Making a Career Comeback
8 Tips on Wowing Prospective Employers
Whether you’ve been raising a family, earning a degree, or laid off from a previous job, planning a career comeback can be daunting. You may worry that your time away has hindered your chances for finding solid employment. It doesn’t have to! As you prepare to get your career on track, consider these 8 tips on wowing prospective employers.
1. Determine what you want
Don’t plow forward until you have decided the direction you want your career to go. When you haphazardly push your career forward, you wind up with a haphazard career. While the responsibility of earning a living may loom large, it doesn’t have to prevent you from getting on a desirable career path. Sit back and determine where you’d most like to be in your career before you start the job hunt.
2. Take a self-assessment
Once you decide the direction you would like your career to take, assess your current skill level to determine whether or not you are qualified to apply for the jobs you want. If you are trying to rebound following job loss, ask yourself what role you played in your termination and how you might change in order to get and keep the job of your dreams.
3. Develop new skills
Some people are concerned that this step will take too much time from their efforts in finding a new job. While you may have to find a transitional job to pay the bills while you receive necessary training, you don’t have to spend years earning professional certification. In some cases, one or two college classes will be enough to revamp your skills, while in other cases a reputable bookkeeping program may be what you need.
4. Revamp your resume
Once you know where you are going and are confident that you possess the skills necessary, it’s time to revamp your resume. Highlight your strengths while considering the employers who will review it. What are they most interested in, and have you made it easy for them to find it on your resume?
5. Build your network
The best way to find work opportunities is through networking. If you’ve been out of the loop for awhile, chances are you will need to rebuild your network. Consider family, friends, businesses you frequent, and other contacts who could expose you to potential jobs. Spread the word, and you’ll soon discover just how valuable a professional network can be.
6. Develop a positive explanation
Employers are going to wonder why you have been off the market for awhile. Practice an explanation that positively explains the career interruption. Avoid sounding derogatory or apologetic.
7. Consider temp work
Temp work puts you in a prime position with some companies; you become familiar with their policies, procedures, and work environment which can give you the advantage when a full-time position becomes available. This also provides you with the opportunity to determine whether or not this is even a company you would like to work for long-term. Sometimes it exposes you to your dream employer, providing you with just the focus you need in your job search.
8. Be flexible
Sometimes we become too narrow-minded when looking for a job. Is it absolutely necessary for you to find full-time employment? Would your career benefit more from a part-time position? Or, perhaps, you could consider freelance work for awhile? Approaching your career with an open mind may enable you to discover possibilities you wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
As you prepare for your career comeback focus on your skills and strengths in order to build your confidence. The more you prepare for the job hunt, the better equipped you will be to secure the job of your choice.Universal Accounting Center (UAC) tries to help professionals like you by offering quality training programs and other resources designed to help you network with others and learn more about the accounting and tax industry. To see our free resources, visit UAC today.
