Are you ready for more?

You’ve had your babies.  They are getting older.  They may even be in school now.  So…you may be getting the itch to get back to work.  Maybe your kids are like mine and almost 5 and you’ve been blessed to be home with them since they were babies.  You are starting to feel like you need to get out more or get back to what and who you used to be. That’s how I’ve been feeling.  I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to be home this long with our twins.  I know a lot of women only get a few weeks or months, so I’m not discounting how lucky I’ve been to be home.  I’m just at a point as a mom, wife, and professional, where I feel I’m ready to contribute to the world more than just being a mom, wife, daughter, and friend. If that resonates with you, please keep reading!

What type of job do you want?

I’m ready to get back to work, but I know I’m not ready to get back into a full-time 50+ hour-a-week career.  I’d like to ease in a bit and work part-time.  Unfortunately, many part-time jobs don’t pay very well or are at places like retail, fast food restaurants, or delivery drivers of some sort.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with those types of jobs, they just aren’t what I want to use my skills for at this time in my life.  I’m on the hunt for a part-time virtual assistant or marketing assistant type of job that I can do from my home office (or a coffee shop once in a while).  I’ve applied for a few of these types of positions in the past week, but I’ve been one of about 115+ other people who are also applying for the same job.  Making my chance of being invited to interview pretty slim! I’m not letting that get me down though.

I’m only a week in

I’ve only been looking for about a week and I know from my past experiences of job hunting, that looking for a job is a full-time job in itself.  I don’t have a ton of time to look for a job, so I’m trying to be very efficient and effective with my time when I’m looking.  Here are some things I’ve personally done to help me look and find the perfect part-time position for myself.  I know you can use these same strategies if you are looking for a full-time job rather than a side gig or a part-time job. I wanted to share what I’ve been doing to try to make this next phase of my career life more balanced and fun.

10 Strategies to streamline looking for your perfect job

1. Journal about what you really want to do.  Dream a little while you are journaling.  What does your perfect job (part or full-time) actually look like?  How does your perfect job feel for you?  How much time will you spend at your perfect job?  How many hours will you work at your perfect job?  How will you fit your family time into your breaks from your perfect job?  If you can dream it, write about it in your journal.
2. Do you want a regular 9-5 job at an office?  Do you want a hybrid role where you are in the office for part of the week and work remotely for the rest?  Do you want a completely remote job where you just need to have a quiet room with no distractions to get your job done?  Think about what you really want and what type of work structure would work best for you. This is IMPORTANT.  Some people know that they wouldn’t do well with a 100% remote job and need the structure of an office environment.
3. List the skills that you are really good at and that you love to do at any job.  Then think about how you can apply those skills to your perfect job.
4. Update your resume!  This is important.  Companies are using tools to screen resumes electronically now, so you need to tailor your resume and cover letters to each job description that you are applying for. There’s a great tool called KickResume that has a free 30-day trial then it’s only $19.99 per month after that.  This tool uses AI to take information from your resume and the job description to create the best cover letter for the job that you are applying for.  It uses the keywords from the job description and adds them to your cover letter and resume, so you will stand out in the crowd of other applicants.
5. Next, think about any particular companies you might like to work for.  Make a list of those companies.
6. Do your research.  Look on your LinkedIn page and see who you may be connected to who already works at the company or companies that you’d like to work at.  Make sure your LinkedIn profile is updated and matches the resume you are going to use for any professional jobs you may be applying for through LinkedIn.  Once your profile is updated and your resume matches it (or vice versa), start reaching out to any contacts who may be able to help you connect with a recruiter or HR professional at the company or companies you may like to work at.
   1. • Use reputable resources for looking for the type of job you’d like to find such as LinkedIn, Indeed, or Andrew Hudson’s Jobs list – this one is specific to Colorado.
      • Connect with a few recruiters.  They can do a lot of the searching for you.  Be specific with the recruiters that you speak with about what you want for your next job.  You don’t want to waste their or your time.
7. Start browsing!  You can set up alerts from the different job boards that you decide to use.  That way you will get an email or text when jobs that match your criteria are posted.
8. Start applying for the jobs that make your heart sing a little.  I don’t apply for everything and anything. I only apply for things that make my heart sing.  You know what I mean!  You read the description and you can instantly see yourself doing that job and it brings a smile to your face and a song to your heart!
9. Tell your network that you are looking for work.  I did this by creating a post on my LinkedIn profile saying specifically what I’m looking for.  Lo and behold, I actually got a message from a past colleague sending me a job announcement that he saw and thought of me after reading my LinkedIn post.  It’s actually a job that I’m going to look more into.  It might have made my heart sing a little. I have to dig a little deeper though. I published a great article a couple of weeks ago about networking for professional new moms. If you missed that one, check it out here.
10. Enjoy the process.  It is a process or a journey as some people like to say.  I think it’s one more way to mold and grow into the person you are meant to be.  You already are perfect just the way you are, but putting yourself out there and being vulnerable and bold at the same time is sure to provide you with some serious growth.  Interviews!  Now that one, I don’t have down yet. I haven’t interviewed for a job in so long, but I have decided I’m just going to be myself.  Show my positive and confident attitude.  Be honest about why I haven’t worked for a company or anyone else other than what I do for myself in the last five years.  And settle into being a little uncomfortable with interviewing. If interviewing makes you anxious or you need some help in this area, check out, Tali Shlafer.  My friend who has been looking for a full-time Executive job for a little while turned me on to her.  She’s on Facebook and has some great tips and offers coaching to help you break free of the blocks that may be holding you back.  No matter the outcome for either of us, I know it will work out the way it’s supposed to. Wishing you much success in your next path, wherever it takes you.

Please leave a comment if you use any of my tips or have some that you’d like to add to this list!