You may have decided to take a break from your career while you were married because your spouse’s salary was more than enough to support your family. And you probably never imagined that you two would ever split.
However, after years of being a stay-at-home mom looking after the kids and mastering the art of being a “domestic goddess’, you might feel like you’ve lost your corporate mojo and don’t really know where to start getting back into the career saddle.
Getting Back On the Career Ladder after a Divorce
The following guide was designed for divorced women like yourself who want to get back on the career ladder but don’t know where to start. Whether you’re going back to work because you want a fresh start, a new challenge or because you need to in order to support yourself, the following information should be very helpful to your quest.
Take stock of your skills and expertise
Start your journey back to the top by evaluating all the skills and expertise that you have to offer. This includes work experience that you have acquired from previous jobs and any professional qualifications that you may have. Consider the things that you excel at the most as well as tasks that you truly enjoy. This should give you a good idea of the type of profession that you want to explore as you revitalize your career and reinvent your life.
You might find that you still enjoy the career you were in before you got married and are keen to get back into it, or maybe you discovered another aspect of yourself and have fallen out of love with your previous profession. If that’s the case then you can always explore a different role but within the same profession or re-launch your career in a completely different field. Whatever you decide, be sure to keep an open mind and take advantage of the fact that you have a chance to start on a clean slate again.
Learn how to write a resume
Learn how to write a resume by Googling “resume templates”. This will give you an idea of how your own resume should look and how you should format it when you start on the first draft. You can also get in touch with a local recruitment company that will help you to further polish your resume to fit your preferred profession.
Practice for interviews
You’ve been out of the job market for a while so your interview skills are probably rusty, to say the least. Get interview practice by playing pretend with your friends and family. Or even practice in front of the mirror or with your kids to get your confidence back. That way, you’ll be much more comfortable with the process when you eventually start going for interviews.
Network
Start networking by joining a local networking group where you can make contacts, meet like-minded people and perhaps even prospective employers. Networking on a regular basis can also build your confidence so that it’s easier to get out there when the time comes.
Networking also involves contacting past colleagues whom you might find are occupying higher positions than they were when you left your job. If you have a friend or family member that’s in recruitment, don’t hesitate to let them know about your ambition to get back to work. Ask them to keep an ear out for job vacancies in the field of work that you’re interested in to help you get referrals.
Spread the word
Tell the people in your life that you’re looking for work in a particular field. Or take it one step further and tell a stranger! You never know who you’re standing next to in a queue and sometimes an opportunity is just one “hello” away while waiting in a line at Starbucks.
Hire a job coach
A job coach will provide you valuable advice on which jobs you should consider based on your skills, qualifications, and passions. They’ll also offer information related to the jobs that you’re interested in, including the pay, the number of hours involved, and more. This information will help to determine whether or not each option is a good fit for you and ultimately help you to find the perfect position.
Get a makeover
Some women find that revamping their look gives them a confidence boost. Getting a makeover might just be what you need to improve your self-esteem and make you feel more confident about getting yourself out there. This could mean getting a new hairstyle, going for mani-pedis, working out more regularly and even updating your wardrobe by hiring a stylist.
Believe in yourself
The only thing standing between you and career re-launch success is a belief in yourself. There’s no need for you to feel insecure about your abilities just because you’re a little rusty. You were probably amazing at your job before you got married and had kids. There’s no reason why you can’t excel and enjoy professional success again. So believe in yourself and put yourself out there. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t start so, put all the tips we’ve given you to the test and get started!
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