Finding the Way: 53 Skills, 4 Steps, and 5 Resources for Workforce Re-Entrants
- Laurel Kashinn
- Jul 28, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 24, 2023
Are you a workforce re-entrant? If so, then you know how challenging it can be to return to the paid workforce after time away to raise a family, care for a sick relative, or recover your own path in life.
You also know how easy it is to fall prey to common negative stereotypes, diminish yourself, think you and your experiences are worthless just because someone wasn't giving you a monetary paycheck.
Uggh! No! That has never been true!
Having worked with hundreds of workforce re-entrants to craft their unique door-opening resumes, we have identified more than four dozen valuable transferable job skills honed during unpaid work periods. As you read through the list of 53 skills and roles below, you may realize others. Please share in the comments, what roles or skills did you build while on your "career break"? I am sure there are more.
53 Common Skills Honed and Roles Played by Workforce Re-Entrants
Perseverance
Adaptability
Setting Priorities
Focus
Creative Problem Solving
Compassion
Empathy
Resourcefulness
Crisis Management
Navigating Probate
Funeral Planner
Mediator
Healthcare Sherpa
Household Manager
Financial Controller
Financial Manager
Accounts Payable
Budgeting
Purchasing
Vendor Management
Project Management
Discretion
Confidentiality
Strategic Planning
Activities Coordinator
Strategic Negotiator
Sales Pitching
Sales Closing
Training
Mentor
Team Leader
Team Builder
Team Coaching
Communications Liaison
Volunteer Recruiter
Volunteer Manager
Motivational Speaker
Leadership
Interpersonal Communications
Interpersonal Relationships
Time Management
Event Management
Research Skills
Education Support
People Development
Early Childhood Education
Positivity
Strategic Planning
Travel Planning
Travel Management
Property Management
Estate Management
Estate Planning
Did I miss any? Thanks for adding more in the comments.
Fortunately, a growing list of business owners and hiring managers appreciate the value workforce re-entrants bring to the workplace, particularly wisdom, maturity, and that most uncommon commodity: common sense.
As of this writing, more than 1,000 companies have already pledged to not practice discrimination, and many offer the equivalent of paid internships for workforce re-entrants called returnships——a great stepping stone back into monetary gainful employment.
4 STEPS FOR WORKFORCE RE-ENTRANTS
Before updating your resume or applying, do some strategic analysis, as follows. Step 1: Start with the list above to create a your own personal inventory of skills you used and developed.
Step 2: In your list of skills, circle those you don't mind continuing to use in your next chapter. From that list, put a star next to those you enjoyed most. Incorporate these into your LinkedIn profile copy for search engine optimization (SEO), so your name comes up when someone searches for that skill or experience. For best SEO, add them to three or four places: possibly your headline, only if the role or skill is your mojo and gives you great joy; also add to your summary, your list of skills, and in the description of your work break. Add them to corresponding places on your résumé as well.
Step 3: Scanning your list, is there is anything you hated doing? If so, draw a line through it. Always leave off your résumé and LinkedIn profile anything you never want to do again. Avoid any word that touch outside of the industry you want to work in. Examples might be Healthcare Sherpa. Navigating Probate. Funeral Planning. Step 4: Take an inner journey to ramp up your personal energy, whenever you engage in the job-search processes. It's all about mindset and accessing the very powerful leverage of energy of confidence, clarity, knowing, enthusiasm, and positive expectation. This makes all the difference. Check out my tips on a very powerful, psychologically therapeutic, self-help practice called Reflective Writing. I highly recommend this, especially for workforce re-entrants, as well as people who are chronically unhappy in their work or students or new grads having a hard time choosing their career path.
JOBSEEKERS and WORKFORCE RE-ENTRANTS: KNOW THYSELF
Before engaging in job-search processes, connect with your higher authentic Self with a capital S. Your authentic Self is who you were born as: a creative, unique, and multi-faceted being of light, energy, and enthusiasm. Your authentic Self is the person who knows your purpose, your mission.
Your authentic Self is that eager, silly, imaginative person you were in your youth, who had big dreams, and who still lives within you. Your authentic Self is a being of confidence, knowledge, and clarity—all states of high energy. When you engage that Self, it's easy to remember: you are a unique and sacred being. Your point of view is unique to you.
No one else has ever walked in your shoes, or ever will. You are the subject-matter expert in your own life, experiences, and skills. You are the captain of your ship.
Grab the wheel!
