Eight signs you need a holiday

Eight signs you need a holiday by Amber Rolfe Summer is finally here… Unfortunately, not all of us get to look forward to a break from work â€" whether it’s because of the fear of falling behind, or the struggle of getting holiday signed off during a busy time of year. However, allowing yourself time to recharge is absolutely essential for your wellbeing. Not to mention your productivity.To help you realise the importance of taking a break (and when you should take one), here are eight sure-fire signs you need a holiday:  You’re losing your temperA lack of holiday is often one of the main causes of ‘making mountains out of molehills’.For example, it could be that Tim from Accounts has taken your mug AGAIN, Stacey from Sales is using the printer when you need it, or your computer keeps doing that ‘error’ thing â€" and all you can do is react with irrational rage.If you keep making a big deal over problems that you’d usually be able to resolve without much stress, a break could be exactly wha t you need to start seeing things in a more positive light.Six signs you’re working too hardYou can’t sleepIf you’re having trouble getting to sleep at night or you’re waking up at all hours worrying about whether you did or didn’t send off that important report, it could be a sign of stress.Sure, working hard is good way to boost your career â€" but not if it comes at the expense of everything else. By creating an even work-life balance, both your professional and personal life will benefit.And, most importantly, you’ll actually get some sleep.How to achieve a work-life balanceYou’re making mistakes When you’re tired and in need of a holiday, little mistakes might seem more frequent.It might be that you clumsily leave typos in an email to your CEO, you make errors in customer transactions, or you’re always putting things where they don’t belong (see: teabags in the fridge).But try not to be too hard on yourself. Instead, see your mistakes as a sign that you need some downtime. Giving yourself regular breaks isn’t just great for your wellbeing, it’ll also help better your performance at work.You’re making unhealthy choicesTiredness, lethargy, and a lack of motivation can only mean one thing for your diet; and it probably involves cake. And maybe wine. And maybe 76 bars of chocolate…but who’s counting?The point is, whilst it’s easy to use bad habits as a coping mechanism when you’re in need of a break â€" it shouldn’t be seen as a long-term fix.So if you’ve started regularly skipping the gym, replacing salads with hob nobs, and overdoing it on the boozy brunches, take some time to revive your health with a few days off work.Trust us. Your body will thank you for it.Six tips to improve your workplace wellbeingTop 5 ways to keep fit at workYou’re neglecting your personal lifeDoes it often feel like all you do is work? It’s time to fix that.After all, there are only so many missed drinks with friends or cancelled family ou tings you can take before you â€" not to mention your family and friends â€" are likely to crack.Spending too much time and energy on your professional life, without allowing yourself any time off, is never likely to end well.So, if you’re at work so often you’re beginning to feel like you actually live there, it could be a sign to start searching for flights.Six things productive people do every dayYou’ve got ‘holiday envy’OK, so you’re super happy for your friends to be going away for the fourth time this year.But whilst you can appreciate a few (hundred) good beach photos, you still can’t help but wonder when it’ll be you who gets to brag about having cocktails at 2pm on a Tuesday.If this sounds familiar, it’s probably time for a break. So book a trip, pack your bags, and post all of the hashtags (you know, as soon as you’ve booked time off and agreed it with your manager).#sun #sea #sand #hotdogsorlegs.Out of office email templateYou’ve lost your sparkFindi ng the motivation to do a great job at work can be tricky if you can’t remember the last time you had a break. Especially if your role is particularly taxing.Common signs and symptoms include: always snoozing your alarm, sighing a lot, and frequently wondering if anyone would notice if you just didn’t go to work today.Hint: they probably would.No matter how much you love your job, it’s completely natural to have a drop in enthusiasm if it’s all you do/think/dream about. So give yourself some time to recharge, and you might be surprised at how motivated you are on your return.And if it doesn’t help? It might be time for a new job…Eight signs it’s time to resignStill searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge t hat your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features Work-life balance

