Tips for Returning to Work After Time Off

I had coffee with someone who wondered how I could be so productive and positive after such an exhausting experience. They’ve been out of work two months before me; I understood the weariness in her typically youthful face and the sadness of her voice. I explained this is the second time in 27 years being part of a management misalignment, re-org/layoff. I remember so vividly the shock and paralysis in 2008. No one says it’s normal to feel like you’re in a haze, you’re angry, you’re hurt. It’s grief and that is normal. I gave her 4 steps that I took to recover and these 4 steps became muscle memory everytime I transitioned from one place to another thereafter. The same 4 steps will save you emotional pain when you know your compass, aka your core values, are being tested or misaligned. - first, start with your why. Why do you work? Why did you want to work there? Why this job? Why this career? - second, what. What did you bring to the team? What did they give you/or what did you learn? What would you do again? What would you do without? What are your non-negotiables? - third, assess. Spend one week assessing if you are up to speed with the market, latest trends in industry, familiar with the newest tools. Go toe to toe with the job descriptions and evaluate yourself. Then get acquainted with the stuff that is missing. Webinars, free conferences, LinkedIn Learning, Coursera + certifications. As you are applying + interviewing, keep learning and apply what you are learning to the conversations. Building your own plane and flying it at the same time; businesses do it all the time! - fourth, create your compass. What motivates you to get up and work? And what do you need to see/feel/hear to be excited about aligning your personal brand with theirs? How will you know if what they say rings true for you? What kind of environment do you need to thrive in? Then use these answers to sort through the jobs, use these answers to reframe your resume, use these answers to refine your networking skills and use these answers to interview opportunities for your career prospects. Use these answers to dissuade your negative thoughts and the people around you who might not understand your compass.

3 resume tips for career pivots and return-to-work. First, a little black dress. OK, it wasn't so little. I wore it because I felt HUGE! Pulling my tree-trunk-size legs into pants was a no-go at the end of a summer pregnancy. 😂 Let's be honest. The maternity wardrobe gets MINIMAL at the end of 9 months. So, I wore the same cotton black dress to the office over and over again, but with different accessories - Scarves, jewelry, cardigans... I was SO self-conscious. But NO ONE NOTICED! The opposite happened. One admin consistently complimented my outfits. Guess what I learned? No one is worried about you as much as you are. Yes, making a career comeback or pivot has unique challenges in career collateral prep and job search, but you're more self-conscious about it than the reader. Craft your career narrative to focus on your VALUE instead of your gap or unconventional history. 1/ DATES Our first inclination is to hide our career break, but the short-and-sweet truth is always the best policy.  If you have a short gap (a year, for example), use an easy formatting fix: → Delete the months on your resume to eliminate it. For gaps longer than a year, use the sandwich method. Instead of having your dates on the far right side of your document, 🥪 create a sandwich: The bread is the company name on one side and the location on the other, with the dates of employment in the middle. The eye skips over the dates and focuses on your impact. 2/ EXIT LINES These are one-line statements sharing the WHY behind your paid work exit. Why do this? Research shows that applicants who disclose the reason behind their work gap are 60% more likely to receive a call back for an interview than those who didn't! So don't only mind the gap, explain it! Your exit line is a straightforward statement, not a novel. It can be placed in the line of the job title. For example: Product Manager | 2017 – 2022 | Left for a 5-year stint to care for children OR your exit line could read: Left position to get MBA If you have an extensive break consider a one-line explanation for the gap, between roles in your work experience, like: Career sabbatical to care for family. 3/ TOP THIRD OK, yes, the first ✌🏻 tips are primarily for those with a gap, but career pivoters and return-to-work people need to focus on the top third of the resume, too. Connect the dots of how your untraditional experience (and expertise) is a must-have. Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager 👟 Think about THEIR pain points and challenges within their industry and company. 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:  Translate your experience in your target industry’s language. Do this by studying job ads, company websites and social. 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧-𝐭𝐨-𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤: Connect the skills you developed during your break (volunteer, freelance, etc.) under a 'Related Experience' heading to show how your skillset is a game changer for current company challenges. ❓What else?

As someone who recently returned to work after my maternity break, there are a few things I've learned. If you're a new parent returning to work soon too, here's what I want you to know: 1. You're going to drop the ball from time to time From rescheduling a ton of meetings to not being able to tick off every single item on your to-do list, you're going to drop the ball now and then. Don't beat yourself up over it. Tomorrow is a new day ☀ 2. You'll get overwhelmed easily It might feel like you've got a hundred mental tabs open 24/7, all demanding your attention. Deep breaths, identifying your top 3 tasks for the day, and asking for help go a long way. 3. You'll feel like you're failing your team The initial weeks of returning to work can be challenging as you try to find your footing. You'll probably feel like you're disappointing your team when you have a few misses, but remember that just showing up every day is a win and you're doing an incredible job! Now here's what you'll become EXCEPTIONAL at: 1. Becoming frikking efficient When you have limited time, you become a master of productivity. You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in those precious moments you have to focus! 2. Handling critical situations The late nights, teething phase, growth spurts, you've seen them all. There are very few things that can shake you after that, really 🤷♀️ Use your newfound ability to stay calm in high-pressure situations to your advantage. 3. Prioritizing like a wizard🔮 Since time becomes an elusive resource, you'll start prioritizing high-payoff activities that drive results over a ton of low-impact ones. Delegate whatever you can and trust your team to do a great job at it. Sounds incredible if you ask me 😎 If you’ve got a new parent on your team, this is a reminder to show them grace and empathy - I've been incredibly lucky to have found a team that does (Shoutout to Madhav Bhandari, Nalin Senthamil, Ekshika Raj, and the entire Storylane team). Maybe even drop a note to say they're doing a good job! For all you know, that might be just what they needed to be able to function that day :) #Career #Parenting