Out of workforce for 17 years ??

[Octobermommy]

I’m thinking about getting a job now that my kids are in school full time. The depressing part is that I haven’t worked in so long I don’t know what on earth I’m qualified for. I do have a bachelors degree in business administration but very limited work experience & that was 17 years ago. Everything I see is degree + 2-5 years experience.

I know many of y’all are managers or in Human Resources, is there any certification or class I could take that would help?

[smiles33]

I'm not in HR, but I do career counseling for lawyers who want to work in public service. Whenever I have someone who wants to transition from traditional corporate practice to a nonprofit, we focus on the skills they've developed in their unpaid service (e.g., representing a client seeking asylum as opposed to their normal paid work reading thousands of emails looking for that key piece of evidence). Don't limit yourself to just thinking about skills developed at past paid jobs. Have you been active in volunteering with your DC's schools or other community organizations (e.g., nonprofit, church, etc.)? Can you talk about event planning skills? Volunteer management? Program design? Have you written school newsletters? Have you co-chaired a school fundraiser? All of those skills are highly valuable assuming you're open to doing that type of work for pay.

I don't know about specific classes or certifications--depends on how much you want to pay for that training/education, how much time you want to spend, and what job you're targeting. It also depends on how many years you plan to work from this point forward. If you see yourself working for pay for 20+ years, it might be worth the cost and time of going back to school for a new license/degree/specialized training. If this is a job for the next 10 years or so, it might not be worth the extra cost/time unless you find it personally fulfilling. For instance, I had a medical doctor in my law school class who was in his 50s. The average age of a lawyer is usually much lower (which makes sense given how expensive and grueling it is). It's possible he's still practicing now nearly 20 years later, but I suspect he pursued the degree more for personal fulfillment than trying to maximize his earning potential.

[Globetrotter]

Great advice, smiles33! It is so easy to lose confidence in this sort of situation, But most of us do a lot of volunteer work, which is sometimes significant.
Op, you may have to reinvent yourself, or sometimes volunteer gigs can turn into a new career interest. I have a friend who is doing volunteer grant writing for a nonprofit, and she has gotten callbacks on jobs for grant writers.

[Globetrotter]

Another friend wants to be a project manager, so she is doing a certification and she’s also planning to take some other classes I think in coding. Sometimes there are things you can do like that that don’t involve a full on degree.

There are organizations that help women who are looking to re-enter the workforce, but I live in Silicon Valley and they are geared towards people in high-tech and business. I’m not sure if that’s a regional thing.

[Octobermommy]

Thanks guys for the advice. Ive been discouraged for sure. I do volunteer weekly but it’s more of a counseling situation which isn’t the job direction I want to go ( & would need additional schooling & training)

[candaceb]

Is there an employment agency that could help get you started? We have one that is woman owned and they are sensitive to the needs of mothers returning to the workforce. They have classes, resume workshops, career consulting, and they also offer job placement for employers. Here's a link just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about: https://www.amycelltalent.com/

I finally gave up after realizing that I didn't really want to work at a tech firm (after not working full time since 2007). I didn't want to be a librarian any more (my graduate degree) and didn't want to sit in front of a computer. It took a lot of reading and soul searching to figure things out and I have started a business as a senior move manager, and also offer de-cluttering services. Not at all anything I imagined doing but I am much happier now.

[bisous]

I feel like most women that o know that reenter the workforce do it through personal connections but that is certainly not universally true. My next door neighbor actually got her (coveted part-time) job by submitting her resume through Facebook!

I love the idea of selling your experience from the past 17 years. It doesn’t have to completely align but you can give your volunteer contacts as references.

[Octobermommy]

Thanks Candace for the website. There isn’t an agency located where I am but I am thinking about taking some classes at a college here just to get some new recent info & I’ll put the word out I’m looking for a job.

[smiles33]

Have you thought about what you want? Be your own boss? Have an office desk job? Help people or focus more on independent work? Do you have a minimum income threshold (e.g., if I don't make $50K a year, it's not worth it and I'll just continue to stay home and manage my regular duties? Or any money I make helps but isn't required so I can be pickier)? Keep in mind that going back to work full-time means you may need more help around the house unless you plan to work two shifts (i.e., doing everything you did before at home PLUS the job, or hiring housecleaner, yard person, grocery delivery, etc. to help you make this work).

Maybe poke around and see what jobs are "in"demand" in your area. I know home organizers, "personal assistants" who work on call (so not a full-time executive assistant but someone who helps manage a household or organize projects on an as-needed basis), and other service providers whose skills are VERY similar to an organized SAHP, are in demand where I live since so many of us are WOHP. I was looking into it and at least where I am, a "household manager" can make $80K or more per year for these busy execs.

[Octobermommy]

Great questions smiles! That’s the hard part- figuring out the answers to those questions bc the hours i would prefer don’t line up with the goals I have & I’ve got to just choose what I want more.