Re-Inventing Yourself

As a newly divorced mom, I have had to re-invent myself to return to the planet of the "gainfully employed."

This is never an easy task to begin with. After being a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom for the past six years I found myself having to seek employment out of necessity. Naturally, I went back to my old industry. Afterall, this was what I did best. I had been very successful as a salesperson, a sales manager in the high-tech industry for over 10 years. I was well educated and naturally gifted with interpersonal skills.

But alas, to my surprise, I had to encounter new gatekeepers. Young recruiters that told me that my six year hiatus was a detriment to my employment seeking. I was confused and hurt. How was I going to support myself and my kids?

I am not sure if there are any other mothers going through a similar situation, the stress of divorce alone is horrendous, adding a job search on top further intensifies the stress. So how do we overcome our adversity and move on?

The first thing you need in place is a support network. Whether it is friends or family you need someone there to talk to. Secondly, if you have the time or can make the time, use it to your advantage. You have to be proactive. You have to take charge, and change the way you think about your career. You need to take back that control, do not leave it in the hands of others. Once you have done this you will realize that the only way you will achieve what you want, personally and professionally, is to think about where you want to go, put in place a plan to get there and then start moving. Easier said then done, right.

Well, here's a place to start. Create a personal plan for yourself, whether you want to re-invent yourself or build on who you are. Start with these three steps:

1.) Understand yourself so you can set meaningful and attainable goals.

2.) Outline your goals and identify the steps you need to take to get there.

3.) Identify any gaps in your skills or experience and create an action plan to fill them so that you can move closer to your ultimate goal.

Returning to work can be overwhelming, but if you do it smart it can be rewarding. All the Best!