Finding a New Job After a Long Absence
Posted in New Jobs & First Jobs
There are plenty of reasons why you may be unemployed for an extended period of time. Some of these reasons may be a debilitating illness, raising a family, or getting laid-off in the middle of a difficult economy.
Getting back on track can be difficult. Your skills may have not been used for a long time. Also, practices and trends may have changed. These things can cause your confidence to take a dip.
However, though the situation may be daunting, it is not impossible. With a lot of hard work, you can put your career back on track.
Focus on the kind of job you really want to have
For most people, their tendency is to grab the first opportunity that comes their way.
This should not be the case. Accepting the job, even though you know it's not right for you can result in dissatisfaction with many or all aspects of your new job, which in turn could result in sub-par performance at work. And this could lead you right back to unemployment.
What you should do instead is decide what you really want to do. If you have a problem with your finances, you may opt for following options to have a steady stream of income:
- Consider doing various odd jobs with some of your friends.
- Accept temporary employment opportunities.
- Consult with small local businesses.
During your stint at any of these three options, prepare yourself for your new job. Hone your skills, touch up on some work-related things you might have forgotten, update yourself on current business trends and practices. This is also a good time to identify your strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes.
Learn new and important skills
Your skills may be a bit rusty after a long absence from work. Fortunately there are groups that are put up specifically to help you gain back some of the skills you may have forgotten, as well as learn new ones.
One of this is the One-Step Career centers. One-Step Career centers is a federally funded program that offers a number of free resources to job seekers. Some of them include: individualized counseling, seminars on resume-writing, individualized job training, even Internet access for online job searches.
Another way to acquire the much-needed work skills is to attend community college. Though community college is not free, the programs they offer won't cost you much. Plus, there are cases wherein you get assistance programs at occupational centers.
Go online and search for 'free job training' in your city.
Do a proactive job search
As a job seeker, do not be content by simply posting your resume on job sites. Be more active in your search for the right job. Attend job fairs, and conduct informational interviews. Attend seminars and trainings. Make use of government resources for training and job opportunities. Join online professional networking sites.
Your family can also be your network that can link you to training and career opportunities.