Help With Writing a KSA Resume

Help With Writing a KSA ResumeHelp with writing a KSA resume. Most folks that get laid off have an unexpected dilemma, what to do next? If you have been working for some time and recently lost your job you may be in the position of having to start all over again with a fresh start.There are many steps that need to be taken in order to write a KSA resume that will stand out from the rest. The first thing you should do is to take a step back and analyze your skills and past accomplishments. Write down every single skill and experience that you have that you feel you possess the most.Your experience should be limited to the last six months. This will make it easier for you to go through them and write them out. This can be done with the help of a calculator or using Microsoft Word's 'Insert' function. You can also use the built-in Microsoft Word functions in order to copy and paste the information.You should have your entire resume written and ready for when you want to go in for a KSA interview. There are many times when you have to write your resume by hand as well. When you feel that you have a rough draft ready, you will have to bring this to an interview and show it to the hiring manager or HR specialist.In order to impress upon them the fact that you have actually spent some time looking at your resume, you will want to ask some questions and gain some insight into what they require. You may be asked about how your skills match up to what is listed on your resume. Your recruiter should be willing to go in and write all of the required information on your resume if it appears that you have not put enough effort into developing a new resume.After you have an idea of how they expect you to write a resume, you can begin to look for job searches online or offline. Some companies require their employees to participate in an online job search. In order to be considered for these jobs, you should provide your recruiter with a list of the jobs you have applied for or have expressed interest in.After you have started looking at job postings online, your recruiter may ask you to fill out a resume sample for a KSA resume. This is an excellent way to get your new resume up to date, as you will be able to easily compare it to a traditional resume. Once your recruiter has finished reviewing your resume sample, they will then be able to send it to the head recruiter for you.As you can see, help with writing a KSA resume is necessary. With so many job seekers that are having trouble finding the work they are looking for, it is a great time to look for another job. With the right tools, a lot of hard work and some patience, you will be able to land a new job very quickly and without any problems.

Diva Detox Invest in Treating Yourself

Diva Detox Invest in Treating Yourself Career girls know how important it is to balance work and play. After having worked your butt off to get that paycheck, it is important to realize that when treating ones self, it should be considered as an investment. After all, without a safe and sane diversion from your everyday hustle, burning out is a big possibility. One advise I can give women is to look at relaxation as something that should be spent on with a longer and more useful perspective of return. Sure, you can run to a bar with the girls every weekend, but how much is that cocktail and how long does it benefit you? If you will be spending on yourself, make sure that the money you spend goes a long way. Here are some ideas for stretching your dime on a diva detox! 1. Invest in Your Personal Space. No girl can resist the call of the mall. Whether youre a bargain hunter or a big spender, always keep in mind that it is not the number of bags that you take home nor the amount of money you think youe saved thats important. Its the quality, longevity, and usefulness of the items you buy that makes it a steal. You may have saved a big on buying that second pair of shoe, but if it is something that will only last you until the 2nd use, you will end up losing that money forever. Apply the same principle to make up or beauty products. Read reviews, labels, shop for the best deal instead of getting a cheap fix that might even just give you a date with a dermatologist. When you are getting sucked in by the temptation of retail therapy, open your closet, survey your stuff, and assess what you really need, like making a grocery list. Find something of premium quality, a fashion investment rather than one that youd break in a month. Being able to buy something you actually need and can last as oppose to buying the first thing that has a red tag on it will benefit you in the long run. Many girls feel that spending here and there frequently is the key to saving on relaxation. Look at the bigger picture to see if it will help you better in the long run for you to spend more on a single occasion instead. Treating yourself is a crucial investment that many girls overlook. Just as a financial investment you have to make smart and well informed decisions to make sure you are doing the right thing. Dont be afraid to make a big spend it will be one that ultimately contributes to your overall well-being. How do YOU invest in detoxifying and relaxing? What big spending moments have made you feel like it was totally worth it? Share it with us at @mscareergirl or comment below! Image Credits: Flickr, pixabay.com

