Recently one of my twin sisters decided it was time to throw her hat back into the corporate ring after several years of staying at home raising two young boys.
Transitioning from a stay-at-home mom back into the working world is not an easy one, especially in this down economy that is already saturated with folks that have had the misfortune of experiencing corporate downsizing and layoffs.
My advice to her was not to think of her interviews as interrogations, even though they can be somewhat intimidating, but to treat them as “getting to know you” conversations. The worst thing she could do right now as she acclimates herself back into the workforce, would be to accept the first job that is offered. What if she ends up disliking her supervisor, or ends up disliking the actual work involved? Then she would be in a position to consider leaving and having a short-lived notch on her experience list and starting all over again.
All employers want to weed out the fluff in the beginning of their candidate search, so I suggested that she emphasize that she is looking for long-term employment, a career, as opposed to a short-term job, with a growing company. What may be a prosperous business today, may not be in as little as six months these days. I recommended that she consider opening up her job search to include those companies where she thinks she can contribute her talents and give back to the community. There are several online job boards who post green job opportunities.
I also suggested that she inquire deeply into the culture of any company that she interviews with. When it comes time to ask the interviewer questions, it’s good to let them know you are interested in more than just the job. You want to know about the people, their personalities; the ins and outs of a typical day; what makes the internal cogs go ’round; and how they are engaging with their communities. These kinds of questions will let them know that you want the position to fit you just as much as they are looking for the right person.
