Millions of Americans care for elderly or sick family members, often quitting jobs to do so. When the time comes to re-enter the workforce, the process can be complicated by ongoing caretaking duties if the loved one continues to need care, or by grief if the family member has passed away.
Everyone’s situation is different, but the following steps will provide a starting point for caretakers as they plan this next chapter.
1. Choose your path
Knowing the work you will do next is half the battle, as the saying goes. While you might consider returning to a previous profession, it’s very common for priorities to shift after such an intense experience. You might also feel that your skills for the old field are outdated, making this a logical time to begin a new career path.
This part of your process can be the most confusing, and the most likely to keep you from moving forward. To get started, consider taking a career exploration class at a local community college, or meeting with a career counselor who can help you decide your path.
If you can afford it, another strategy is to dip your toe back into the work world gradually. Even an unrelated part-time job will help acclimate you to workplace demands, while building your confidence.
2. Define your new skills
For some reason, caretakers frequently underrate their own skills and expertise. This is a shame, because doing so can erase years of experience from resumes and conversations with employers.
Even if you don’t plan to work in caretaking or health care, you may still find that you have developed transferable skills. For example, you may have acquired an expertise for working with paperwork, a strength in coordinating schedules for round-the-clock care providers, or skills in menu planning and food preparation for restricted diets.
3. Deal with the resume gap
While building a resume for this circumstance can seem daunting, it’s really just a matter of putting your best foot forward in relation to the work you’ve targeted. If you want a part-time customer service position, emphasize skills those employers most need. Likewise, higher-level job targets require an emphasis on the leadership or management skills they would demand.
Probably the most difficult part of this process is accounting for the time away from the workforce. To start, return to the question, “What’s my job target and what do those employers want to know?” If you’re seeking work in health care or a related field, your recent experience will be an asset. In that case, make a brief “job description” for your duties and place it first in a category labeled simply “Experience,” to be followed by your earlier paid positions.
On the other hand, if your caretaking experience feels unrelated to your target job, put your “job description” in a new category called “Additional Experience,” which will come after a “Work Experience” category describing your earlier jobs. This is also where you can put any part-time or interim work you may have held recently that doesn’t relate to your career path.
4. Get the word out
Once you know at least generally the type of work you seek, it’s time to ask people in your circle for help. The more specific you can be in your request for contacts or leads in your chosen field, the more helpful others are likely to be. Equipping them with your new resume will simplify passing your information to others.
5. Prepare for the interview
When talking with employers, you need a storyline that doesn’t overly emphasize the circumstances of your loved one’s path, but focuses instead on your skills and what you can bring to the company.
Consider enlisting the help of a friend or counselor to role-play with you before the first few interviews. Before long, you will be telling your story with confidence and letting employers know that you are ready for work.
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