Excited and very nervous

Question

After a 24 year career in IT (with an additional 4 years in claims adjudication), I have been on sabbatical for the last 8 years, as a family caregiver.  Now I am looking to re-enter the workforce in IT.   I have this huge gap on my resume (explained as 'Caregiver - career sabbatical to care for a family member'), and I am not sure how to re-enter the workforce, or if employers even want to hire me.   I'd love to work with a recruiter in my area, but I have no professional contacts here in my current city.   I'm so nervous, I don't know what to do!

Georgene Huang · Answer

Have you considered returnships? They are a way for you to phase back into the workplace and more employers offer them now. Here are some of those positions plus resources / articles we've written about how to get back into the workforce: https://fairygodboss.com/search?term=returnship

Lady Pele · Answer

If you don't already have one, create a LinkedIn Profile and in Settings, mark yourself as open to new opportunities.  Google resume examples for the role you want, i.e., project manager, and review their keywords and phrases to see if they apply to you.  They can be added to both your resume and LinkedIn profile.  You might also want to check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27BTcka64wQ

Annetta Moses · Answer

Have you considered re-entering the workforce via networking? If you stayed in touch with former co-workers, reach out to them. Perhaps there are openings at their companies or they know someone who is a hiring manager at another company. If you went to college or a trade school, consider reaching out to them for guidance or opportunities to network with other graduates. Best of luck .

Anonymous · Answer

That's a great idea.   Thank you!

Anna C Adams · Answer

I just read an article about reentering the workforce after a long break. It talked about ways to interview through that employment gap by talking about ways you stayed in touch with your industry. I don't have the link, but give that some thought when you start talking to people. Even if you didn't really keep your finger on the pulse of your specialty, brush up on new developments and what might be trending.

Good luck!

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks very much for this information.  I appreciate it!

Excited and very nervous

You're invited.

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