5 Ways Volunteering Will Help Your Job Search

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…

Five Ways to Connect and Grow Your Network Virtually

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…

Successful Interviews: What to Do Before, During, and After an Interview

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 has been a long time since you’ve been the subject of a job interview. The good news is there are specific steps you can take…

These Soft Skills Were Crucial to My Success

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…

How to Showcase Your Skills and Stand Out as a Job Seeker

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…

Telling Your Story When You’ve Been on a Career Break

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,…

Master Behavioral Interview Questions with the STAR Method

During an interview, you’ll likely be asked a few questions that start with “tell me about a time when…” or “give me an example of…” These are called behavioral interview questions and their aim is to show the interviewer how you handle common challenges and situations on the job. They often touch on topics like leadership, teamwork, project management, problem solving, and conflict resolution. How you choose to answer these…

Path Forward’s 7 Tips for a Successful Video Interview

More and more companies are using video interviews to talk with job applicants. If you’re trying to rejoin the workforce after many years away, video interviewing may be unfamiliar, adding stress to your interview prep. Here is our advice for how to put your best (virtual) foot forward! 1.  Find your space and manage interruptions (or be transparent if you cannot). If you don’t have a home office, making do…

A New Path Forward for Path Forward

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…

Can’t Decide on a Post-Break Career? These 9 Strategies Can Help

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…