How to Restart Your Career After A Hiatus

Taking a break from working can be just what we need to clear our minds and rejuvenate our energy. However, taking a long hiatus may affect your career trajectory. So, how can you get back on the horse like you never left? Here are some tips to consider.

Sort all your issues out

If you paused your career for a family and got a divorce, then meet an attorney specializing in child support in Fort Worth to come up with a proper plan for child care and custody. The attorney will take up the matter in family court if negotiations fall through. If there was a death, sort out the taxes, debts, and other matters. The same applies to illness.

Prepare your resume

Your resume will have a career break, which some employers consider a red flag. You need to explain this in clear terms, and honesty is the best policy. Explain clearly if you had to leave to care for a loved one or children.

The explanation gives your potential employers some closure and guarantees that you’re willing to work and not leave soon after. You can include your roles while on hiatus on your resume as well. Add a homemaker or caregiver, depending on what you did during that time.

Fix your online presence

Beside your resume, you need to update other professional profiles, such as your LinkedIn. Update the information as well to reflect your current situation and optimize the profile for new roles. LinkedIn allows job seekers to add a banner notifying recruiters that they are looking for work. This may come in handy.

Also, check your other social media pages to ensure that they are as professional as possible.

Network

Networking isn’t exactly a fun activity, but considering your long hiatus, you’ll need to network to get yourself back out there. Contact old mentors and professionals in your field and find out if they know of any vacancies.

It also helps if you attend seminars and conferences in your field. You can also opt to change fields entirely, but this can be risky, especially if the new field requires fresh education. It all depends on what you want to do.

Sharpen your skills

Things change every day, and new technology comes into the picture. You need to improve your skills to meet the current demand. Depending on your field, you can check certification courses and their requirements. If you’re a member of a professional organization, then you need to pay your membership fees as well.

You can also focus on self-development and take courses in your free time. There are lots of free courses online for this purpose.

Practice, practice, practice

As you prepare to reenter the workforce, you need to prepare for interviews. Practice as much as you can with other professionals or family and friends. It helps to research how to ace interviews and ask others who have gone through the process recently. Sometimes, confidence comes from practice.

With these steps, your re-entry should be smoother.