Many women are faced with a tough hiring road if they have left the workforce to raise children. A resume that ends five years ago like an abrupt sandstone cliff won’t bring many interviews. So, how can moms break back into a career? Here are four strategies that can get you hired:
Embrace The Internet
One of the best ways to re-enter the workforce if you have left it to raise a family is to demonstrate to prospective employers you are Internet savvy. Four ways to do this include:
Start a blog
Learn about social media rather than just using social media
Make yourself the mobile queen
Add online training or education
Embracing technology and making it your passion is one of the best ways to access the growing market of flexible career options. Today a simple computer and a high-speed connection make working again incredibly easy.
Take Momma Viral
Starting a blog is one of the best ways to demonstrate to a perspective employer you are a self-starter and a hard worker in addition to being computer literate.
A good blog requires a lot of work and organization. In addition, the connections created through a blog can become excellent opportunities for employment. Should the blog become popular enough companies will start paying you for advertising spots and access to the viewers on your blog.
The topic of the blog can be very unprofessional but the execution of the site must be professional for it to improve your employment opportunities. Have Sippy Will Travel is an excellent example of this type of blog.
The blog topic is very relaxed and yet the execution is extremely professional. The site has its own URL, it is well branded and the woman that runs it has made a point of joining several organizations and following a large variety of similar blogs.
Any prospective employer would look at this blog and know that they would love to have this woman working for them. She is professional and a real go-getter. Moreover, this blog was established in 2010 demonstrating a blog can be fairly new and still acquire a substantial following on the Internet. It’s never too late to start!
Face It, Facebook Can Make You Money
Social Media marketing experts are currently in high demand. This new world of marketing is remarkably different than traditional marketing and both large and small companies are desperate for Social Media experts.
Start learning how to use Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other Social Media sites for business and marketing rather than just as a way to connect with family and friends. Chris Borgan’s book, Google+ for Business and Brian Carter’s, The Like Economy, are two excellent places to start.
The more you learn the more there is to learn! Stick with it and this skill alone is likely to earn you several interviews and even land a well-paid job.
Smart Women Know About Smartphones
Take time to become a mobile queen. Mobile essentially means smartphones but the niche also includes iPad’s and other ultra light computer systems.
Mobile devices are likely to become the next marketing powerhouse. A recent BIA/Kelsey research study found that smartphone users contact or visit a business 60% of the time after looking up their information. Compared to desktop averages of 10% or lower, this conversion rate is outstanding and businesses are taking notice.
Learn how to use Foursquare, Google Places and other mobile-centric platforms for business and this will improve your chances of being hired.
Become A Lifelong Learner!
Adding education or training is an excellent way to round out a resume. Online courses are now available in most fields. Enrolling in online educational courses and adding certifications demonstrate that you have been willing to invest time and money in yourself and your career.
These four ideas are from women I know who have used them to get back into the workforce and back into a career. Any other great ideas out there? Share them, especially on Facebook using your smartphone!
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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