the credibility of your services.

Let the other players in the market know you are back. Put up yourself out there on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. Even having presence on a local online business directory.

Network

It will be unwise of you to underestimate the significance of networking while you are out there looking for a job.

Your LinkedIn jobs page will inform you about the next networking events happening in your city. Or, you could even seek for possibilities of establishing contacts with potential businesses via a prominent Australian local business directory.

Don’t stop networking, as it is a good platform to explain to decision makers about your professional status and your current needs.

Employers undoubtedly carry a fear that the potential employee (in this case, you) does not have the right skills as per the requirements and so were not employed for a long time.

Let them know the valid reasons for your break and, quite understandably, most of the time, they will empathise.

Prioritise your search

You might not be aware of this, however there are many global companies that have RESTART programs that focus exclusively on hiring women who are looking at coming back to the workforce after their breaks.

Research those companies who give employment opportunities to women for a second start in their career. I know General Electric (GE) has a restart program. I am sure there will be many such companies who would be more than happy to employee people with right skills and are ready to kick start their careers.

It’s never too late

When you want something to work, it never is easy. You have to remain assiduous and honest in your attempts. There are many women who have done better in their second innings than their first and there is no reason you can’t be one of them.

The key is to know that giving up is not the answer and striving hard is the only way out.

As an evolved person after the break, you will have a better understanding that it is not only about getting a new job, but also, enriching your life and taking it to another level.

Finding a job doesn’t have to be the tormenting process that some of us would anticipate. All you need is some hands on advice to keep in mind to get back to the workforce.

Stay focused and you will get through!

We’d love to hear your experiences in getting back into the workforce after having a career break, please share your comments below.

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  • Great suggestions and an informative article.

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  • definately get those skills up to par and even just refreshed. Cheers for this article

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  • Staying positive is the most important tip you can give any-one!

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  • These are fantastic tips. It can feel so disheartening trying to get back into it all

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  • These are great tips. A few of my friends do direct sales and I see them doing things like these

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  • good advice for those wanting to reenter the work force. But sometimes things are not that easy – e.g., networking, this doesn’t come easily to everyone.

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  • ive been trying for 3 years to find work after my partner passed away, leaving me after being a stay at home mum most of my adult life(im 52 now) with little to no workplace experience, sadly there seem to be several things working against me, there is more help around to assist returning to the work force if you have a criminal record than if youve been a stay at home mum, there is also ‘youth rates’ to battle with as it seems most of the big companies taking on staff for their first job etc want them as cheap as possible so in giving kids their ‘foot in the door’ in the workplace theyre slamming that door in the face of older potential employees. also in my case, im a kiwi so i have very little help available to me here in australia, my fiance was australian, our daughter is australian but as im not i have to basically fight this battle alone. Personally i believe there should be a push for a limit on the number of ‘youth rate hours’ a company can pay per week, its great to help youngsters starting out but if we;re going to be expected to work until we’re 70 there needs to be tighter control. contracts are mostly casual now and it also seems that some companies take on under 18’s and give them many hours per week , as they get older they cut back on their hours and pass them on to the younger ones again. this isnt fair to older workers or the kids involved to be used this way. just my thoughts :) right now my biggest struggle is im raising 3 kids in australia with no other family here and on my own finding work, cant afford to stay and cant afford to leave , its a total nightmare

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  • There are some great tips here. I think networking is particularly important and useful and it is amazing the types of people you already have in your personal networks that can extend to professional networks and help give you that initial kick start.

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  • Oh my goodness! Its so, so, so hard to get back into the workforce after a long break from work.

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  • Great advice here for parents looking to return to the work force. Very interesting reading, I’m super it will help a lot of people

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  • great

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  • Staying positive is always great advice!

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  • I’m about to head back into the workforce after a year off and have decided that now is the perfect time for a completely new career. I am lucky enough that i will eb able to indulge my creative side.

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  • good tips to follow,, i am one among those groups who are searching for,, will let you know once i get it.

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  • I found it really tough at first getting back into the workforce after having a career break; of course there were the endless job applications with very few responses and interviews with feedback but no success, I was struggling emotionally and financially. Despite everything I remained positive then undertook part time study and tafe followed by work placement and on the job experience. I am now employed and happy as ever; my advice hold your head high, never give up and believe that you can achieve.

    Reply

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