The ABC’s of Going Back to Work

Dublin, Wednesday, September 5th, 2007 – With the sounds of summer fading and school bags packed and ready, now is a great time to start thinking about that long-awaited return to work. According to Lynda McCracken, Founder of Innovation Employment, a boutique employment agency that specialises in sourcing and placing highly skilled professionals in flexible working arrangements, putting together a plan of action and following some key steps will help boost your confidence and make sure that you find the right job to fits you and your life.

The ABC’s of Going Back to Work!

a) Identify what works for your life – do you want full-time or part-time work? Will you need to retrain? Can you be flexible? What areas of your family life can't be compromised? Make a pros and cons list for each job area and job scenario you are considering.
b) Involve your family – before you consider returning to work, sit down with your family and look at a typical day in your life. With careful planning and coordination, a new routine can be in place that works for everyone.
c) Attend a Return to Work course – these are held in many further education and adult education colleges and some County Council offices. Return to Work courses usually include IT/computer skills, CV writing, interview techniques, job searching skills, self-assurance techniques, and general career guidance.
d) Have confidence in your skills - think about the skills you’ve developed and consistently used while on your career break - such as time management, problem-solving, and managing a budget. These skills and abilities are all relevant to your profile as a potential employee.
e) Network, network, network - Professional organizations are great places to network and many will have job listings that are regularly updated. When attending events, make sure you always have plenty of copies of your CV with you.
f) Keep yourself in the market–fill in for your former colleagues or friends while they are on holidays or on leave. Be available for occasional short-term or project work that may turn into long-term or permanent positions.
g) Update your skills - teach yourself via the latest industry books, trade publications, or online research/classes. Alternatively consider taking a training course in your field. Investigate professional updating courses which are available in some industries.
h) Consider freelancing or temping – freelancing and temp work can offer you the chance to work at all levels in many different fields. This could be right for you if you are considering a career change as part of your return to work.
i) Be prepared to do what it takes to jumpstart your career - don't be put off if you are not offered your former title or previous salary when you go back to work. The long term gain could be well worth the initial pay decrease or lower function level.

Innovation Employment is a boutique employment agency that specialises in sourcing and placing highly skilled professionals in flexible working arrangements, including contract, part time and project work. Innovation Employment works with professionals and clients in a refreshingly honest and upfront way, matching high deliverable jobs and projects with very experienced people who can hit the ground running across a multitude of sectors, including Banking & Financial/Investment Services, IT, HR, Accountancy, and Law.

For more information on going back to work, contact Lynda at Innovation Employment at lynda@innovationemployment.ie or check out our website at www.innovationemployment.ie.

ENDS
For more information, contact Gillian Coffey on 087 795 5736.