You can take a career break to return to college and advance your education, start a family or volunteer for a good course in another country. The challenge sets in when you want to return to work and you are not sure how to account for the gap in your career path.
Some employers may not mind the long break, but others will be concerned if your experience is still updated or you need a refresher course. Before returning to employment, there are steps you can take to get ready for hire.
Update your social media account
Most employers will search your social media account to confirm your qualifications and check what kind of posts you have. The best way out is for you to update your account with your interests, hobbies, newest certificates and so on.
Next, remove all unnecessary posts on your social media and search your name on Google to check what other people have posted about you. Google search can also help you check if there is a mugshot containing your image.
Rarely will an employer hire you if they find your mugshot online. The best way is to contact a mugshot removal service and have it removed. One of the best mugshot removal service providers is VelSEOity because they search through every browser and social media to ensure they locate every site that has uploaded your mugshot. They then contact the site and ask them to remove your mugshot.
Update your CV
One of the reasons why people take a long career break is to go and take full-time courses. After you are through with your course work, you must update your CV. Your CV must impress your potential employer before he or she considers seeking further information about you.
If you had traveled for volunteer work in another country, get a letter or certificate from the entity that sent you and the one you were serving in the foreign country. Ensure you include the details in your CV.
Decide which kind of job you want
You only get fulfillment from a job if it's serving your needs in terms of time, money and career growth. Before you think of applying for a job, check how many hours you can afford to work per day and the best shift that fits your time demands.
If you have a young child to look after, you might prefer the 8 am to 4 pm shift. You could have other commitments over the weekend and it would be good if you work between Monday – Friday.
Another factor to consider is your monthly budget and your long-term goals. You should not take a job whose pay is lower than your monthly budget. The pay should cater at least for all your basic needs. You must decide if you want a full-time job, work from home arrangement or a remote job.
Refresh your skills
A refresher is helpful if you have been away for long. It will help you remember how your work environment used to be and what it is like now. Go online and check the websites of the company you used to work for and the sites of its competitors.
You can also connect back with your former colleagues and find out the new changes in work pattern, hours and new projects. You may also volunteer to work for free in a company that offers services similar to the kind of job you want.
Benefits offered by your new employer
Benefits serve as incentives to employees and they also help rate employers better. You need to first check all the benefits you were getting from your former employer and decide if you want a new employer who will give you the same benefits or more.
If you had taken a long break to start a new family, you might want better medical and life insurance plans. Other benefits you must consider are retirement, part-time off, holiday offs, annual leave and disability benefits.