Looking for a job can be very difficult, especially since entry level positions require relevant work experience and practical skills. Career of the Day can provide you ways which will allow you to easily get back into the workplace you’ve missed for a long time. Here are five tips for you to get back into the workforce:
- Gain Confidence
Going back to a job from a long period of unemployment can make you less confident about yourself and your chances of re-employment. Before you begin looking for a job, you should start the process of building up confidence in your skill and value you can provide to the workplace; this can be achieved in the following ways;
- Review your resume/CV and practice core skills and functions relevant to your industry ie. Accounting software for Accountants and Bookkeepers, Design/Development software for Developers etc.
- Make contact with your client network. People that you have previously worked with and developed a professional partnership with. This can assist you in reviewing core projects and responsibilities you have worked with in the past.
- Keep motivated and confident by keeping a business blog.
- Utilise freelance websites such as Airtasker and Freelancer.com.au to continue to utilise your professional skills, getting paid in the process.
Do your best to be positive and believe in your capabilities. You’ve passed that phase before and surely, you can do it again.
- Volunteer
When given the opportunity, candidates should consider volunteer work in different events and activities which align to their given skills and profession. This is a brilliant opportunity to not only keep up with professional capabilities and communications, but this also allows for the discovery of hidden talents and new skills.
Volunteer work offers the opportunity to keep candidate skills current and relevant within this ever-changing world, so ensure you make the most of the opportunities presented to you.
- Freelance
Freelancing will not only help you earn money but it can also help you keep your skills sharp and enhance your CV. For the period you have been unemployed, there will be a ‘blank phase’ in your CV which the interviewers may question. Freelancing can assist with the filling in of information within your CV providing more confidence to the interviewer about your retention of skills and professional knowledge.
Some brilliant resources for Freelance opportunities are;
- Professional Network
Maintain your professional network. Establish contact with everyone you have engaged with in a professional sense and reach out to them. If you have had a strong professional relationship with these people, either through paid work of volunteer experience, notify them about your need for work. Keeping good relationships with your co-workers and like-minded professionals is extremely important for your future career prospects and opportunities. If you do not already have a LinkedIn account, then do not wait another day, spend 15 minutes setting one up and start connecting with those past networks to maintain the relationship.
- Update Your Resume
Ensure your resume/CV is 100% updated, checked for spelling and is grammatically correct. It is also important to know your resume inside and out. You wouldn’t want to be questioned about some of your skills and projects listed within the document and know how to respond to the query during an interview.
It is critical to remain honest and truthful about your abilities and experience. Employers understand that you are new to the role you are applying therefore they are assessing your knowledge and measuring the skill-gaps you may require training in prior to kicking off in the role.
Your resume is your most important asset in kicking off your career and must be treated as such.