What To Consider When Looking for A New Job After A Hiatus

There are many reasons why you may have had to leave employment. It could be personal reasons, or it could be for reasons out of your control. It could be that you have been off ill, or you may have recently had a baby, meaning you had to be off for maternity/paternity reasons. Either way, returning to the workforce and searching for a new job may seem overwhelming after some time out. Returning to work after a long break from employment can be challenging, but there is plenty of advice that can help you.

Consider your skills and qualifications when looking into the job market. You should also spend time thinking about your previous work experience. This can help you figure out what you are qualified for, and, more importantly, what you want to do. It’s also worth exploring the possibility that you can return to your previous job, if they have room and you’re willing.

If you decide to return to a previous employer, you may have to work hard to convince them to take you back on, depending on how you left. Consider if you’re ready for full-time hours or if it is best to start with part-time ones. Hopefully, we have put together this article to ease some of your concerns and help you land a new job after a hiatus. Let’s get started.

Know What You Can Offer Employers

Before rushing into the first job opportunity that comes your way, you should consider your strengths. This can help you understand what you’re capable of and help you understand what you can offer in a job. Realising this can also help prepare you for an interview.

It may require you to pitch yourself to previous employers and potential employers. Practice this ahead of time to help build up your confidence. An elevator pitch will tell an interviewer who you are, what you can offer in the workplace and a brief explanation of your work experience. You can enhance this with your own flair and mention your key skills within this industry and what you will offer yourself.

Know The Job Requirements Before Applying

It’s important that you are honest in your job application. A part of this means fully reading the job posting and understanding what is being asked. This will save time and energy for everyone involved. It’s useful to know the requirements before you apply, as it will help you know if the job is for you in general and will help them know that you want it.

Most job postings will clearly post what they require and mention the minimum requirements before applying. You should research job roles ahead of time and spend time researching the business. Understand this, and you should be good to go.

Look For Opportunities To Climb The Ladder

You may be an ambitious person and want to find a place of work that will not only employ you but also give you the chance to climb the corporate ladder. With this in mind, you should search for businesses and employers that have a track record of promoting/hiring from within. This can give you scope for progression and help give you the tools you need to climb.

There are also ways for you to gain key skills outside of work that could give you the best chance of success. You can learn more about your career path and goals to understand where you want to go. You should look into Placement, which offers high-quality career coaching services that could help you define yourself and your goals. Engage with experts via Zoom, and you will have a further understanding of what sort of career you want and how you can get there. This will be incredibly useful after a hiatus away from work.

Think About Your Children

As we discussed in the introduction, you may have taken time off work to care for your newborn baby. If you are returning to work from a situation like this, you will need to think about who will care for your child, and how much childcare could cost you. You may look towards friends and family members, but it will most likely be best to work with an expert who does this for a living. It may be preferable for your partner to provide care, but this isn’t always possible.

An experienced childminder could come to your home during the day, or you may drop them off at a nursery. Either way, you should ensure you have given it thought and put suitable arrangements in place before returning to work. Consider the needs of your entire family, as well as yourself. While you will want to return to work, your family should come first. Don’t force yourself to do too much, and look after yourself.

Look For A Fair Salary

Even though you have been out of work for a short time, you should still know your worth and ensure you get a fair salary for your new job. Look at the entire salary package to understand the benefits and any potential downsides. This can help you decide on a job and ensure you are being looked after outside of work and live a happy life.

Look at the full salary and break it down month by month. If possible, try to determine your tax information, so you know the full picture. In general, it’s useful to understand income tax rates, so you know where your money is going and if it’s right. Having more of an understanding of your income will help you avoid debt. Look into incentives offered by employers. These could be bonuses or health insurance packages.

If you decide a salary package isn’t worth your time, then you should walk away. Know your worth and your skills, and get what you deserve. You don’t want to accept a job role just to find out further down the road that you aren’t happy. Take time to look at the salary package before accepting an offer, and consider the holiday days offered, too.

Be Aware Of Your Health

If you’ve taken time off work due to ill health, you need to think about how your overall health. In some cases, this could impact your ability to work effectively. For physical injuries, you may not be able to work physical jobs. You and the employer should be aware of all the risks, and what is expected should be clear.

Understand your own health, and consider what you are able to do. It may be best to look into remote working opportunities. This could be useful for those with health conditions that impact them away from home, either in the short term or long term. This isn’t possible for everyone, but it’s worth considering.

It will be your employer’s responsibility to care for your health, so they should have processes to make it easy for employees to work. Ensure your employer is treating you fair, if you choose to work with them, and that you have equal treatment while being cared for. If required, they should put in processes and policies to adapt to you.