Reentering the workforce can feel like an overwhelming endeavor. The working world has this funny way of making you feel like everyone else has been moving forward while you’ve been standing still.
But I hope that you know that even if you've taken time away from full-time, paid work,you have not been standing still.You have a lot to offer (we all do!). You have been growing in different ways, and still have a tremendous amount ofgrowth potential.And there’s a path to paid work waiting for you to walk it.
Whether you’ve been a stay-at-home parent, caring for family, laid off due to COVID-19, recovering from burnout, or taking time away for any other reason, here are the key strategies I recommend for navigating your job search and moving forward in your career.
1. Clarify your goal
Before you start job searching,you must know what you’re targeting. A clear goal helps you focus your search, it helps you position yourself as a good fit, and it makes it easy for your network to understand what you want and help you land it.
There are three components to a clear career goal:
- Your Target Role:The job title or the core skill set you’d like to use on the job, e.g. communications, sales, finance, research, government relations.
- Your Target Industry: The industry or type of organization you want to join, e.g. tech, nonprofit, foundation, government, big bank, startup.
- Your Focus Area:The specificcauseor issueareathat you want to focus on, e.g. machine learning, education, immigration, green investments (this is optional but helpful if the industry you’re targeting is large and diverse).
You can start your search with a couple of potential target options, for example:
- “I’m looking for aBusiness Development rolein either astartup or nonprofit, preferably with afocus on education.”
- Or, “I’m looking for either aDigital Marketing or External Communications rolein thetech industry.”
But whatever you do, don’tstart your search with, “I just want a job.”
Because although you may be open to anything at this point, you need a clear goal if you want to see results. (If this iswhere you're stuck,I have lots of resources that can help!)
2. Craft your elevator pitch
Once you know your goal, craft a simple story that shares the gist of who you are, what your goal is, and why you’re a great fit for that role.
It’s the story you’ll use again and again in networking conversations, emails, cover letters and interviews, and it goes something like this:
- The type of professional you are + a quick summary of your key qualifications:
“I'm a Communications professional with over a decade of experience in the private sector.”
- Why you’ve been out of the workforce:
“These past few years I've been focused on parenting / I was laid off in early March due to COVID-19.”
- How you’ve been keeping up your skills and expertise (if you have):
“But I’ve been keeping up in the field through volunteer and freelance work.”
- What you want:
“Today I’m excited to find my next role in External Communications, ideally with a startup or small business in the area.”
3. Get something current on your resume
If you haven’t been keeping up in your field through volunteer work, courses, certifications, or part-time / freelance work, that’s okay. Life can get in the way!
But it’s time to start doing it now. :)
Having something current on your resume -- or at least having recent examples of how you’ve continued to develop and use your relevant skills -- shows prospective employers that you’re ready to do good work.
Things like volunteering, online courses, certifications, or part-time / freelance work will also help you:
- Update your skills and get back in the groove using them,
- Build your confidence in what you have to offer, and
- Connect to potential full-time opportunities or people who can help you find them (once people see what you can do, they’re much more likely to want to bring you on full time or introduce you to someone else who will).
4. Reach out to your top-of-mind, low-hanging-fruit connections
85% of jobs are landed through networking today. Because in a world where each online application receives ~250 applications, employers are looking for the shortest and safest route to finding a candidate they can trust to do great work.
So especially when you’ve been out of the workforce, you need an advocate to vouch for you: someone who will say, “Samantha is amazing, you must hire her!”
The simplest place to find advocates is in your immediate network. These are the people who you communicate with often (friends, family, neighbors); the people you’re closely connected to through volunteerism, community groups, your kids’ school; former coworkers who you consider friends.
Make your list of potential advocates, and reach out individually to share your elevator pitch and your ask: "I need some help breaking back into a full-time position. Can we chat about how you might be able to help me?"
Once you have them on the phone, ask if they can help in one or some of the below ways:
- Are they hiring, or would they be interested in hiring you for part-time or freelance work while you get back on your feet?
- Would they refer you for a role at their company?
- Do they have ideas of people in their immediate network who may be hiring who they could introduce you to?
- Do they have any feedback on your goals, elevator pitch, or resume?
- Would they write a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile?
It's remarkable how willing people are to help -- all you have to do is ask.
5. Before applying, network!
Again, 85% of jobs are landed through networking. And especially when you have a gap on your resume, you need an advocate to help you get your foot in the door.
Here’s what I’ve found to be the most strategic approach to networking today (which you can still do during covid times):
1.When you find a job you want to apply for, do a quick search on LinkedIn to see if a 1st or 2nd degree contact or an alum from your university works at the company.
2. Reach out to request an informational interview, with the immediate goal of learning more about the company and their hiring process -- and the hopeful goal of forming a relationship with someone who can refer you for the role.
3. If you don’t have a roundabout connection to the company, find the profile of someone on the team who you have something in common with, or whose career you admire, and reach out with a thoughtful cold email.
4. Once you have this person on the phone, ask them questions to learn what it’s like to work at their company, whether they have feedback or advice for you as apply, and if they’re willing to refer you or introduce you to someone on the hiring team.
This approach may feel scary and intimidating. My clients always say...
“What if they don’t respond? What if they think I’m annoying? What if... [insert unfounded worry here]??”
The worst that can happen is an email goes unanswered, or your call doesn’t result in a referral. This will happen sometimes. Some people are just too busy, too tired, or (in rare cases) mean.
But remember: You have a lot to offer. You want to give your time, skills and passion in service of a company you care about.
Chances are, you will come across many caring individuals who are interested in finding passionate, skilled, brave people like you to join their team -- or at least open to helping you along your way.
6. Adjust your goal as you go
I always tell my clients: start with your ideal goal. Go after the job you want most. You just might get it!
And while you’re trying to get that job, you’ll be learning -- learning how your qualifications stack up, how best to position yourself for the job you want (or what you could do to become a stronger candidate), and what similar jobs may be worth considering as well.
You may learn that you need to start a level below your ideal role and move your way up. Or perhaps you find that a full-time role is a stretch at the moment and volunteering, part-time, or freelance roles are what you need to focus on first.
Stay curious and adapt your search based on those learnings.
The truth is that to break back into the workforce, you simply need to start by doing something - anything - in the direction of your ideal goal.
Anything that gets you working on the issue you care about, or developing and using your skills, or building more relationships with people who work in your target industry makes you that much more capable and likely to achieve your goal.
It may take a few more steps than you’d like. But as long as you’re moving in the right direction, you’re on your way to where you want to be.
P.S. Are you looking to relaunch your career and interested incareer coachingor my 9-weekLand Your Dream Jobprogram?
Shoot me at note at liz@ns-careers.net to schedule a (free) 20-minute chat with me.
I'd love tohelp you figure out how you can getmoving towards your dream jobtoday, and whether one of my resources can help you make it happen. :)
Liz Cohen is Head Coach & Founder of Next Step Careers. Liz authors regular publications on job search best practices (subscribe to her newsletterhere), in addition to offeringfree job search resources,career coaching, and her award-winning online course,Land Your Dream Job.
