I had been thinking about returning to the workforce for some time. I stopped working to raise my kids but now, returning seemed overwhelming. In 2014, I started this blog. My purpose was to share my midlife journey and hopefully help others in the process. Unlike other bloggers, I didn’t self-promote or focus on social media. Instead, it was just me and my random thoughts. Some of my friends followed me and some did not. I didn’t care, I’m the kind of person who could be alone in a room and laugh at my own jokes. I’ve enjoyed every second and it’s been truly rewarding. So why was I considering returning to the workforce? When you enter your fifties, you look at your life and ask yourself many questions. One of those questions was “Am I done working?” I decided that my answer was no. I dedicated a lot of time and similar to other moms, I wanted to return to the workforce now that my kids were older.
Resume
The first step before returning to the workforce is to update your CV or resume. No one puts their address on their resume any longer. Delete the words “References Available Upon Request,” because it dates you. Ageism is a real problem so delete your graduation year and experience over 20 years ago that is irrelevant. After I completed the update, I scheduled an interview with a placement agency. Forbes wrote an article on resume improvement and you can find it here.
Placement Agency
I set up an interview with a temp agency right after I got my ankle surgery. I couldn’t go into the office because I could hardly walk, but thought that it would be a good first step (pardon the pun) towards getting back into the game. The interview went well, she asked me about my management style and I went into the Situational Leadership Model. The owner of the agency complimented me and said that I reminded her of another successful manager on her team. Perhaps that wasn’t good because I never heard back from her. Nothing. Nada. Not a call, not an opportunity, and not a chance was given. We would speak from time to time but she just couldn’t find me the right TEMPORARY JOB. Doubt and frustration set in. How could I return to the workforce if I wasn’t even given a chance?
Networking
Then I saw a video on job hunting and networking. Companies are legally obligated to post job openings even if they have an internal candidate in mind. Networking and reconnecting with former colleagues or attending industry events is a good step forward in a job search instead of only relying on internet searches. I used networking and started a company with my husband. We started to get contracts from people who had previously worked with both of us and who trusted us. For those reading this, maybe it doesn’t make sense to go into your former career. Consider new avenues!
For more advice on how to get back into the workforce, you can visit other sites and see what has worked!
Switching Gears Again
Midlife is about growth. Today I focus on one particular customer with our company. I’ve started to write again and am now trying to update bloggingmidlife.com. My hope is to inspire women and help them feel seen. There’s a renewed meaning in my heart for these words.
If you’re a mom and want to return to the workforce, just start your journey. Don’t let anyone determine your worth. You have a brain and you don’t need to start from entry-level. Fail until you succeed. Just go out there and dare to live. Do something. Go have fun. Volunteer if you don’t want to deal with corporate life. Redefine yourself. You are NOT done.
And whatever you do my friends, don’t stop living.
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