TIPS FOR REENTERING THE WORKFORCE
1) Write a professional resume documenting your entire professional history - a chronological resume and make sure you put that you were a domestic engineer when you were a stay at home mom. Also document all of your volunteerism.
2) Finding a job is a full time job. Prepare yourself to work at least 5-6 hours per day on your job search.
3) In today's job market you will need to utilize the internet job boards and search engines like Indeed.com; You will also need to network with everyone you know.
4) Interview practice. You will need to prepare your interview answers and conduct mock interviews with peers so you can be well prepared.
Check out websites for moms:
www.cafemom.com
www.howdini.com
www.inspirista.net
www.workingmothers.com
Q & A WITH JOB SEEKER, CHRISTINE
Q. What were my fears?
My greatest fear was that I wouldn't find a job in this job market. It was hard enough being a stay-home Mom and being out of the workforce for a few years, but you add that on top of the economy and the competitive job market - it made me feel like it was going to be a monumental task!
I really didn't think I could compete and find a stellar job or workplace that I would be happy with. I felt like I had to take whatever came my way, even if it meant starting at an entry level position. I was under a tremendous amount of stress because I needed a job to help support my family in order for us to survive, not maintain. My husband has been working so hard in starting his own business, but with that comes a lot of growing pains. We have been going through some hardship for quite some time and I needed to find something NOW!
Q. What did I go through?
I went through a cycle of ups and downs during the job search process. After my initial meeting with Rebecca, I felt energized and re-newed and felt myself transforming into the old "Christine" who had confidence and a career to speak of outside of the home. Gradually, I felt myself letting go of my negative thoughts and feelings that I couldn't find a job in this market. I found myself focusing more on what was positive about Christine and what valuable skills, assets, and natural abilities that I could offer a company.
Once I found my inner strength, I went full-force with my job search. Some days were good and I felt productive in being able to put in a good 5 hour day of job searching. Other days were extremely frustrating. Even if I put in a good 5 hour day of searching, networking, etc., I still came up with very little results. I wasn't getting any calls. The emails I received were jobs that were not a good fit. It felt like I was going to be a professional job seeker!
Q. How did I work through it?
I would check-in with Rebecca weekly and give her updates on my search. She would encourage me and provide me tips on how to get through each step of the process: apply for jobs, follow-up with the contact person, find the person through Linkedin and connect, attend networking events, network with friends and family, keep checking my Indeed alerts, re-fresh my resume on Craig list, Monster and Career builder. And just keep plugging away and not give up!!!
Rebecca was a huge help with my resume. Once we completed my resume and I posted on job boards, I received phone calls from recruiters and companies. I felt like I had finally broken some ground. It was huge difference compared to the response I received when I was looking for a job on my own, without the help of a Career Coach. The coaching I received for Interviewing skills was a huge help! It helped me feel so much more confident in going to interviews, knowing that I prepared and had my 35 Interview questions answered in my head.
I knew that no matter how frustrating things felt on a daily basis, that I didn't have a choice but to succeed. My family was in dire need of my contributing in a way that I haven't and it was a matter of survival for me to keep going and not give up. This process definitely toughened me up and I felt prepared to enter the workplace and put on my "Career Hat" again. The job search was a "job" in itself and I was "working" very hard for the past 3 months. It naturally helped me to get into the routine of working and using my skills to prepare for the work environment.
I found the job that I have now through Indeed.com. I also networked and it helped me in securing an interview. A couple of weeks later, I was hired as the Marketing Coordinator at AMF Media Group. I'm very grateful for my job and grateful for the help, guidance, coaching, caring and nurturing Career Coach at Dear jane. I couldn't have come this far without dear jane. I still can't believe I'm working!
ABOUT CAREER COACH, REBECCA MARTIN
Rebecca Martin, founder and owner of Livermore, Calif.-based dear jane... a career advisement company ..., believes that people can succeed in landing the "perfect" job if they can first identify what is right for them.
As a corporate recruiter in Silicon Valley in the '90s, Rebecca saw firsthand the personal and professional disorientation of thousands of workers displaced when the tech bubble burst. From this unique vantage point, Rebecca analyzed corporate clients' hiring processes; job applicants' resume-writing abilities and interviewing skills; and hiring managers' practices and procedures.
By 2002, Rebecca had identified a pivotal factor in the success - or failure - of an individual in his or her chosen career: the ability to articulate a personal vision. Those people who clearly identified their core competencies, values, and preferences as they relate to work tended to achieve their professional goals.
In 2004 Rebecca launched dear jane... with a proprietary career advisement program that includes career assessment, resume writing, interviewing methodologies, and compensation and other negotiations.
Today, dear jane... develops and delivers career management training classes, workshops, seminars, and coaching to Fortune 1000 companies as well as individuals throughout the United States and Europe. Since its inception, dear jane... has enjoyed 98% success rate in coaching clients through career transitions, successful interviewing, salary negotiations, and the like.
For more information, visit www.dearjane.info
