In this podcast Jo Attard speaks with 2UE Talking Lifestyle Radio’s Tim Webster and Dee Dee Dunleavy about returning to the workforce after a career break.
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Planning to return to the workforce after time away can be stressful and confusing. I recently spoke with Tim Webster and Dee Dee Dunleavy on Talking Lifestyle to share my advice for a seamless transition back into employment.
Key topics covered in this podcast interview:
- Before applying for a new job it’s good to understand why it was that you left your last job. Was it for child care reasons or burn-out? Understanding the reasons will help you avoid the same situation.
- As simple as it sounds, you need to know what you want to achieve in your return to work: Why it’s important to weigh up your experience, skills and current industry trends to pinpoint a good fit for realising your goals.
- How to select the skills you want to use and the environment you want to use them in, helping you to narrow your ideal work options.
- Knowing what’s occurring in your industry of choice will allow you to tailor your resume to the role and allow you to begin preparing.
- In the event that there are areas you aren’t familiar with in a potential role, don’t be afraid to re-train or attain qualification via a short course or similar.
- Why it’s important to write a fresh resume with your most relevant skills, qualifications and experience, leaving out any details that might count against you like your address, date of birth and specific interests.
- How to use your network to unearth new opportunities or engage with a recruitment agency.
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Read the transcript
Tim Webster:
Now at the start of the new year many people decide to change their jobs, Dee Dee. Others decide to go back to the workforce if they’ve been absent for a time, so no matter what the situation is, changing jobs or going back to work, well that’s pretty stressful. Let’s try and help you navigate through that. Jo Attard, Principal Consultant of People Edge Coaching and Consulting. He joins us on the line now. Hey Jo.
Dee Dee Dunleavy:
Hi Jo.
Jo Attard:
Hi Tim and Dee Dee.
Dee Dee Dunleavy:
Hi. Let’s maybe start with people who are changing jobs. It’s the start of the new year. Is this a good time to look for a new job, or is it better to [00:00:30] have tried at the end of the previous year?
Jo Attard:
Yeah, it’s interesting. The job market traditionally had closed down from the beginning of December or even into November right through to the end of January and into February, although what we’re seeing in the last couple of years is that’s actually shortening, that period. So, it’s good at the end of the year to really look at what it is that you want, and get yourself ready for that job search activity early in the new year when things start to come back on board, purely and simply so you know you’ve got all of the things you need to have, but also you’re able to clearly articulate what it is that you’re looking for.
Tim Webster:
Sure. What if you’ve been out of the workforce by choice? So you wanted to leave that job and you’ve been away for a while and you want to jump back in, where do you start?
Jo Attard:
Again, it’s about knowing what it is that you want. Why did you leave your last role, and take a career break? Was it for care reasons, because more and more of us are doing that, either aged care or child care reasons and having a break that way? But it might because you were either burnt out, or you didn’t like, for whatever reason, where you were. So, it’s really important to understand those reasons why, so you don’t actually jump into the same situation again. And then really think about what skills of yours you actually want to use and where you want to use them. And do some research first and work out what your profession is doing right now or what your job area is doing right now, what sort of organizations are hiring those sorts of people, and what they’re actually asking for in those people, because sometimes it might mean that you might need, depending on how long you’ve been out of the workforce, you might actually need to do a little bit of retraining in some areas that perhaps weren’t required when you were last in that role.
Dee Dee Dunleavy:
And doing that research Jo, would be handy when you’re putting or refreshing your CV. What are some of the things you should leave in, or leave out?
Jo Attard:
Yeah, well I always say resumes should never be updated, they should be rewritten because…..
Tim Webster:
That’s interesting, yeah.
Jo Attard:
Resume methods and types of resumes actually change over time as well. And it’s easier to, actually … You won’t ever put things in your resume that are really more than 10 to 15 years old. Unfortunately qualifications and skills do have a bit of a shelf life, so if you have a chronological resume, and there’s a number of different types of resume, but a chronological resume is that sort of resume that we’re all used to, you want to make sure that you don’t include things that are actually going to count against you. So, you don’t want to put things in like, perhaps your address might count against you. Somebody decides that you might have to travel too far-
Tim Webster:
Okay, yeah.
Jo Attard:
…for work. Nobody’s going to send you a letter anymore. You don’t need your address in there. You never put your date of birth. You never put your marital status, or your children. And even interests can count against you. If you say that you’re a Rabbitohs fan and the prospective employer is a ….
Tim Webster:
Is a Roosters fan then you’re in big trouble, I can tell you that Jo.
Jo Attard:
Absolutely. Absolutely. So, it’s really important, unless of course you’re applying for a job with the Rabbitohs then you would want to say that.
Tim Webster:
Then you haven’t got a problem. Yeah, that’s right.
Jo Attard:
Exactly. So, just think about that. And the other thing never ever to include in your resume, and I see it a lot, is other people’s details. So, a lot of people put their referees’ details in their resume. Putting your referees’ details in the resume is really opening things up to all sorts of things, including an opportunity for the prospective employer to contact those referees without your knowledge, and you haven’t been able to word them up about what it is that you’re looking for.
Tim Webster:
Yeah, and Jo, just about all jobs are advertised online now, and just that phone call we just had from Dougie, a lot of these things seem to be common sense to most of us, but to some they might not be, so if you’re not particularly savvy on the net how do you go?
Jo Attard:
Well, you really need a three pronged approach to job search anyway. So, you need to use your networks. More jobs are actually gained through networking by far than any other. Only about 20 to 30% of jobs are ever advertised anyway. Using recruitment agencies is another thing that you should also use. Sometimes by engaging with a recruitment agency properly, they will actually do all of that search for you. And also, obviously it is the way that we’re going. Technology is king unfortunately for some and it’s something that we all really do need to keep up with. So, we can be seen as a little bit of a dinosaur if we don’t, regardless of what the role is that you’re applying for. If you are scared of it, get someone to show you so you won’t be scared of it.
Tim Webster:
Yeah, that’s all very interesting Jo. We really should have a chat again. We’re sort of running out of time this hour, but where do the listeners find you?
Jo Attard:
Peopleedge.com.au.
Tim Webster:
Okay, peopleedge.com.au.
Jo Attard:
Yes or Google PeopleEdge Coaching and Consulting.
Tim Webster:
Good on you, really interesting good talking …
Dee Dee Dunleavy:
Thanks Jo.
Tim Webster:
…to you Jo. Thank you.
Dee Dee Dunleavy:
Yeah, nice to talk to you Jo again.
Tim Webster:
Yeah, indeed.
ENDS