Volunteering your time and service has countless benefits. It’s fulfilling to help others and make a positive impact on the world. Plus, volunteering during your career break can help you return to the paid workforce. According to a study conducted by the Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteering increases your odds of getting a job by 27 percent compared to job seekers who don’t volunteer. Volunteering is one way…
Job interviews are tough for most people, and it can feel especially daunting to go on an interview after you’ve taken a break from the workforce. Depending on the length of your career break and how long you were working before you stepped away, it may be a long time since you’ve been the subject of a job interview. All the latest returnship jobs, events, and advice. Get Path Forward’s…
When it comes to returning to the workforce, many job seekers ask the same thing: “How do I stand out?” While you can and should practice telling your story, consider that to be just one piece of your return-to-work strategy. Showcasing your skills online, rather than just talking about them, is a great way to create a compelling case for yourself. Creating and curating online content gives your skills new…
Photo Caption: A Career Restart Seminar at Zynga in San Francisco in 2018. In the olden days we used to do employer events in person! On the plus side, our virtual events reach many more caregivers, in many more places, than we could ever reach in person. Seven years ago when I left my corporate communications career to launch Path Forward, I never could have imagined what it would…
Sophie Yazdi took a 20-year break from her career to care for her children and a parent. She always wanted to restart her career and so was thrilled to be accepted into and to complete the return to work program at T. Rowe Price. She is now an associate vice president, senior sales consultant. In this engaging video, Sophie appears with Mary Helen Donovan, a regional sales manager – vice…
You’ve embarked on a job hunt armed with a personal arsenal of job application resources, like an updated resume, tailored cover letter, and stellar interview tactics. But there’s one crucial component of the job search process that returners often overlook: professional references. Companies rely on professional references to verify your skill set and to get an outsider’s opinion of how you perform in a workplace environment. These recommendations can also…
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…
As you embark on your career restart, you may find yourself having trouble defining your goals for returning to the workforce. We call this “finding your why.” Or, you could be wondering how to apply or translate your skills and experiences to the current job market. If any of this is true for you, engaging with a career coach may be the way to go. But before you dive headfirst…
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…
Over the years I’ve met a lot of people looking to return to work. And a question that often comes up is how to engage spouses or partners to be supportive during the career restart journey. Some partners are naturally good and supportive and intuit what their partner needs from them. But most of us live in the real world where even the best and most loving partner may need…
