In fact, Luzio shares a startling statistic: Women’s participation in the labor force is at its lowest level since 1988. “In less than one year, women have lost labor force gains that took three decades to build,” she continues. “If we don’t get women back to work faster, and appropriately, all of these factors will cause long-term impacts on the gender progress we’ve made and a slower economic recovery.”
If you had to make the impossible choice to exit your career to care for your kiddos or if your job was eliminated thanks to the pandemic, remember, you can (and should!) push forward. The “gap in resume” stigma has never been less relevant, and as the world recovers, more career opportunities will bubble up. Here, experts shed light on how to re-enter the workforce—and land the role you deserve—with hope, career savvy, and confidence.
To do this, Caplan recommends making a list of your top five accomplishments, from promotions and awards to raises and positive social interactions that made you stand out. “When you see the list in black and white, you’ll remind yourself what makes you special and help rebuild confidence.”
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“When someone in your network gets to hire a great candidate or lands a wonderful new role because of you, it’s magic,” she continues. “The positivity of these actions infuse new energy into your networking and search.” She recommends creating a list of people you’ve not been in contact with over the last year (or more) and begin to reach out to a few at a time.
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To understand what matters the most to you, Altimare suggests outlining your non-negotiables as you begin interviewing. “As we’ve learned from the pandemic, many of us can be productive while working from home,” she says. “Therefore, the stigma of flexible hours or working from home two days of week, no longer exists across corporate America. Make sure you’re asking those questions around corporate culture so that you make the best decision for yourself and your family. You want to make sure that you—and your new company—set you up for success.”
“Think broadly about decision-making skills, critical thinking skills, presentation skills, and so on. And keep the confidence gap in mind: Don’t count yourself out too early or be overly hard on what you perceive to be your own shortcomings before reaching out to a potential employer,” she says.
Bottom line? Don’t be shy. Apply for gigs that pique your interest, even if it’s not a 100 percent match to your career history. The worst case scenario? They go with someone else, and you get some great interview practice out of it.
“Perhaps you helped schedule people for vaccine appointments, contributed to local food banks, checked in on neighbors, or tried to support local businesses,” she says. “If your time was spent holding things together for your family or protecting your own health and well-being, that’s equally important too.”
Luzio urges you not to hide the gap. Honor it on your resume by adding a section that says ‘Career Break.’ In fact, a study by TopResume found that hiring managers don’t consider career gaps as large of a red flag as they might have pre-COVID. Eighty-seven percent of recruiters said they were “unfazed by an inconsistent work history,” and understand that resume gaps aren’t always indicative of work ethic or reliability. Luzia says that by acknowledging the situation yourself, you can handle questions early on and before judgment is made.
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“Take a closer look at your personal branding materials and update them with your current job goals in mind,” she continues. “Think of your resume as a marketing tool, rather than a transcript of your employment history and education. Emphasize and elaborate on the experiences and skills that are most relevant to your job search, and dedicate less space to the less important roles.” If you have a personal website and LinkedIn profile? Give them a welcome refresh to suit your current aspirations and professional headspace.
