Welcome back to the end of our series of returning to the workforce. You’ve made the decision, you have your resume all updated and ready to go and you have worked through any issues or doubts that you have.
Where do you get help? Where can you get help to both plan and implement your back to work strategy? While you might only need the help of a partner or friend, you may also feel more comfortable and motivated in having a team of people behind you. You can try using a professional counsellor, mentor, career advisor, family members, friends, colleagues – any of these will be able to give you help, advice and objective opinions about job hunting that you will find useful.
How long will it take you to find a job? It could take anything from six months to a year to find the job that’s right for you. If you have decided to get back to the workforce – don’t sit at home waiting for that job – go out and get it! Volunteer or take on some work experience, gain skills in the area you’re interested in working in. You can use the time to learn valuable skills, see if this career choice is for you and you can meet new people who might know about positions coming up they can recommend you for.
Temporary work is also a great option for those who want to start earning money straight away without jumping completely into a career they haven’t explored fully – plus – it gets you back into working without the constraints of full time work and hours.
Be sure to consider all your work options.
PERMANENT WORK – If you have only had a short time away from full time work, and you feel confident about getting back into the workforce, you may want to go straight into a full time job.
TEMPORARY WORK – If you’re not 100% sure about what work or hours you are looking for temporary work is a great idea. It’s completely flexible with you being able to choose the hours and days you want to work along with the jobs you want to take. Working as little or as often as you like might help to save any *child care* problems you have.
Temp work can also provide some great benefits including
- It can be a great training ground
- You can try the work first before deciding if this is an area you want to have a full time career in
- There is no long term commitment and you can back out anytime you want
- You can get experience from the inside, businesses you may not have considered working for – may actually offer some real career opportunities for you
- You’ll get to work for companies or businesses of all shapes and sizes and see which you prefer
VOLUNTEER WORK – allows you the chance to strengthen your current skills while perhaps learning some new skills, all without the pressure of being in a full time job. You will be able to network, meet new people and find out if this area of work really is for you.
Do your research – the centerlink website is a great place to start when looking for a return to work, it provides links to services and publications to help you in your search.
A few other things to consider
- Know what type of job you are looking for and the work you would love to do
- Be clear about the skills you have now and those you are willing to develop or learn later on
- Make sure your resume is complete and up to date, laid out properly and tailor made for the work you are looking for
- Keep and have a great attitude – be prepared to accept any entry-level positions, or do some volunteer work to gain the experience you need
- Tell everyone you know that you are looking for work, tell them what you can do and the kind of work you want. Remember people can’t help you if they don’t know what skills you can offer
- Many jobs require some basic IT skills, so consider some training or try and upgrade your skills.
We hope this series has been a help to you. Is there anything we have forgotten? We’d love you to share your stories and experiences with us.
