Short answer: Maybe. In April I wrote about LinkedIn’s new feature allowing people to include career breaks, for caregiving and other reasons, to their profiles. I applauded the move — LinkedIn’s profile had been overly rigid and made accounting for time out of the paid workforce very difficult. Making our profiles more customizable to fit our actual lives is an important step in recognizing that not every career follows a…
Ramya: The career that I had before my break was nothing remarkable, and did not follow a specific path. How can returnees like me, who were still trying to figure out their career goals before their break, find their way back into the workforce? I feel out of my depth every time I look at a job or returnship description. I know how difficult it is to take that first step…
Zeinab: How much time should I put into prepping for my return? Do you have any tips for building and keeping to a routine? Dear Zeinab — What a great question! When you are looking to restart your career you definitely need to be prepared to spend time on your quest. But I think the way to think about it is not so much about quantity and more about consistency.…
Kristen asks: My career break is long (more than 15 years). How can I market myself as relevant and able to pick up new things? Do my volunteer and caregiving experiences count for anything? We get asked this question often. Before I answer I want you to take some inspiration from the many women who’ve successfully restarted their careers after a break of more than 10 years — Alicia, Cathy,…
Mira asks: LinkedIn requests for networking haven’t necessarily worked out for me. How can I connect with people I’m interested in networking with if I don’t have any common connections? Tami: Hi, Mira! Well, getting people who don’t know you to connect to you is hard. It helps to be concise but also to state clearly what you hope to gain from the conversation. But people are busy and wary,…
Allison asks: What is the best way to get over the fear of reaching out to old colleagues, especially if you haven’t spoken in a long time? Tami: The first thing I want you to think about is how you felt the last time someone reached out to you after a very long time. Assuming they were someone you were fond of, I bet you were delighted to hear from…
Debra asks: What type of soft skills are most needed in today’s workforce, and going forward? Tami: I’m so glad someone asked this question! We get so many questions about very specific technical skills — and very rarely does anyone ask about soft skills. And guess what — a lot of times what stands in the way of success at work can be put into the category of soft skills!…
Supreet asks: The biggest challenge with a career restart is the tech changes, and that all jobs require tech skills. What is the best way to know which tech skills are relevant to which industry, and how can one gain them? Tami: This is a great question! There are a few ways to figure out what skills are in demand. Study job descriptions: Read through the “skills required” section of…
Ritz asks: What if you have matured in your vision for yourself and your career path in the years you took a break, to an extent where you see yourself capable of much more than what will likely be offered to you due to a break? Tami: When job searching — with or without a break — the best strategy is to assume nothing. Don’t assume you won’t be offered…
Barbara asks: What is realistic regarding salary expectations when we are trying to re-enter the workforce? Aside from one’s own financial considerations, how much is too much when you are asked to go significantly below your previous level? Tami: Salary questions are tricky because there are so many factors that go into salary offers. And it tends to be an emotional topic, which can further complicate things. Figure out what…
