Suppose you believe that parenthood has affected your career or are reluctant to return to your previous role. In that case, this can be incredibly disheartening to those on maternity leave. However, you can turn these effects into a positive by using this opportunity to kick start a new career into a role you have always dreamed about or believe you would be more suited to. Once you are ready to return to work, here are some of the best ways to change careers.
Get New Qualifications
One of the best ways you can change your career after parenthood is by getting new qualifications that can showcase your skills, knowledge, and determination to potential employers and help you stand out from other applicants. Many job opportunities now rely on your qualifications, and many companies will not even consider your application without a degree-level education. However, having a baby is the perfect time to get new qualifications, with many online courses available for people to take at their own pace. For instance, Laurier offers a police studies degree that can help you to build on your previous knowledge of social studies and give you all of the relevant skills to go forward in your career in policing to a leadership level.
Get Experience During Maternity Leave
Maternity leave can be hectic, but if you can find childcare for your child or if they are at nursery age, why not consider using your free time to get experience? Experience is the most important factor that employers look for on your resume, and can help you to hone your skills and understanding of specific job roles. There are many different options that you can try when it comes to finding work experience when you have kids, with many of these taking place only one or two days a week. These opportunities include volunteering in your chosen sector, which can help you to get unpaid experience in a role of responsibility, and work experience or shadowing, which can help you gain the specific skills you need and make relevant contacts. You can also acquire experience through training courses leading to placement or practical modules.
Consider Your Contacts
One of the best ways to change your career at a late stage is to consider your potential contacts and attempt to utilize these in order to find out about opportunities in your area. This is a great option for new parents as many job vacancies are not advertised online or in person and are dealt with internally or through internal contacts from people already in the business. Then, if a friend, acquaintance, or relative is in the sector you want to advance into, you should ask them whether there are any opportunities in their company. If this isn’t the case, you should also contact specific companies directly, asking if they have any vacancies or whether they can keep your resume on record.
Conduct Research
Before deciding whether a new career is appropriate for you, you should research what the job entails and whether you have the skills you need. Not only can this help you to find out if you have the right experience or qualifications, but it can also give you an idea of the hours, responsibilities, and flexibility that the job entails. You can research job and career websites online, often with real-life testimonials, company reviews, and salary brackets.
Look at Job Listings and Change Your Resume
You may also be able to change your career by looking at job listings to find a job that suits you. Many starter and graduate jobs are advertised on job listing boards, and there are also many sector-specific job listings that you can use online to find particular roles. This will also give you an idea of what you should write on your resume, including any skills or experience that companies want to see before they are willing to offer you employment.
Hire a Career Coach or Employment Agency
If you are concerned about the best way to start looking for a career or the right steps to take to achieve a way into the career of your dreams, you may want to hire a career coach. Career coaches aim to help you get a head-start in the career of your choice by giving you professional advice on the next steps to take, the experience that you need, and the best ways to achieve this, such as where to apply for jobs and how to write a good resume. Employment agencies are also a great place to start; looking for jobs when you are caring for children can be difficult. However, employment agencies can do your hard work by matching your resume with suitable jobs from their contacts and databases.
Work Around the Kids
If you want to change your career as a caregiver, however, you’ll always have to think about the effect of the role on your children and how you can work around your responsibilities as a parent. For instance, you should find sufficient childcare for your children if you plan to be working outside of school hours, and there are many reliable creches, daycares, and Au Pair services such as Go Au Pair available. Employers have also started to become more child-friendly, and you may want to find an employer with sufficient childcare facilities, such as a creche or even the right working hours to balance your career and your children. If you think you’ll struggle to balance these, you should consider working remotely or going freelance, as this will allow you to work at your own pace and around your children’s schedule, away from the restraints of the working day.
