Scenario 1: You stayed home with the kids and loved every moment. However, they are all driving and barely home…college is right around the bend. You are feeling like you might start climbing the walls if you do not have something more in your life besides going to yoga and the grocery store. Problem is: you never finished college and your last job was at the movie theatre many years ago.
Scenario 2: You married a successful business owner, which offered you a chance to work part time for at his/her company answering phones and doing some filing here and there. Now, you are ready to re-enter the workforce and re-invent yourself, but it’s been awhile…your last job was 10 years ago, and you are not sure the technology is quite the same, or if you remember how to use it.
Scenario 3: You retired! Yay! Now you can do anything you want at any time, any day. Well, you are two weeks in, staring out the window, and bored out of your mind.
If any of these scenarios sound familiar, read on....
First, no matter if your last job was at a fast food restaurant or as an accountant, you have skills! If you stayed at home with your children and never “worked,” remember that you managed a household. You handled a lot of organizing, money management, event coordination, teamwork, and conflict resolution. Look for positions where you can use these skills, and make sure to highlight your household management experience when you are interviewing for positions. You may have to start at a lower level position, but chances are, you will show leadership and grow. That first job may lead into a management position, and then boom!
Second, if you are looking for work because of boredom, but you like your free time too, temporary works is perfect for you! It’s not a full time gig, and you may be just answering phones for a week here or there when an employee is on vacation or leave. Temps are often needed to fill in at area companies, and you can always say “no” if you are not interested or it does not work with your schedule. Get your name in with a recruiter, and if you are a good option, you will definitely get called upon now and then. Another perk: meeting new people that you may never have known! No matter what our age, making new friends and social connections is a great way to stay emotionally healthy.
Third, brushing up on your skills or learning new technology is sometimes overwhelming, but chances are you have a smart phone, you have a computer, and you probably have some typing skills. And, if not, you can learn. Think of it as entering Kindergarten for Technology and just go with it. Sometimes a clean slate is almost better than trying to apply old skills to a new way of doing things. If you have the right personality, dependable, and willing to learn, employers are usually open to taking the risk if they know you are the right candidate. Also, you may want to seek out some classes or workshops that help you brush up on your skills or learn new ones. Call your local community college and ask for their advice!