Reentering the Job Market

by Meridian Executive Resources. www.meridianer.com Re-entering the Job Market can be a complex process for women. Many worry about their skills being relevant or if they will fit into a changing workplace environment while juggling their other responsibilities. As you begin the job-search process there is a range of issues to consider. Companies are shifting their priorities for candidate selection to focus on specific skills and capabilities relating to a position’s requirements. Rather than emphasize your employment history the key is to articulate the connections between your qualifications and capacities. You will need to create or revise your résumé. Rather than focusing on the gaps in your employment, think of what you have accomplished during this extended leave that might be relevant. Experience does not have to be paid to count! When you are including previous work experience in your résumé, highlight skills and responsibilities that are relevant to today’s work environment. Think of how your skills will transfer into a new job. It is important to build a current list of references that can provide a positive perspective on what they know about you. It is about whom you know. Get back into the networking loop and make or re-establish connections. Join or rejoin professional organizations in your field and start to network and develop contacts. It is interesting to know the job you secure will come to you through an introduction. Subscribe to professional journals and reacquaint yourself with trends in the industry. Be proactive in reaching out on as many web sites and contact list as you have access to increase your visibility and let people know that you are looking for a job and what you are interested in. Take a look at the websites of former employers to see what their hiring situation is. It is also important to reach out to all of your contact from former assignments you have had. In focusing on a specific position besure to review their website to see if you know anyone at the company. (LinkedIn as well) Consider how to portray non-employed status. You will be asked to answer the question, “What have you been doing?” Your goal here is not to defend your absence, but to frame it in concert with your career goals. Stay optimistic that you will have a successful job search. Use selective search applying only to positions that you have a genuine interest in pursuing or for which you are qualified. Craft a cover email introduction message specifically for each job that you are seeking. Leverage Social Media. Post your work experience on various social and professional networking sites and join online discussions as a way to open up doors. Role-play your interviews. Practicing interview questions and why you have decided to come back to work will help you perform better and nail your key messages. “Tell me about yourself”. Being asked about yourself is a critical opportunity to present your qualification for a new position. Refrain from presenting a complete job history but focus on the requirements for the position you are interested in and how you meet their needs. Sandy is a senior career coach with more than thirty-five years of experience supporting executives in achieving their career goals. Sandy’s technical background enables him to work in a one-on-one process in supporting career executive. <sandys@meridianer.com> Meridian Resources provides career coaching for executives looking to secure a new career opportunity, advance their career, or reenter the job market. We are confident our programs can bring you clarity in meeting your career goals and success in securing a new opportunity. We look forward to discussing your career goals and securing 
 a new and challenging career opportunity. <www.meridianer.com>