Anybody got back to work after a career break?

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Anybody got back to work after a career break?

8 posts & 7 voices | Started 10 months ago by thepurist | Latest reply from bikebouy

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thepurist - Member

If so, please tell me you success stories as I could do with a bit of optimism.

I've decided to get back to the rat race after 7 years trying to run my own business - I'd had 16 fairly successful years in various roles before that. I'm having a hard time even finding jobs that it might be worth applying for and when I do I generally hear nothing back beyond an automated response. I'm feeling under-qualified, over-experienced and pretty much unemployable in the current recruitment market.

Part of the trouble is that I never specialised - I was always the adaptable guy that went in at the deep end with new technologies, business areas etc. That means that I can't demonstrate X years of doing any one thing, which seems to be what recruiters are looking for. It also means I don't have a particular job title to hang on myself, and that my CV isn't packed full of the sort of buzzwords that will get past the first filters in the recruitment market these days. And I had 3 jobs in 4 years at the tail end of my first stint - each move was for a good reason but I still feel that it looks a bit dodgy.

I've tried a bit of networking but have lost touch with pretty much everyone that I used to work with back in the day, so that's slow going. I've even found agencies that specialise in helping mums back to work but nothing for blokes.

So please tell me there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

Posted 10 months ago #
Bream - Member

What field of work are you in?

It sounds like you need to look at your CV again, do you use the same CV for every application? It is best to tailor the CV for each application, making it suit and applicable for the job you are applying for. E.g. if you are applying for a management job then quote your relevant experiences, but if you're applying for a general office job then don't go on about your management skills, concentrate on your office skills etc.

Normally I'd say it'll take ~6 months to find a new job, might be quicker if you are lucky or longer if not.

Have you met with any agencies yet? Whilst this is a chore it can help to get you back up to speed with the job climate and they can sometimes help with CV feedback etc. Also, if you develop a good active working relationship with good agancies it will really help.

When I was in the UK working, there was 2 agencies I'd talk to at least every 6 months even if I wasn't looking for a new job. This relationship would then really help if/when I was looking to move jobs.

No easy answer I'm afriad, but just stay positive, keep networking, tailor your CV and you're on the right track.

Good luck.

Posted 10 months ago #
jackthedog - Member

It sounds like you need to word your CV differently. From your post it seems you have bags of varied experience in your field, which once you get to interview (and finally get to talk to someone you'll actually work with who knows the first thing about the job you're applying for) will come across as valuable.

It's just getting through the initial CV approval nonsense, where carefully written, thorough and honest accounts of oneself will always fall by the wayside when easily scannable buzzwords are so much easier for vapid HR people to get their heads around.

Posted 10 months ago #
nickjb - Member

Agree with the above. If you've done lots of different roles then it should be easy to write a CV with specific skills for the job you are applying for even that only formed a small part of what you actually did. Are you on LinkedIn? If you aren't then sign up, if you are then make sure you have a good profile and get active in a few groups in your sector.

Posted 10 months ago #
Pippin - Member

Have you looked into the STAR / competency-based way of assessments? I'm only saying as a great deal of HR seem to be going over to this form of scoring. Instead of relying on someone with a knowledge of the work area to make an informed decision based on the posts and work areas you include on your CV, you have to provide examples of working behaviour. My view is that it tends to favour blaggers, the less-skilled and experienced. If you have lots of genuine experience and are good at what you do it seems very clunky and unsatisfactory. It actively puts a low value on depth of experience and knowledge.

Posted 10 months ago #
thepurist - Member

Thanks all - I'm already in the throes of revamping my CV into something more likely to get picked up by automated scans, and am on LinkedIn although not particularly active. jackthedog's got it right too - I've been offered every job I've interviewed for but one, and that was a mutual decision anyway.

Posted 10 months ago #
ononeorange - Member

Good luck. It is a very tugh job market and getting yourself through to the real people who actually do the job is the key, as you realise. My experience of HR people is that they have never done the job and have no idea what it's about, hence the "behavioural" BS highlighted above. It's better than showing themselves as numpties.

It sounds like you're tackling how to get through that stage. I'm sure once you do then you'll have few problems.

Posted 10 months ago #
bikebouy - Member

There is light att he end of the tunnel. You may need some vision to see it but it's deffo there.

It'll be hard working for someone else you do realise that don't you, if you don;t you'll also need to refocus on timekeeping and being asked to do stuff where once you just did what needed to be done.
Hardest parts are deffo being there all day during expected hours and being told what to do.

I too sold my business and took some time off, when I tookthe offer of a job for someone else I undersetimated the impact it had on me.

It's hard to accept at one level but on another I certainly don't worry about it once the working days done (unlike it used to be for sure)

Posted 10 months ago #

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