10 Actions to Manage Agency Recruiters

10 Actions to Manage Agency Recruiters As an in-house recruiter in an SME, it can be expedient to engage one or more external agencies to help fill a critical role. This is most appropriate when suitable candidates have proved hard to find or where you dont have a good network in the field youre recruiting for. If youve got the budget and youre in a hurry, it would seem to be the no-brainer option. However, those external agencies can turn into a titanic millstone, sinking your hopes of filling that vacant role anytime soon. Delegate, dont abdicate Lets be clear about your recruitment objective its to fill the defined role promptly with a rock-solid candidate who will actually turn up on day 1 and then be effective. That seems simple enough, but if saving money, recruiting faster or extending the job scope creep into the equation during the recruitment process, risks will rise, delays will ensue and costs will markedly increase. Unfortunately, saving money and recruiting faster are the primary interests of external agencies. In some cases, their only interests. Theoretically, a recruitment consultant working on a contingency basis can be left to get on with it, since they dont get paid unless they deliver a result. The same argument implies its worth commissioning several agencies and pitting them against each other. It’s an enticing picture, but there are several potential problems. Longer time to hire. If good candidates are hard to find in your field, an agency#39;s most effective strategy is to initially hit the assignment very hard, but then switch off activity if no solid candidates emerge promptly. For them its highly cost effective. They can move on to other prospects whilst keeping this vacancy alive in the background. For you, it’s very costly, since youre unknowingly being hung out to dry in the desert. Engaging multiple agencies heightens the initial frenzy of activity, but shortens it, because the agencies know theyre competing and wont spend one penny on a potentially lost cause. Lower candidate quality. Agency recruiters have no interest in finding the best candidate. Any candidate that roughly fits the spec will do. They’re a commodity, to be packaged up and sold as quickly and cheaply as possible. Theres no immediate premium to be had for quality and no benefit to be had from spending further resource looking for a better candidate. Poorer candidate experience. Candidates can also feel hung out to dry by a time-pressured, bonus-driven, cost-conscious agency. Tales of no application acknowledgement, sporadic communication, misleading promises, endless delays and zero feedback are legion. Even successful applicants can come out feeling abused before they even start work. The loser is your company. Reduced employer-brand value. From the second the candidate knows whos hiring its your companys reputation on the line. Poorly treated candidates will refuse to consider future opportunities with you and social media networks make it easy for them to poison your reputation with literally hundreds of their online contacts. If you work in a tight-knit field, your well can literally run dry as good candidates avoid you like the plague for years to come. There are clear reasons why delegating some activities to an external agency may accelerate your access to more candidates, but many SME companies naively pass over responsibility for a key section of the recruitment process without understanding the difference between delegation and abdication. They risk later finding theyve engaged the brides of Dracula as baby-sitters, and given them free rein. 10 steps to take control Taking full responsibility for the process requires time-consuming effort. That might rankle when you’re paying a third party to work on your behalf, but sadly there are no free lunches. If you do choose to commission multiple agencies: Ensure a level playing field by giving them all the same information, and simultaneously. Make it clear which other agencies have been engaged and whether or not you’ll also be continuing to compete against them all by potentially recruiting directly, if you can. Be open about all previous recruitment activity on this post by you and by any other agencies. State your policy on any submissions you might receive from non-commissioned agencies. Separately from the agreed terms and conditions, produce a written outline of how conflict will be resolved when multiple agencies end up trying to submit the same candidate. Be open and clear about candidate must-haves and nice-to-haves, stick to them and judge fairly. Outline clear timescales and milestones and manage the agencies accordingly. From the outset, state your review and feedback process and run it at least weekly. If problems or changes from your side arise, communicate to all immediately. If problems arise from an agency’s behavior, terminate them, ensuring you have clauses to do so. This is all vital to establish because the second an agency realizes they’re terminally disadvantaged is the exact point at which their commitment to the assignment evaporates. It would be nice to believe that you can operate as a partnership to achieve a win-win result. Unfortunately, that’s literally impossible with multiple agencies involved. Clearly, there is considerable merit in carefully selecting just one agency to work with and aiming to build a close working relationship. However, almost all of the points above still apply if you want to maintain control whilst fostering trust and commitment. Finally, and regardless of whether you use one or multiple agencies, if you want timely results, for the love of God, answer your telephone and respond to emails immediately. Nothing is more frustrating for an agency than finding things seem to have changed and they’ve consequently become confused about your requirements. If they then have to wait a week to get even an acknowledgement from you, they risk candidates de-camping and other agencies poaching on their territory. The loser is always your organisation. About the author: Jon Gregory an experienced management consultant, re-organisation specialist and recruitment professional. He currently works with both organisations and individuals, helping to get the right people working effectively in the right jobs.. He’s also the editor of www.win-that- job.com.

Resume For Medical Writing Job

Resume For Medical Writing JobIf you want to get a medical writing job, then you need to make sure that your resume is concise and to the point. When you get to the part where you will describe your qualifications and experience, take your time so that you are able to stand out above the rest of the other applicants.It is not good to leave out any information from your resume. The only person who will read this resume is a potential employer. Just as the employer may wish to see all the information that you have written about you, the potential employer can look for any gaps in your resume that you might have intentionally left out.The resume for medical writing job should consist of the information that is relevant to the job. If you are looking for a job as a medical assistant, then you should include the information about what you would do if you were to be hired. In addition, you should include information about how long you have been employed in the medical field.For an entry le vel position in medical writing, you should include your contact information. The information that you include on the resume is very important because the first contact that you have with the company will be the interview. It is possible that if you do not provide a contact number, the prospective employer will not get in touch with you.If you have already found a job, you should then provide your own information. The only information that should be included on the resume for medical writing job is information that you have given them about yourself. Other information is completely irrelevant.It is possible that your resume for medical writing job may be submitted in for review by the Human Resources department. This is a great opportunity for you to make certain that you have done everything that you have promised. In addition, you should be very specific in what you have written in order to ensure that the best job opportunity comes along for you.You should always make sure that y our resume for medical writing job is updated at least once a year. You should not wait until it is too late to find out if the job posting was a genuine one.Your resume for medical writing job should be prepared very carefully. If you do not follow the rules, then your job will be lost.

