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Anonymous
06/03/20 at 5:14PM UTC
in
Career

Career after time off and small business

I'm wondering if anyone else has been in a situation like this and what they did to get back into the workforce. Here's the abbreviated version: I have an MBA and a master's in education. I have more than 10 years work experience in several areas. My last job was a supervisor/analyst for a state agency. Seven years ago, my family relocated to a small town out of commuting range for my husband's dream job. We had two small children, and I wanted to be a full-time mom for awhile, so I was thrilled at the opportunity to take some time off. It didn't take me long to need something to do, so I opened a travel agency from home. I also knew that the employment landscape would change, so I've been learning some Python and SQL. Now, for personal and financial reasons, it's time to get back to work. To be completely frank, there is almost nothing within driving distance in terms of professional level jobs and not many good jobs to start out with. I've tried to apply to secretarial jobs and received mostly no answer, but was told that I am too overqualified and that no one in town was going to consider me. I've tried networking with some business owners that I know, but that's resulted in nothing. I'm now focusing on remote jobs and working on a web page and portfolio to try to showcase my skills, but I'm trying to figure out what types of things to include and what level of jobs to apply for. I understand that there are a lot of people looking right now, and I'm willing to basically start over because it's been awhile since I've been in the full-time workforce. Is is a good idea to broadcast that and if so, how do I do that so it doesn't ruin my chances of jumping back in at a higher level? What should I include on my website/portfolio if I'm wanting to get back into some type of analytical role but it's been awhile since I've been employed? Thank you in advance for your ideas!

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MoneyCareerMotherhood
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Smart financial decisions for work & home
06/11/20 at 2:28PM UTC
First off, great job on working to expand your skills while being out of the traditional workforce. It's so important for many reasons, including it shows prospective employers that your ambition and skills didn't end with your old career. That alone puts you ahead of entry level! It sounds like you may be applying for general roles that are entry level, because you think that's where you'll have to start. I'd encourage you to do an assessment on what you want, and the knowledge and skills you've gained through all of your career journey. How do they tie together? Almost everyone has a non-linear path in the workforce these days, so don't worry about that! Focusing on how you can add most value (by using/demonstrating the same skills/theme in a variety of ways) can allow a prospective employer to imagine how your work may fit in with their company's needs. As for your portfolio, the work you show doesn't have to have been paid. You can create samples, for instance. I also think that strategic volunteering can be an excellent way to both broaden your network and highlight the skills you want to showcase. In either case, build your portfolio in a way that shows how you solve problems. People get hired based on what value they can add and how they can solve the problems companies face. I hope this helps! Best of luck.

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