Returning to work after maternity leave is a daunting task for every woman.

Some are lucky enough to return to their former positions while others may have gone on an extended leave. Hence, the need to join the Labour market once again. Lots of women experience what I'll call the return-to-work syndrome. A lot of us experience fear, worry, loss of confidence, shame, and trepidation while returning to work. All these come from the fact that we are not up-to-date with today's relevant work skills, worried that their old skills, if still relevant, have become rusty due to long periods of inactivity, low pay, and many other factors. Below are tips to get started again.

It feels like you're hitting a brick wall. Worry less.

YOUR MINDSET

There are a lot of things you need to keep in mind while rejoining the workforce.

1. Be prepared both mentally and physically

Are you ready for this? Motherhood is pretty much a challenging task. Being a working mother is even more challenging. Well, that doesn't mean that it is something you cannot do. Prepare yourself both for work and the job search.

2. Don’t aim for the top straight away

The labor market is currently congested. Being with a child makes it harder to be hired even. Well, that doesn't mean you won't be hired. Hence you should bear in mind that you may not return to the same level you were before motherhood. If you have not gotten time to learn some new skills during the leave, you may have to take up a role that you are not used to. Well, you should start from somewhere and gradually climb your career ladder. You will get them with time.

3. Think about the new skills you've gained while raising a child

Skills such as negotiation responsibility and balanced multitasking skills will look good on your resume.

4. Finally: Be confident.

Try as much as you can to not get frustrated. Endeavour to remain positive always. Take a deep breath and smile. You've got this.

Notify your network

The first best step in all job searches is informing your network. They may not have an opportunity, but they may know someone who does and, in some cases, even recommend you to them. Let your family, friends, LinkedIn network, former colleagues, and even acquaintances know that you are ready for work and, while at that, get your resume ready.

Update your CV

This can be said to be the best thing to do. Your old resume/CV might be outdated by now already, even though it got you that great job before motherhood. Update your resume with the latest skills and keep the old ones there as well. Impressivecv.com is your place to go to to get your resume or CV impressive and get to your most recent job.

  Take classes

There are many advancements in the world, and many must have happened while you are out of work. Hence, you should take more courses. Brush up your old skills and add new ones. It may be hard for you to attend classes, but there are many online classes that you should be taking. While some are free, others are not. Whichever one works for you, try and take it as it is essential to keep up-to-date on the latest industry's best practices.

Create a pitch

When you start looking for a job, you should be able to speak to everyone you meet or get to know again, why you are back at work, and what you hope to find in a job. Practice your 30-second pitch to make it natural. Do not hide the fact that you have been on a long break and project a positive attitude towards your situation.

Finding a job is rarely easy and an even greater challenge for professionals who have not been in the field for a long time.

It may take some time to find a suitable position when you return to work after a long break. When you get discouraged, think about all of your positive points: education, experience, general skills, and determination. With time, patience, and perseverance, the perfect work will come your way.

Feeling a little overwhelmed or lost in preparing your CV to seek employment again? Drop me an email at info@impressivecv.com. It would be a pleasure to assist you!