We asked a friend who is in the midst of going back to work to write about the process. Here’s her first installment.
I never believed I would be divorced and searching for a job at age 47, but here I am. When people say "you never know what's around the corner" they aren't kidding.
Having had my two children while in my mid-30's, I wanted to be available to raise them. Luckily we could do that on my husband's salary, so I was blessed with being a "stay-at-home" mom for ten years. Now that my son and daughter are twelve and ten, and I have found myself in need of procuring my own financial resources post-divorce, I have had to search inward and research outward as to what I might "want "to do" and what I might be "able to do".
Job searches and interviewing. can always be a little nerve-racking, but when you've been out of the workforce and your "older" it can be very daunting. My biggest questions are, one, what do I really want to do? Do I want to return to sales like I did in my "previous life" or do I take a totally different career path? I'm happy to work, but if I'm going to work, at this point in my life I really ought to do. something I enjoy and feel is worthwhile, right? Secondly, what about scheduling? How will I manage my time and still be able to be there for the children when they get out of school in the afternoons? Will I be able to attend all their school functions?
And thirdly, I know it's still in me somewhere, but how do I regain the confidence and energy to commit to a job?
In order to figure out what kind of job I want I have been reading a great deal of job-related books. The kind that tell you how to go about your search and how to interview. I also have taken several of the standard "what are your areas of strengths" tests. Most of this seems obvious to me, but it is still helpful in narrowing down the "types" of jobs I might really be good at and want to do. My strengths lie in the fields of organization, communications, production, working with children, teaching and/or helping others. This basically means I would be good at jobs that involve writing and creativity, sales, and teaching or training. Knowing this I have now centered my focus on jobs that relate to these concentrations.
Of course the resume has to be polished and reviewed and revamped as well. It is always good to have several eyes looking at your resume to give you helpful hints. And lastly, I've been doing a lot of talking to people about what they are doing and why and how they got to their jobs/positions. Basically this in networking. I've given myself a goal of six months from the DOD (date of divorce) to research, interview and acquire a job. This seems a reasonable timeframe and one I can live with for someone who has been out of the workforce for ten plus years. If I had any role models they would be my friends - the women I see every day who manage their careers and their families and do a good job at both. They are my inspiration. If they can do it, so can I.