KNOW THYSELF: A powerful tool of Self-knowledge I highly recommend is the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment. Clifton Strengths--much more than a skills assessment--is the chief tree in the healthy growing forest of Positive Psychology called Strengths Psychology. To be honest, if I had just one goal to accomplish in my life it would be to help Don Clifton's strengths legacy become a common household word. To see children growing up and their parents all know their unique Strengths DNA. Because knowing strengths kindles growth and positive transformation, correctly, on the micro to macro level, individually and within families, work teams, and communities: from the inside out. The Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment reveals the many facets of the diamond of who you are—as unique as your DNA. Once you have your results, budget half an hour a week to learn about your top strengths by accessing a plethora of free trainings and podcasts offered on Gallup's YouTube channel and their website. Also reach out to me for more personalized assistance as well. I promise, discovering your natural born talents will be a pleasant and unfolding surprise, worth the investment, to reveal the accurate and rich results of the Clifton StrengthsFinder. Note: the odds of 2 people having the same top 5 strengths in order are 1 in 33 million. So you truly are unique.
TIPS FOR WORKFORCE RE-ENTRANTS in PREPARING TO APPLY
After ramping up your energetic mindset, understanding which of your strengths you want to build, and knowing the kinds of role you want to play, now it's time to take action.
Remember: it still is and always will be a who-you-know world. Start by reaching out to people you know.
References are a perfect place to begin. Create a fresh list of references, people you know well enough to reach out to, who can vouch for your skills and abilities. It doesn't need to be more than 3 but can be more.
Reach out to each person on the phone, let them know you’re looking for a job, ask or confirm that they will serve as a reference for you, get their current title, where they are currently working, and contact information -- both phone and email. Email them a PDF copy of your most recent resume. Not that they are going to hire you, but they might know someone. Help them help you by letting them know your skills and what you're looking for.
Do the same with family members and friends who are not your references. Reach out, tell them what you're looking for, send them copies of your resume. After applying and you get called for a first interview, be sure to contact each reference again, tell them know the name of the company you’ll be interviewing with. Help them be prepared when the call comes to vouch for you.
5 RESOURCES FOR WORKFORCE RE-ENTRANTS
Here are five resources to help you find positions and companies eager to bank on your workforce re-entrant skills and know-how.
1. Employer Pledge Program by AARP
More than 1,000 employers in this searchable database by name and industry have pledged: “We believe in equal opportunity for all workers, regardless of age, and that 50+ workers should have a level playing field in their ability to compete for and obtain jobs. Recognizing the value of experienced workers, we pledge to recruit across diverse age groups and to consider all applicants on an equal basis as we hire for positions within our organization.” Employers who sign the Pledge agree that they: Believe in equal opportunity for all workers. Recognize the value of experienced workers. Recruit across diverse age groups and consider all applicants on an equal basis, regardless of age. Believe that 50+ workers should have a level playing field in their ability to compete and obtain jobs. To participate, employers are vetted to have had no age discrimination lawsuits within the past 3 years, have a live website with contact information, and an active point of contact. https://www.aarp.org/work/employer-pledge-companies/
2. Women Back To Work Founded by talent firm Akraya in 2015, WBW bills itself “the nation’s leading workforce re-entry program for technical talent.” The founder, Sonu Ratra, writes “at WBW, we have perfected the art and science of Full-Service Returnships – sourcing, recruiting, nurturing, and mentoring returners. We have debunked the myths and stereotypes around hiring women with gaps. Our Returner talent pool is world class. Our weekly ‘Power Hours’ have set a trend in the industry….failure to hire Returners as a part of your hiring strategy means not leveraging the life experiences, diverse and non-linear thinking that Returners bring. Don’t miss out on this goldmine of talent.”
3. InHerSight's list of 15 Companies Offering Returnships Founded by Ursula Mead in 2014, “InHerSight believes in the power of data to improve the workplace, so we built a completely anonymous platform to measure how well companies support women employees, from office suites to executive suites, in cubicles and in warehouses…. InHerSight collects data on 18 key metrics—both formal policies and “soft” policies—that matter most to working women, including flexible work hours, maternity and adoptive leave, family growth support (e.g., child care and lactation rooms), salary satisfaction, mentoring, management opportunities, and women in leadership positions. We help women make smarter decisions about what companies to work for. We help employers understand how their policies are perceived and how they can better attract and support top female talent.” https://www.inhersight.com/blog/female-friendly-companies/return-to-work-programs#
4. The Riveter “The Riveter is a modern union of women and allies striving for equity of opportunity for all.” Here is a roundup (12 as of this post) of “the best websites and marketplaces to get you back on the onramp to the next stage of your professional life.
5. FlexJobs
FlexJobs bills itself as “the #1 job site to find the best remote, work from home, and flexible jobs for over 14 years, we know how to help you have a faster, easier, and safer job search. Just as we’ve helped millions of people, let us help you!…Work is changing, and remote and hybrid jobs are becoming a new normal. Now, “the office” is often a home office, hybrid workplace, or wherever you want to set up shop.” Here is a list FlexJobs has compiled of large corporations who appreciate the wisdom and experience of workforce re-entrants.
If you know anyone who wants to reduce your hard-earned years working without a paycheck as a blank "Career Break," don't buy it.
Your life experience is not a blank!
For more help re-entering the paid workforce after time away, please reach out. I'd love to hear about your situation and offer some specific tips.
.
Comments