I spent last week in Indianapolis visiting my sisters and their families. I had one of the most enjoyable weeks spoiling my 18-month old niece, Ellyana. Elly is certainly into technology and very quick to nuzzle in and help anyone on their laptop or iPad when she spots a device (and she spots them quickly). So she helped me “work” on a few tasks during my stay and helped me discover a function or two on my MacBook that I didn’t know it could do. While Elly was a wonderful officemate, my sister was actually part of the inspiration for our topic this week of getting back into a career after time off.
My sister, Zaneta, owns her own nanny care business. During the first few months after my niece was born, Zaneta took a break from being a nanny herself to be home with Ellyana. She has a team of nannies, so business operations carried on. But now that my niece is a little older, my sister is actively working to grow and build her company again. Word of mouth is one of her best sources of marketing, so she’s started to do more networking. She’s participating in activities that can help her company gain exposure, and she’s using social media to connect and share her expertise with her potential client base. All of these things will help her engage with prospective clients and continue expanding her business opportunities.
A similar approach can help you if you’ve taken time off from your admin career — or have plans to.
If you’re going to take a break from your admin career, you need to have a plan for getting back into it. You should think about what you want to do during your break and actively prepare for your reentry point. This means keeping your skills sharp, your network intact, and staying involved in the profession in some capacity – whether it’s taking training courses, volunteering, or participating in a professional association.
This week’s feature article explains how you can start your second act as an admin. We’re also sharing some excellent tips and resources for getting back into the workforce on our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages.
With a little thought and planning, returning to work after an extended break can be an invigorating time in your career. You may find that your skills, abilities, or interests have changed since you left. If this happens, a career assessment can help you figure out what direction you should go. And it doesn’t have to be the one you left off with! A break from work can be an opportunity to shift into something you may have wanted to do for awhile. Watch for the opening and see where it leads you next!
Supporting your administrative success,
Julie
