There are dozens of reasons why professionals exit the workforce.
They’re caring for small children. 43% of women and 2 million men leave their full-time jobs to be stay-at-home parents.
Or they are in the armed forces. There are 4.1 million veterans who served during the Gulf War Era II (from September 2001 onward).
Or they are diagnosed with a serious illness or injury.
Or they’re taking a sabbatical.
But children grow up. Terms of service are fulfilled. Health is restored. And now, these same professionals are ready to re-enter the workforce. But for many, this can be daunting:
“What will future employers think of my absence from working?”
“What if the job that I loved before is no longer available or I don’t love that type of work anymore?”
“Are my skills up to date?”
“My professional network is not as robust as it once was. It’s all about who you know, right?”
Fortunately, We Are In a Period of High Employment Growth
The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment to increase from 156.1 million to 167.6 million between now and 2026.
And that means jobs will need to be filled—6.7 million of them.
So if you’re thinking about getting back into the workforce, the demand is there. Here’s how you can do it.
Play to your strengths and focus on your skills with a functional résumé format.
“What will future employers think of my absence from working?”
The paper version of yourself is your résumé. If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, you may be concerned about the time gap since your last job. So instead of listing your previous work experience chronologically, play to your strengths and focus on your skills with a functional résumé format.
Create headings like “marketing experience,” “sales successes” or “benchmarks met” and then list your achievements accordingly.
Think about how you spent your time when you were not actively employed. What experience and skills did you develop that could be translated to a work environment? For example, mediating between two bickering children can be translated to conflict-resolution skills. Taking part in activities develops your interpersonal and problem-solving abilities.
Employers find these soft skills highly desirable.
Take a look at formal assessments, which can match your skills and interests to an occupation.
“What if the job that I loved before is no longer available or I don’t love that type of work anymore?”
Know thyself. Take a look at formal assessments, which can match your skills and interests to an occupation. “The best assessments compare your personality traits with similar traits of people who are doing things they like, to see if that might be a good fit for you,” offers career blogger Marc Miller.
Or set up an informational interview with someone who is doing your current work or the work you want to get into. This will help you assess the current state of your former position and see if it still fits with your career aspirations.
Volunteer at an organization that offers the type of position you’re interested in. Tap into your networks or directly contact the firm to see if they are accepting volunteers.
“It can be volunteering, project work, part-time work or filling in for someone,” says career coach Barb Garrison. You’ll get to see first-hand how that position operates, what the day-to-day responsibilities are and if you find it fulfilling. Bonus point: You’ve already got your foot in the door when a position opens up.
This is what graduate Marie Coreil did:
After two years of volunteering with Leach Botanical Garden, I began the Professional Sequence in Editing. I had noticed that the botanical garden’s newsletter lacked style consistency and included many common errors. I approached my supervisor, explained my new career goal to become a professional editor and asked if I might copyedit the newsletter. At the time, no one was performing this editorial task. My offer was accepted. I gave myself the title Editorial Assistant and worked closely with the board secretary, who supervised newsletter production.
Interested in volunteering? Here are some great resources:
“Are my skills up to date?”
CEO of career re-entry firm iRelaunch Carol Fishman Cohen says that employers are concerned that return-to-work employees don’t have up-to-date technical skills, but argues that this is a temporary condition. “It’s just a matter of updating yourself, and once you learn it, you’re caught up and you’re using these technologies just like everyone else,” she told NBC News.
So how do you refresh your skills and learn the latest techniques and trends in your field?
Try a “returnship”: an internship for experienced workers. Some companies are beginning to offer these internship programs specifically to job-seekers who have taken career breaks and need to up their skill set. IBM has been offering its 12-week re-entry program for the past few years. Other companies also offer returnships, with many more joining the bandwagon.
Of course, education will help you refresh your current skills or teach you new ones if you’re thinking of moving into a different field. Whether it’s a single course or a certificate program, education geared for adults who want to learn the latest professional skills and tools are a great way to make sure that you’re prepared for today’s demands.
Take graduate Kate St. Amour. After being out of the formal workforce for five years as a stay-at-home mom prior to coming to Extension, Kate wanted to increase her self-confidence in not only getting back into the workforce, but also gaining the formal education and tools to be an effective project manager. She completed our Project Management certificate and is the Senior New Business Representative at PG&E.
“My professional network is not as robust as it once was. It’s all about who you know, right?”
It’s true that networking can boost your opportunities in finding a job. But just because many of your Facebook friends are fellow stay-at-home parents doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tap into that group. Post a status or message your social-media followers that you’re looking for work. You never know who is in your friends’ professional network and can make an introduction.
"If you’ve been out of the workforce for a while, your skills or experience may not be current, so someone is going to have to take a risk on you," says Miller. "Someone's willingness to take that risk is more likely when there’s a personal relationship."
Also, take advantage of your gainfully employed friends: Have them scrutinize your résumé, hold mock interviews, re-read your cover letter, scan your LinkedIn profile.
And go to Meetups.
You're never too old to learn. Just keep on!
You Can Do It!
Take it from Director of Career Services at UC Berkeley Information School Rebecca Anderson: “The career landscape is continually changing and presenting new opportunities for meaningful work. Careers often are not linear, but have twists and turns that require innumerable decisions in shaping your path.”
If your current path is getting back into the workforce, you now have the tools to get you back into career shape. And if you feel that age is a big hurdle to jump over, I present to you graduate Susan Stasi.
Not many people make school a priority after raising three children and bringing grandchildren and great-grandchildren into their family. However, Susan—married to her high-school sweetheart for 43 years—is back to school, working toward her fourth career. "You're never too old to learn. Just keep on!"
