If you’re thinking of returning to work, but you feel like constant nappy changing and baby talk has sent you gaga, don’t worry – read our 8 top tips for returning to work and you’ll soon be back on track.
Get your career back on track.
1. List your skills – List the skills you use daily to manage children your home life and children, such as your time keeping and organisational skills. These are very transferrable and desirable for an employer. Have a good think about what you’ve been doing day-to-day whilst not in the workplace, and write down anything you feel has gone well or you’ve become particularly accomplished at. Try recalling and noting past achievements at work and home, plus the skills you used to accomplish them. This is essentially an inventory on your strengths, which in turn breeds satisfaction, confidence and happiness.
2. Weekly reviews – When you return, set regular weekly reviews with your manager to discuss progress and to highlight any issues. After two months, ask for a meeting to discuss your goals and your career plan. This will not only keep your organised, but communicates dedication to your work and career.
3. Channel your energy – once you have your list of skills and know how you’re progressing, make sure you channel your energy effectively, both at home and at work, to keep on track in both areas and give yourself a good work/life balance. A good way to do this is to make sure you eat well, sleep well and get enough rest – we often don’t realise how much being tired dampens our energy and focus.
4. Focus your mind – Ask yourself, “Where have you been career wise, and where you are now? Where you want to be in 6/12/36 months time?” This will help to focus your mind, channel your energy and give you something to aim for.
5. Consider your motives – Carefully consider exactly why you want to work and what you ultimately want to achieve, to enable you to successfully direct your career path.
6. Hone your CV – Polish up your CV and your interview skills through services such as reed.co.uk who offer free templates plus interview tips. A concise yet clear CV is the first step in looking desirable to an employer but remember not to over do it – a one pager tends to work best.
7. Take time to settle in – Don’t make any major decisions about your career in the first two months after returning to work; give yourself time to settle in. Your feelings at the start may be very different a few weeks down the line, for better or worse, so you need to get to know your job, colleagues and schedule again properly before you know how to move forward.
8. Don’t feel guilty – Finally, do not feel guilty about returning. Everyone has their own reasons for returning or not returning to work, it’s your choice.
If you’re looking for a family friendly employer who values the work-life balance, why not join VST? We offer very flexible hours and both full and part-time positions. Visit our careers pages for more information about our flexible working hours, and good luck if you do decide to go back to work.
