The official Path Forward networking motto is, “Who you know is what you know.” Networking is a key part not just to landing a new job, but figuring out what job you’d like to do in the first place. Talking with friends, old colleagues, classmates, and acquaintances can broaden your perspective on what the job market looks like, what skills are in demand, and the different roles that exist in…
Sure, technical skills are important. But it’s actually the so-called “soft skills” that are often the hardest to master and also the most in demand by employers For mid-career roles especially, a high level of communication, teamwork, and management abilities are crucial. Here’s the good news: the skills you gained from your previous work experience are still there. Plus, you’ve almost certainly honed these skills even further during your career…
Every person who steps foot in a job interview has a career story to tell, weaving together the strands of where they’ve worked, what they’re doing now, and where they’re looking to go next. If you’re applying for a job or returnship after a career break, your story is probably going to be a bit different from a traditional candidate’s story. You might think that puts you at a disadvantage,…
You’ve decided it’s time to return to the workforce. But you haven’t decided on the type of job you want to pursue. It’s “I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up” and is more common than you might think! The reasons vary. Perhaps you see this as a chance to pivot into an entirely different career than the one you had before. Or maybe your previous…
Sandra Norris took a 17-year break from her career in program management when she realized that her busy, travel-filled job didn’t give her enough time to spend with her child. During her break, she supported her family through nine moves and volunteered extensively. When Sandra was ready to return to the workforce, she completed a returnship at Dell, where she now works full-time as a project manager. She talks about…
Isabela Quitzau Conceicao worked as a Product Engineer at a foundry in Brazil when she took a career break to support her family’s move to the United States, and to care for her newborn child. When she was ready to return, Isabela found a returnship role at PepsiCo that would be a perfect match for her skills, and jumped on the opportunity. She returned to work as a Process Improvement…
Sandy Goodwin took a 12 year break to spend more time with her children. When she was ready to return to work, Sandy completed a returnship at CDK Global, where she now works full-time as a Design Operations Lead. Sandy talks about her return to work experience, finding work-life balance in her post-break career, and how being a robotics coach for her kids helped boost her own technical skills. What…
Returning to work after a career break is not just a big transition for you, but for your entire family! No matter where you are on your journey back to the workforce, it’s never too early to start preparing your family for your return and all the big changes that will come with it. Planning ahead will save you a lot of headache and stress in the long run. Here…
Laura Carey took a 12-year break from her career as an HR professional, during which time she raised her kids, acted as her dad’s primary caregiver for a year, and volunteered extensively. After a great experience volunteering at a Northwell Health hospital, Laura found a returnship opportunity at Northwell Health that would be a great fit for her. She completed her returnship in talent acquisition, and now works there full-time…
Drew Schuetz took a break from his career in project management to care for his partner. Once he was ready to return to the workforce, Drew found it difficult to get back to his career, even with an MBA and job experience. After finding out about Path Forward, Drew applied for a position at Motorola Solutions, where he completed a returnship in project management. Now a full-time senior project manager…