How to Not Become A Bad Freelance Translator - CareerMetis.com

How to Not Become A Bad Freelance Translator Freelance translation can be an amazing field. If you do things right, you’ll work with a variety of great clients. You’ll take on interesting work, at least sometimes. You can also make a very healthy living at it.Even better, the nature of most translation work allows you to be location independent. This means you can work from home, while traveling the world, or simply from your favorite people watching spot. You’ll also enjoy flexibility not available to you in many other fields.evalThere is one downside. While it takes time to build a reputation as a great, translation professional, bad habits and decisions can get you into trouble quickly.While translation professionals are in demand, there are enough of them that people don’t have to work with subpar translators if they don’t wish to do so.This is why maintaining and meeting high professional standards are key. The following are steps to take in order to avoid being a bad freelance translator.1. Keep Your Technology up To Date and in Running Conditioneval‘My hard drive crashed. Can you send those files again? Also, I’m going to need an extension.’ ‘Sorry, my network has been impossibly slow. I will get those papers to you later.’These are statements your clients should never ever hear from you. They should fall under the category of ‘Not my Problem’. As a freelance translator, it is your job to ensure that you have the equipment you need to do your job, and meet your contractual obligations.This includes keeping your equipment free from viruses and malware, as well as ensuring your networks and servers are protected from intruders. Remember that you may be storing sensitive data, and customers need to be confident in your ability to protect it.2. Acknowledge and Fix Your Mistakes Quickly If you’ve made a mistake, the best way forward is to simply acknowledge, apologize, and fix. This is true even if you think the mistake wasn’t a big deal and could have easily been rectified b y your client.evalThis is true even if you think the mistake was due to the client’s failure to be clear. This is true even if fixing the problem is a pain and will put you behind schedule.It’s nearly always worthwhile to do right by a client, and to handle things professionally when mistakes are pointed out. If a client proves that they regularly attempt to get free revisions by pointing out so-called ‘mistakes’ you can deal with them on a case by case basis. Until then, give them the benefit of the doubt.3. Don’t Take on More Work Than You Can Complete on TimeIt’s tempting to take on all the work you can. After all, more clients can lead to even more clients. That’s a great way to get your name out there. Then of course, there’s the money.Unfortunately, you can negate any benefits of this if you take on so much work that you start missing deadlines. You should certainly never take on so much work that it begins to impact your quality of work.evalHere’s the realit y of things. This is a slow growing business. Trying to rush yourself into the position of being a full time translator simply won’t work.Have a long term plan in place. It could take as long as year to get things situated. Taking things slowly and doing everything the right way is much better better than taking shortcuts.4. Follow up With ClientsThe vast majority of unhappy customers won’t say anything to you. They simply won’t hire you again. This is why follow up is such an important step.When you contact a client and ask them if they are happy, if there’s anything they would like to discuss, and if there are ways you can better serve them in the future that opens up an important dialogue. Clients then feel free discuss anything that disappointed them.You can then use this as an opportunity to fix any issues that may exist. This will significantly increase the likelihood that a once unhappy client will be willing to work with you in the future.6. Develop Cultural Competen ciesevalThe best translation professionals make an effort to learn beyond language and dialect mastery. They work hard to become familiar with the various cultures that speak the languages they work with.Whether you are localizing a game or website, translating training materials, or providing captioning for a foreign movie or television show, cultural understanding is key.Your job as a translator is much more than taking words written in one language and writing them in another. You have to retain meaning. You also must respect social norms and traditions.You can only do this, if you understand culture and history. If you fail to do so, at best your translations will be confusing and a bit tone deaf. At worst, you could cause genuine upset and offense.7. Ask Happy Clients For ReviewsevalBefore you are hired, potential clients are going to look into your reputation and history with other clients. Make sure that they find something positive. If you know you have done a great job with a client, don’t be shy. Reach out to them and ask for a positive review. Many will be happy to help.Of course, you can help by making the process as easy as you possibly can. Provide them with links to websites that do reviews for translation services. If they are too busy to write out a full review, ask for a brief testimonial. This is a good time to ask for referrals as well.8. Don’t Take Work beyond Your Expertise no Matter How LucrativeTranslation is not a field where you have the luxury of figuring things out along the way. If you cannot execute the duties required to complete a translation assignment, don’t accept the job. Accuracy and on time delivery are simply too important.Remember that an inaccurate or late translation may mean extra work, or a lost job for you. It can mean a ruined vacation, a costly delay of a business deal, or even have serious safety or health implications.Don’t risk your reputation or your clients well-being in an effort to build up business or earn more money.eval9. Avoid Working with Low Rate Translation MillsIf you choose to take all or a portion of your work from an agency, be sure to vet them out thoroughly.First, if you don’t work for someone who has high standards, you won’t be called out on your bad habits or mistakes. They’ll simply pass on your translation, and reward you with a small paycheck. This makes it nearly impossible to improve your skills.Further, you have to consider what you want on your resume. You certainly aren’t going to impress anyone by working with an agency that has a hack reputation.10. Be Upfront About Your PricesNobody likes to get hit with unexpected costs. Your clients are no different. When you quote a job, it should include the final price your customer will be expected to pay. There should never be any surprises. Further, you can help create goodwill if you provide reasoning for any extra fees that you do charge.Keep an eye on your competition as well. If your pricing is mu ch higher or lower, that could give customers pause. If you don’t have justification for your pricing, consider adjusting it so that it is in line with industry standards.11. Be Aware of Your Own ReputationThis is one field where you should always read your own press. Check out customer review websites and read the reviews. Pay attention to the negative ones, even if they are a bit painful to read.Reach out to past clients who were unsatisfied, and try to come to a satisfactory resolution. In many cases, you may be able to get them to modify or take down negative reviews.You should also pay attention to relevant online discussion forums. Knowing what people are saying about you can provide valuable insights. Finally, consider setting up Google alerts for your name, company name, and any relevant keywords.CONCLUSIONThis is truly a great field to be in. The demand for translators and interpreters is growing at a very high rate. This makes it an ideal field to be in. If you work hard , treat clients well, and deliver quality services, you can grow your business into something quite lucrative.However, there are pitfalls as well. Don’t allow bad decisions or shortcuts turn you into a bad freelance translator.

