Every person who steps foot in a job interview has a career story to tell, weaving together the strands of where they’ve worked, what they’re doing now, and where they’re looking to go next. If you’re applying for a job or returnship after a career break, your story is probably going to be a bit different from a traditional candidate’s story. You might think that puts you at a disadvantage,…
One thing we hear, pretty frequently, is the idea that someone out of the workforce for many years must be “outdated” in terms of their skills. We hear this from returnees themselves. And we hear it, usually formed as a question, from some recruiters. This is especially true because of how many tech companies we work with, many of whom are focused on hiring engineers. If you haven’t worked in…
Last week, Tami Forman was a guest on Career Pivot’s Repurpose Your Career podcast, where she talked to host Marc Miller about returning to the workforce after a long break. Career Pivot is a career service for adults who are on the second half of their professional lives and are looking to make a change – whether it’s switching to a different career or returning to one after a break.…
Regular readers of the Path Forward blog will likely know that I’m a big fan of Laura Vanderkam. I find her approach to time management really helpful. I also like that she’s actively trying to bust myths about what is possible for women, men and families. With that I’m going to admit that I was a bit unsure if I’d like her latest book, Juliet’s School of Possibilities: A Little…
We’re so excited to welcome Kathryn Sollmann back to the Path Forward blog. Last week, Kathryn shared amazing advice on working toward financial security with a career restart. Now she’s back to talk about the best ways to prepare for your career restart while on a career break. Kathryn is a career coach, speaker and author of the book, “Ambition Redefined: Why the Corner Office Doesn’t Work for Every Woman &…
We’re so excited to interview Kathryn Sollmann on the Path Forward blog today. Kathryn is an author and speaker who keeps women working toward financial security, alongside child and aging parent caregiving. She co-founded one of the first companies to help women return to work. In her upcoming book, “Ambition Redefined: Why the Corner Office Doesn’t Work for Every Woman & What to Do Instead,” she calls for no-apologies independence…
Earlier this year I was interviewed for the Breaking Into Startups podcast. The episode features Wendy Padua, one of the outstanding returnees from Zendesk. Zendesk was an early Path Forward partner — they really understood the concept and were willing to take a chance on the program. That paid off for them as Wendy was hired into the marketing department where she continues to do a fabulous job. You can…
When women come to me for advice on restarting their careers I always start with same question: “Why do you want to go back to work?” There are a lot of ways to return to work. The path (pun intended) you choose may well depend on what your primary motivation is for returning. Having talked to hundreds of women looking to restart their careers I can say that there are…
When it comes to job interviews, there are a lot of reasons why you might be out of practice. Some people are fortunate enough to have held a job for years, and haven’t had a need to interview. But for many of our readers, taking a career break to care for loved ones might mean it’s been awhile since you’ve have an interview. Regardless of the circumstances around why you’ve…
You’ve embarked on job hunt armed with a personal arsenal of job application resources, like an updated resume, tailored cover letter, and stellar interview tactics, but there’s one crucial component of the job search process that’s often overlooked: professional references. Companies rely on professional references to verify your skill set and to get an outsider’s opinion of how you perform in a workplace environment. These recommendations can also create an…
