Have you been out of work for an extended period of time? Perhaps you have been on maternity leave and now ready to jump back into the job force. Maybe you took a "time out" to travel and explore different parts of the world. Whatever the reason, it is never too late to get back into the job market successfully, and we have a few suggestions for helping you to do so.

Research your options:

One of the first things you might consider doing is actually thinking about what it is you want to do. Do you have a specific field or industry in mind? Do you know what relevant qualifications/skills are required for that position? What have you done in your past that is relevant to that position? These are all good things to think about, and will help you with our next step.

Re-write your resume:

If you've been out of the workforce for an extended period of time, chances are that your resume is probably a bit out of date and needs to be more relevant to the present. Now that you have a good idea of what you want to do, you can now re-write your resume so it is more targeted toward that industry. Research the skills that are in demand for that industry, and make sure your resume includes these (if they are relevant to your experience). Think of the transferrable skills that you may have learned in your previous positions and incorporate these into your resume as well.

You might also want to think about addressing your employment gap somewhere in your resume. A good tip is to write a "qualifications profile" at the very start of their resume, where you can summarize and promote your experience and qualifications.

Learn new skills:

It is never too late to learn something new that might assist you in a job position, so you might want to consider taking some classes that are relevant to the industry you're looking to get into. Look into some relevant certificate programs or brush up your skills in customer service or sales (industry dependent, of course). If you don't have time, there are always online courses available that you can take at your own pace.

Apply!

You will never know unless you try! After you've considered the above steps, start applying for jobs and see what happens... you never know. If you find that you aren't finding success, you can at least get a better idea into what hiring managers are looking for specifically, and you can work toward meeting those qualifications.

RedStarResume are the Resume Writing Experts. They offer a resume writing service that is unmatched in its professional attitude and quality of service. RedStarResume have helped thousands of job seekers meet and achieve their career goals through delivering specialist resume writing that seeks the attention of hiring managers and ensures that you stand out from the crowd. © RedStarResume Publications