If you had to step out of the workforce for a while, re-entry can be overwhelming. Many people wonder if they are hirable after an absence, and they may fear they won’t be able to pick up their careers where they left off. The truth is, leaving the workforce is a common occurrence. Every day, people exit to raise their children, care for a sick family member, return to school, travel, try their hand at entrepreneurship and whole host of other reasons. If you’ve taken time away from sales and marketing, you can re-enter the workforce successfully, with the right approach.
Get a Handle on Current Skill Demands
The first step is to study job descriptions in the sales and marketing niche to learn which skills employers are looking for. Make lists of those skills and take note of those that appear most often. From there, inventory your own skills and determine which you currently possess, and which skills you need to sharpen before you re-enter the workforce.
Take Classes to Build Your Skills
Technology has a major impact on the skills employers need, and the odds are high you’ll need to build a skill or two to make yourself more marketable. Luckily, the internet makes all things possible. You can find online classes at local colleges and universities, or you can check sites like Lynda, Skillshare and Udemy, which allow you to build skills at your own pace.
Volunteer While You Search
Volunteering is an excellent gateway back into the workforce. First and foremost, it shows you take initiative and you are a well-rounded person who cares about their community. Second, volunteering will help you get back into the practice of working as part of a team and using soft skills like communication and collaboration. Fortunately, there are lots of volunteer opportunities that align nicely with sales and marketing like fundraising and event planning which will help you rebuild your professional “muscles.”
Try a Nontraditional Re-Entry Strategy
Most people think re-entering the workforce means landing a permanent, full-time role. However, in this modern era, many people are taking a less traditional route. An effective way to get back into the workforce is to work as a sales and marketing project manager on a contract basis. These short-term assignments allow you to grow and sharpen your skills and expose you to a variety of work environments. As an added bonus, many of these opportunities are remote, which means you can achieve work-life balance and flexibility that aren’t always possible with a traditional, full-time job.
Are You Ready to Re-Enter the Workforce?
If you are a talented sales or marketing professional ready to re-enter the workforce and are looking for exciting, flexible opportunities in the agriculture field, Magnify Resources can help. Reach out to our expert recruiters or browse our current project openings today. We look forward to helping you achieve your goals.