Did you know about the career break? Have you taken a career break or temporary retirement during your career? 

A career break refers to any prolonged period of unpaid leave from form. It can take a short time or a very long time. However, this career break is often mistaken as a sabbatical. 

In fact, it is different. The difference is that a sabbatical is a leave that your company approves. Once you return, you have an old job waiting for you to complete.

Career breaks are common among workers. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 4% of employees have taken a career break of six months or more. 

This research also revealed that 73% of women took a career break for ‘family reasons,’ whereas 47% of males took a break for ‘personal reasons.’

Furthermore, here are some other reasons employees taking a career break:

• Traveling
• Take a break
• Redundancy 
• Volunteering
• Starting a family 
• Bereavement

However, whatever your reasons, there will be a time for you to jump back up the career ladder.

Returning to work after a career break can be challenging. It can be exciting, nervous, and a little overwhelming all simultaneously.

Hence, you need the right re-entry plan to help ease the transition phase. The question is, where to start in planning your return to work-life? We’ve got you covered!

Here are some tips to help you get back to work after a career break. Read on to find out how to get started!

Assess Your Situation

The first step is to assess your current situation.

Ask yourself what type of job will be gratifying? Do you want to go back to the same roles as before? Or do you want to try something different?

Also, you need to consider your skills, past experiences, and why you want to rejoin the workforce.

You have to remember to stay open-minded and be realistic about your goals. 

You may not be promoted right away. Nonetheless, this point doesn’t mean that you won’t get it. Stay positive!

Reach Out To Your Network

Taking a career break will lead to losing touch with your professional network.

Hence, when looking for a job after a long break, You shall reconnect with your colleagues, clients, and friends. Let them know, you are looking to get back into work life.

They may help you by sharing information about job openings, forwarding your CV. Also, they may connect you to someone who can help.

Your groups can also inform you of any information while you were away.

If you don’t have one, it’s still not too late to seek networking opportunities. You can search on LinkedIn, update your social media, join professional groups, and attend related events.

Creating a relationship and connecting with as many people is important. You never know which person might lead to a job interview!

Read also

A New Job Offer? Consider These 5 Factors Before Signing The Contract

 

Improve Your Skills

Taking your time to improve or learn new skills before re-entering the workforce is necessary.

You may have worked in your roles for years before taking a break. However, during your career break, all kinds of changes may have happened. 

Hence, it will always be a good idea to refresh or improve your skills. Upskilling is necessary for everyone, even those who do not take a career break.

Besides that, you must join in skills assessments to see where you stand. It also assists you to find areas for improvement. 

When you can work on those efforts. It can assure employers that you understand and are capable of the roles.

Update Your Resume

Before applying for jobs, your resume must be up to date. This effort can start from reviewing your current resume to remind yourself of what you’ve already accomplished.

If your career gap was a significant amount of time, You don’t try to hide your absence from work life. You can use your career break to show off any new skills that you’ve acquired. You can list any events or experiences as long as it’s relevant.

For instance, you may have improved your interpersonal skills or even picked up a new language if you have traveled abroad.

Furthermore, You shall highlight your previous achievement, skills, and experience. It doesn’t matter if it was a few years ago.

Another thing to put on your resume is keywords. It will help you pass the applicant tracking system (ATS). It will present you as a great culture fit for the company and the role.

Last but not least, your resume should fit the job you’re applying for. A simple black and white resume are perfect if you’re applying for a business position.

While for an artistic position, you may want to highlight your creativity in your resume format and color choices.

Be Prepared For The Interview 

Employers will ask why you took an extended career break during the interview. The key to answering this question is to be confident about your break, not sorry.

A few sentences explaining your situation is enough. You can add all of the skills and experience that you have made in your time off. You need to impress them that it could benefit an employer. 

The information should contain brief information regarding your experience.

Read also

Avoid 8 Common Resume Mistakes: Fix It Now, Land The Job Next!

Back to the office after a long break is exciting and a little nerve-wracking. Despite the stigma, taking a career break is more common than you think. 

If you’re nervous about returning to work after a break, boosting your confidence is essential.

Also, finding a balance between your personal and professional life is the best advice for ending your career break.

Are you looking for employment? Feel free to visit our new job vacancy here.

Elabram can help you to get your job search on track. Sign up for your profile today!