The CV Centre Returning to Work

Returning to Work - A CV Centre Guide Careers Advice from The CV Centre, the UK's leading CV consultancy. There are a multitude of reasons as to why you may have taken a break in your career. You may have been dedicating your time to raising a family, have spent time travelling or studying, have had to take time out due to sickness or perhaps you were made redundant... Regardless of the original reason for taking a career break, the return to the workplace is never simple. However, you could also find that it is a means of reinvigorating your life, giving it new momentum. Flexible Thinking If you have been out of the workplace for a while, it can be easy to feel that you no longer have the skills an employer is looking for. So it can be beneficial to take a good look at the period you have spent out of the workplace, not only to consider which skills you might want to brush up on, but also to identify the skills and experiences you have gained during your 'time out'. Were you a member of any voluntary groups for example? If so, were you perhaps involved in organising events, even on a small scale, which may have provided you with skills (administrative, organisational, etc.) which could well be transferable to the workplace. Research and Training It can also be very worthwhile spending some time researching the area you are planning to work within before you begin to apply for positions. Do you intend to work in the same field as that which you were working in before your career break? If so, consider how it has changed - Are there new policy developments? Have procedures and equipment changed? If you are moving into a different field, consider which new skills you may need to learn. Armed with this knowledge you should find yourself in a much stronger position. You should find it easier to demonstrate to an employer that you are aware of the current state of play within your field and you will be able to decide whether it is necessary to update some of your skills. If there have been advances in IT since you were last in the workplace, for example, you could perhaps take a short course to familiarise yourself with the new software packages which you deem to be important for your desired position. You may also find that some recruitment agencies will also be able to assist with training on the main software packages used in administrative positions. Some companies, especially those with bespoke software packages, may also provide in-house IT training to new employees, but you may feel more confident when you re-enter the workplace if you have already familiarised yourself with a variety of software packages. The Employer's Point of View It can also be a good idea to try to imagine your career path from your potential employer's point of view. Particularly as your potential employer may well want to know why you took a career break. It is usually useful therefore to make sure you have thought carefully about your career, your reasons for having taken time out and, probably more importantly, your reasons for wanting to re-enter the workplace and your career ambitions for the future. Don't forget that your period away from the workplace may also have given you skills and experiences which employees who have stayed continuously in the workplace may not have - and which might just be the very attributes your potential employer is looking for! Selling Your Skills If you have decided to take the plunge to re-enter the work place, you need to make sure that your CV and application forms are as effective as they can be in communicating your skills and experience to potential employers. If you would like to make sure that your CV and application form are of the highest possible quality, click here to find out how The CV Centre, the UK's leading CV consultancy, can help you.