Police Careers What Jobs Are Available - How 2 Become

Police Careers What Jobs Are Available - How 2 Become Despite the recent austerity measures and the on-going Government cuts, there are still plenty of job opportunities within the UK police force. Naturally, when anyone mentions or discusses working for the police, we automatically think of the police constable. However, there are in fact many different types of police careers, that go into making an excellent public service. Here we will take a brief look at the variety of job options available to you.Police Officer One of the most important police careers is the police constable. They carry out a very important role within our society and are an important link between the police force and the local community. Part of their role includes patrolling the streets and maintaining a visual presence, liaising with the public and major stakeholders, gather facts and information about crimes, taking steps to reduce crime and also being the first line of response for 999 calls and other types of incidents. Police communications officers This t erm is another phrase used for the 999 call handler. Police communications officers play a pivotal role in getting the first line of response to an emergency incident. When members of the public dial 999, they will initially be transferred to a British Telecom centre, where the call handler will determine which service the caller requires. They will then be forwarded to the police, ambulance or Fire Service. Once the caller is through to the police the communications officer will then be responsible for handling the call and extracting as much information as possible about the call, including type of incident, the location of the incident and persons involved. They will then have to decide the types of police response required.Custody nurse practitioners A Custody Nurse is required to check over detainees to make sure they are suitable to be interviewed by the police. These police careers require high levels of responsibility, because many detainees may be under the influence of alc ohol or drugs and it will be your task to determine whether r not they are in a fit state to be interviewed. You will also administer medication to detainees and also gather forensic samples if required. In addition to having the necessary nursing skills and qualifications you will also need to have good life skills as this can be a very difficult job at times. Police Careers (general roles) There are also many other different types of police staff roles that make up the police force. General administration and management In this type of role you will conduct general administration work and admin. For example, you could work in a police recruitment department or office that looks after all applications for people joining the police. With over 75,000 people applying to join the police each year, this is a big task! Marketing and Communications Believe it or not, most large police careers forces will have a marketing department and media section. It will be their job to liaise with th e press and the media and they will do their best to have a god working relationship with them. It is essential that the police force are seen in a good light and it is very good practice to keep the media and press on the side of the organisation. The press and media are also extremely effective at helping the police catch criminals and also help find missing people. Human Resources Human resources, or HR as it is sometimes called, are a very large department of the police. They will deal with contracts of all staff, internal discipline procedures, recruitment and also looking after any internal/external complaints of bullying or harassment if they occur. They will also determine the policies and procedures that people who work within the police force have to follow. Forensic Science (e.g. Forensic Practitioner, Fingerprint Laboratory Technician, Crime Scene Manager) Forensic science within the force has moved on tremendously in the past few year. Technologies and DNA advances mean that the police force are catching more and more criminals each year. Plenty of investment is needed within this field so that the police can stay ahead of the criminals. This is a very popular role within the force; however, you will most probably need a suitable degree in science to work within forensics. Operational Support (e.g. Driver, Communications Officer, Intelligence Analyst, Security Officer, Horse Trainer, Property Manager, Stable Hand/Kennel Person) First and foremost, the police force has a responsibility to respond to operational incidents. Operational support covers a wide range of areas, including vehicle maintenance, procurement, managing projects, training police horses for the larger metropolitan police areas and security. This entry was posted in Police, Career Advice. Bookmark the permalink. Richard What Is A Police Communications Officer?Operation Temperer: The Pros and Cons

