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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
When it comes to job interviews, there are a lot of reasons why you might be out of practice. Some people are fortunate enough to have held a job for years, and haven’t had a need to interview. But for many returners, taking a career break to care for loved ones might mean it’s been a long while. Regardless of the circumstances for why you’ve been out of the interview…
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…
