5 key questions to ask yourself if you are thinking of returning to work after a career break.

If you are looking at the prospect of returning to a new job or a complete change of career in Cork after a break, it is really worthwhile giving yourself the best chance and planning ahead. There are some key questions you should ask yourself in terms of your skill-set for example and if you need to take any local refresher training courses in Cork.

Whether you took a break due to maternity leave, to raise young children, to travel the world or after an illness, it can be a daunting task to get yourself job-ready again. Dusting off your CV and updating your LinkedIn profile with new contacts are still of course as important as ever but you also need to have new fresh content to add to them.

So where do you start? Start with putting together a plan and addressing some key questions and actions that may spring from these. Preparation is everything and your confidence will improve and a clear direction for you will emerge.

1. What hard skills do you have and do they need to be updated?

Refreshing your skills is very important, especially in certain fields, like IT & Technology, accounting and bookkeeping, HR management, and marketing, to name a few. Make sure to add them to your CV and LinkedIn page along the way to demonstrate that you are well equipped to handle the latest versions or information. You might want to look at enrolling in a local training course in Cork where you can get out and about going to the centre on your chosen days or even learn from the comfort of your own home through distance learning.

2. Have you got transferable skills on your CV?

Soft skills that can be easily transferred from one job or career are often referred to as transferrable skills, these could be team work, motivation, communication and problem-solving skills. Equally they can be seen as life skills so in a career break situation you may have perfected these skills through some other outlet for example through helping on a committee or in a hobby group you may have.

3. Have you done your research?

Visit the local library, go online or download books about the field you are interested in or have come from and get back up-to-speed on the latest terminology and trends so that come interview time you have the chance to impress with how knowledgeable you are.

4. Consider taking temp work or a part-time job to build back experience.

This will help demonstrate what you achieved while on career break and will certainly help if your work references are a bit dated. For example if you volunteered with an organisation or perhaps you were an active member of the Parent’s Association at your children’s school or led a local fundraising campaign or initiative. You could also just start now and look at some volunteering roles which will then be happy to serve as references a few months down the road.

5. Update your CV and LinkedIn page.

Having addressed the previous questions, you should have fresh content to add to your CV and LinkedIn page. Look for groups to join when you update your linkedIn page and become an active participant, you never know when a participant is looking for someone just like you and the beauty of living in Cork is that you are bound to make connections that you know in real life!

Our training programmes are flexible and at times to work around each student so you can train part-time, full-time, evenings, weekends and from home. We have the best training to employment rate in Cork currently at 92% of our students are working in better careers and earning more within 1 year of graduating, so your new career could be waiting for you within months!

Pitman Training Cork

Our Cork training centre offers career guidance, interview skills techniques and CV assistance as part of a comprehensive career support to student. Cork courses currently available include management courses, accounting courses, project management courses, bookkeeping training and medical secretary courses, along with a wide range of IT, coding courses and web design. In fact, with over 400 to choose from, there is something for everyone.

Next Steps

If you are considering taking the next step in your career, come chat to us today and explore some of the essential skills to help make the transition as smooth and successful as possible.

Our Course Advisors are on hand to help you with your course questions or career, CV or interview advice. Contact our team in Pitman Training Cork 021 484 9989 /FREEPHONE 1800 532 632, email cork@pitman-training.ie or WhatsApp 086 739 9557.

By Sarah Williams