Career Gap How to Explain Time Off in Your CV IM HIRED

Career Gap How to Explain Time Off in Your CV Filling in the Gaps Does taking a break from the 9-5 sounds like a dream that will never become reality? Whilst most of us picture an ideal career gap as time sitting on a tropical island enjoying the high life, a gap in your career doesnt have to be so far fetched. Giving you time to focus on developing new skills, exploring new avenues in your career, travelling the world, or just taking a much needed break to spend more time with friends and family. But despite all the benefits that come from pausing your career, it can become difficult to explain your time away once you begin to search for new positions. So how do you highlight the positives and use your career gap as a something to help you stand apart from the competition during your job hunt? These tips will help you answer the question youve been dreading about your time off. Have a Purpose to your Time Off Wouldnt we all just like to take off work to do absolutely nothing but realistically if you chose to take a career gap, you probably did more with it then sitting watching Friends reruns. Giving purpose to your time off makes it easier to sell when youre applying for new roles. Did your time off allow you an opportunity to search for your dream career, travel the world, give you more time with you friends or where you a caregiver. You need to outline the reason behind your career gap, giving your time off more credibility (and if you did spend part of your time away binge watching telly then it might be best to leave that section out.) In the same way youd expand on your duties in a position within your CV or during an interview, highlight the experience  you gained within your career gap. Honesty is the Best Policy   I must have stated this a thousand times but lying is never an option in the job search. If your found out, your honesty and integrity will come into question, remove that if and replace it with when because an employer will be completing their checks. You want to paint your career gap in the best possible light but that doesnt mean telling an employer you spent 6 months helping baby animals when you were actually decide what career is right for you. Showcase the positives, demonstrating the skills you obtained during you time away and reflect on what made the overall experience beneficial. _________________________ Tell a lie once and all your truths become questionable. _________________________ Use it to Your Advantage Contemplate on the skills you picked up along the way, or the insight a break from your career gave you, helping you understand what the right position for you is. Look for the take away moments and details these in your CV or discuss them within an interview. For example, if you took time to travel, highlight how this allowed you to network with new people, explore new cultures or develop your skills such as team work, communication or organisation. Keeping a journal or diary of your career gap might help you bring forward some of these experiences. Ask yourself how did you profited from your career gap? Highlight the Skills you Obtained Review the take away from your experiences, look at how you were able to develop your skills and better yourself through take time off the 9-5. Whether you were able to adjust to a better work life balance, enhance your confident through networking with new people or you gained new strengths through the completion of short courses or just pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. When applying for new roles, try to link your experiences to the keywords and requirements in the job description. For example, if theyre looking for a proactive, ambitions or driven individual  explain how your passion to try self employment took you away from the 9-5 and your proactive natural helped you grow that business. Try to Discuss in Person   Are you struggling to find the right words? Picking up the phone and discussing this  with the recruiter or hiring manager might be the easier option. Things can get missed when you only have a paragraph to describe those 3, 6 months or even a year away, but talking it over in person will allow you to give more depth. If youve spent several years raising a family, getting back out there and networking could aid you in the transition  back into the working  world.