An unexpected consequence of the economic downturn: An increasing number of women who had hung up their professional togs now find themselves having to dust off their resumes and are being forced to returnto work.
There have always been women who have found themselves suddenly needing to produce an income as a result of unfortunate circumstances, such as a divorce or the death of a partner. But with massive layoffs, women who didn’t think they would be on the job search path are back in the market. And they will encounter significant challenges. Not only are they facing one of the most inhospitable job markets in years, but many of these women may have rusty skills and outdated experience, have lost their sense of confidence and are ambivalent, if not resentful, about having to work, and are in competition with people who have more recent experience working.
When I talk to women who need to dust off a stale resume, I offer these tips:
EVALUATE YOUR READINESS
There’s no point in embarking on a job search if you’re not emotionally ready to break from your kids, have skills that aren’t marketable or are angry about the unfairness of it all. This might require going back to school, reigniting professional activities and networks, setting up appropriate daycare, or simply getting over simmering resentment or ambivalence.
KNOW YOUR VALUE
You have to be able to articulate what you have to offer to an employer. Conduct a ruthless inventory of your skills, abilities and achievements. Dig deeply into all arenas of your life, both past and present, and think broadly about your accomplishments. Raising funds for a community event or being on the board of a charity speak to special skills and talents. If you have lost your confidence, get input from your friends. Ask them: What are my five best traits? What are the five things I do best?
PRAISE YOURSELF
Forget modesty. Practise making statements like, “I’m really good at…; “I’m proud of what I accomplished at ….” This will not only bolster flagging confidence, but longer-term, it will help you to craft a powerful resume and present yourself successfully in interviews.
THINK ROLES, NOT INDUSTRIES
If your experience was garnered in an industry now under siege, look at how you can play the same role in other industries.
Focus on countercyclical industries, such as popularly priced cosmetics, cheap entertainment, essential services, industries benefiting from government dollars, or businesses that are profiting, or at least are less affected, by the downturn, such as more value-oriented brands and retailers, and food and hospitality providers.
THINK LIKE A RECRUITER
When writing your resume or preparing for an interview, imagine you are the recruiter. What skills, attributes, and experiences would you be looking for? Shape your story accordingly.
SET REALISTIC CAREER GOALS
You need to tie your value to proven skills and expertise; this is a time to push what you know. You may also need to park your ego and be prepared to take a job below what you think you are worth.
MINE YOUR NETWORK
Think broadly and deeply about your professional and personal contacts. Mothers often find the “mummy network” a great source of leads and support. If they are personal contacts, give them a reason to want to help you that speaks to both your abilities and your financial predicament. Show them the skills you could bring to an employer. You may also want to consider this networking strategy: One job seeker I know sent an e-mail to all of her contacts with a subject line: Please be my eyes and ears for my job search. In the body, she briefly outlined what she was looking for and asked them to stay alert to potential opportunities. She generated more than 50 leads.
PICK THE RIGHT RESUME FORMAT
If you’ve been out of the workplace for some time, you want a potential employer to first see your skills and accomplishments, rather than immediately flagging the fact you haven’t been working for some years. After you have described your accomplishments and experiences under major headings, summarize with a brief career history.
GET READY FOR THE INTERVIEW
You may need to sharpen your image and get a mini-makeover. Solicit input from stylish professional friends, your hairdresser and adult kids.
Research a potential employer. Be prepared to talk about your experiences in the context of challenges it may be facing.
Practice answering standard interview questions about your skills, best and worst attributes, and the nature of your accomplishments.But don’t over-rehearse. You want to come across as poised but not robotic.
BE REAL IN THE INTERVIEW
If you are nervous – and there is good reason to be if this is your first foray back into the workplace after several years – you don’t have to completely fake it. Your interviewer is human, and wants to hire a human being, not an android. Show a bit of your personality. Communicate your enthusiasm for the job. Be honest, but not devastatingly honest, if you are asked why you are returning to work.
Going back to work in today’s market, especially if you hadn’t planned on it, may be challenging. But if you let go of your ambivalence and turn the page with the right attitude and approach, you may discover that work can be engaging. It may not have been an intended part of your game plan for this life stage. But you can think of it as an unexpected and interesting detour.
Barbara Moses, Ph.D, is an international speaker, work/life expert, columnist for the Globe and Mail, and best-selling author of Dish: Midlife Women Tell the Truth About Work, Relationships, and the Rest of Life. She is the president of BBM Human Resource Consultants. Her Career Advisor Website is an on-line career/life assessment tool likened to having a life coach on your computer. It is used by numerous Fortune 500 companies.
