Returning To Work After Significant Break - Your Experiences

[fionas]

I'm looking to return to work after a significant break and think I need some positive vibes so am interested in hearing others' stories.

My situation: worked in Comms middle management for 15 years, won the awards, got the t-shirt, went on mat leave after DD1, returned to a more junior position, got pregnant with DD2 and took a redundancy package rather than go back.

Since then, I've decided I want to change career to social research and am studying my Masters.

Now a single parent - now need work regardless of whether it's Comms or research but am slightly freaking out that employers will be put off by the fact that I've been out of the workforce for a while.

Hence, I need some positive stories from women who have taken a lengthy break. How did you get a job, was it in the same field, did you think outside the box and look at volunteer/internships first, did you network etc. etc.?

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

I'm interested in this as well. I have been looking for a few months and have had two interviews but unfortunately didn't get the job. I'm finding it very competitive to get back in. I don't have any tips except tailoring the cover letter for each job and being really enthusiastic about it. But I haven't got a job yet so not much help! Interested to see what others say. It is very daunting going back!

[fionas]

Can I ask how long you've been out of the workforce and what industry you're in Jan?

[LoveKnowsNoBounds]

I originally worked in financial services in marketing but thought it wouldn't work out when I had kids. I had my dip ed for secondary teaching. I have done casual teaching on and off since DS was born. That was 7 years ago that I started that but I haven't had a 'permanent job' and I think this is keeping me from getting a job now . Haven't done casual teaching this year as I don't like it and want to find a permanent part time job hopefully using my existing skills.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I'm in the same boat. have been out of the workforce for 5 years and been looking and applying for jobs for the last 12mths, with no success. I used to be an Executive Assistant for top management but now can't even get a junior Admin role.

I've now joined an RTO and will be starting my Cert IV in Business Admin purely to show prospective employers that I'm doing *something* to get my skills set back up. I'll also be volunteering in our local community centre in their office just to add it to my resume.

[AnyDream]

Hi Fiona, I too was out of work for a significant period when DD1 was little, and I really struggled with confidence going back to work. As a result, I initially took a job that was not well suited to my abilities, which resulted in a lot of stress. I left that job after 9 months, and have found with every job since that it's the combination of my life experience and attitudes etc that make me a really valued worker.

My trick was to use a skills-based resume, which focuses on all the wonderful transferable skills that we all have, instead of a chronological list of positions. Also, any activities you've carried out while out of the workforce (volunteer roles, study, community activities, etc) are all potential selling points, as they demonstrate you are a self-starter.

Lastly, don't be afraid to brag. You're awesome. And you have the t-shirt to prove it. Mentally wear that t-shirt when you sit down to write your application/make that phone call/walk into that interview.

[Astrid]

Really struggled first time around to go back to work, wanted at that stage just a few bookkeeping jobs, but they are harder to find than you think unless you were already with an accounting firm before kids.

Second time around was different. Did the major sea/tree change mid pregnancy. So completely new to the area, plus did not want to go back to bookkeeping, or straight accounting/finance. Like MD took a job that was not good for me, below my skill set and working with a complete tool, thankfully it was a temp role. It was not good for me mentally at all.

Eventually came across a job I had fantasised about previously pre kids and back in Melbourne. I had got it straight in my head what I want from a role for myself and my family, and this job fit it completely. At the interview my boss did comment that he thought the role would be ideal for someone returning to the workforce after kids, but could not stay that exactly in the ad. I was hired knowing I have children and that I am the primary care giver. Most of the time so far they have been very understanding working around them.

[Astrolady]

This is my story. At 5mths pregnant with my first born I stopped working. I was doing work via a recruitment agency so was jumping from job to job all the time as I went where I was needed. It all got a bit too stressful and in hindsight probably a good thing I told them to stick it as Kameron stopped growing in utero from 30wks, so I was always back and forth for monitoring. It wasn't until Lachlan was born that I started attending a playgroup. A few months into that I was asked to be Playgroup coordinator which I did for the next 4 years. I was also on the Kindergartens Governing Council. I found out from the director that I was going to be offered a job within the Kindergarten until they heard I was pregnant with my 3rd (Ashton) They assumed (wrongly) I would turn them down so I could stay home and look after the baby, since that is what I had done up until then. The job instead went to a friend of mine who to this day (over 7 years later) continues to work there.

As soon as Ashton finished up with the Kindergarten, so did I. I started volunteering on the P & F committee at the school until just this week. So I was with them for 6 years. I did a Cert II in Business through the kids school, but didn't really get anywhere with it. I did however though do placement at another local schools library and I remained volunteering for them for nearly 2 years doing up to three days a week.

Last year through another friend I heard about a pathways to Children's Services so in Term 1 of last year I started that. Term 2 saw me signing up to a Cert III in Children's Services and I did placement at another brand new local Children's Centre (Kindergarten, Occasional Care, and Parenting groups) During my placement in my Cert III I was asked if I would be interested in doing relief work. I jumped at the chance. As luck would have it the days of Occasional Care changed, and one of the staff could not do a day as she worked elsewhere as well. I got asked if I wanted to take on that position. At the same time I stared my Dipoloma in Children's Service.

During Term 4 last year I was doing 3.5hrs a week of Occasional Care. The same Occasional care lady applied for and won a position at a school, so they knew she wouldn't be returning this year. I was then offered both Occasional Care days starting Term 1 off this year. So my hours were now 7hrs and 45mins a week. My first day back this year I was asked if I would like to backfill SSO's while they did one on one support. My hours suddenly increased to 17hrs a week and that is how it currently stands. 17hrs a week work with part time Study and all the usual household stuff to do. There are days like today where I feel like I am not coping with it all, but we desperately need to the $$$ and doing my Dipolma is now or never as well as my course was free.

[~TT40~]

I stopped working for Spock, she is now 20 months and I just got a job. Not as long as you girls, but in my industry, it is a very long Tim, so much that I had to find something within 2 years or it would even harder. As it was I didn't get a job because I hadn't working In the last 12 months. My current job is over an hour commute. But I'm back in, so will be easy now to work anywhere again.

[dinky]

I was out of the workforce for almost 20 years. In that time I did some cash in hand work from home and some volunteer stuff, which sometimes included some cash payments but nothing regular! 3 years ago when my youngest started school, I decided that I wanted to retrain. I went back to Tafe and got my Diploma of Nursing, passing with a High Distinction average. I got offered a grad year placement in a major hospital, unfortunately, that didn't work out for me and I only lasted 3 months and it totally knocked my confidence in myself and my abilities.

However, since then I have applied for another job doing home nursing. I have been there since December and I have to say that I am loving it. It is the best decision that I have made ever. I am not working full time hours, I can say yes, or no to extra shifts for extra cash if I want. But I also have regular clients so I have a pretty set routine every week. I love it! I can organise my life each week around the hours that I work. I am so happy and the money is pretty good too!