Common Challenges In Reentering The Workforce

When you have taken a break from employment for a substantial length of time, it may not be always easy to get back to work. For some reason or another, you will encounter difficulties. These difficulties become more profound the longer you have been away from your job. Whether you reenter the workforce as a part of the previous job set you have worked for, or are entering a different trade or industry, there will be challenges along the way. Among these challenges are the following:

Skill Set
The world is in an ever changing loop and changes are constant, most especially in the field of technology. Unnoticeably, systems are upgraded almost everyday and by the time you've missed an orientation or two, you are significantly behind the latest version. So it follows that if you have been out of the loop in a year or two, your skill set is most probably outdated. Although there's still the option of undergoing retraining and upgrading courses, you need to take into consideration whether the company is willing to wait until your knowledge and skills are current or if they are willing to shoulder the expenses for such training. To hope for this concession, you will have to possess enough qualifications that will deem you indispensible or, at the very least, valuable to the company.

Justification of Time Lapsed
Depending on the length of time you have stopped working, the chances of your employability could either be good or bad. Obviously if you have gone for only a couple of months or a year at the most, you might still find it easy to get back on your feet in terms of being employed. However, being away for years, like women who took a maternity leave and decided to be a stay at home mom and raise the brood, it might take a little more than your CV to get employers to have a second look at your application. Tell the truth about why you went off the radar and highlight what you have accomplished in that period. Most of the time, your honesty will pay off.

Age
Advancement in age is definitely a challenge because of several factors. Not to discriminate against older applicants, but realistically speaking, unless they have the experience and qualifications to back them up, they might find it hard to get back to work. Some view older employees highly for their expertise, while some as liabilities for their gradually failing health. 

Preparedness
Having been away for a long time, you might find yourself in a very comfortable routine that you are used to. Breaking the habit will be a challenge when you decide to get back to work. Not only do you need to prepare your CV and cover letter, but you also need to condition your mind when you start to work again. You need to determine whether you are able to work full time or part time. Adjustments will be necessary as you may have taken up more responsibilities of the years that you did not used to have in your earlier employment. Your domestic duties for a start will need to be addressed as it directly affects your productivity at work. You need to come into terms with who will prepare the kids for school, who makes their lunches, who picks them up, or you might end up leaving work to frantically see to these things. Prepare yourself for your job, not just mentally but also physically.