Returning to work when children start school

As careers advisers, we often support parents and carers who are looking to return to work or learning after a break. When young children start school, this can often be a time where we see people thinking about their career. Starting to plan this next step can be scary. Here are some tips to help you get started.??

Identifying your skills?

When starting to think about your next step, it can be useful to start to think about your skills. Skills are not only gained through the workplace. You will have gained lots from raising a family. This could include things like:?

• timekeeping?
• budgeting?
• problem solving?

Start by making a list of the skills that you have. Once you have done this, you might also want to take a more detailed skills assessment. Working through the skills health check can help you to identify your skills and can even start you thinking about the types of jobs that might be right for you.?

Gaining confidence?

A lot of people who have been out of work or learning for a while tell us that they have low confidence. There are several ways that you can start to build this up.??

We often suggest that people might want to do some volunteering to help with their confidence. Volunteering can also let you find out what's involved in a job to see if it's right for you.??

You might also want to do some online learning to boost your confidence. There are many free courses you can do. This can help you to develop your skills and shows any future employer that you are motivated.??

Working out what you want to do??

Once you have an idea of where your skills lie, you might want to start exploring different roles. You can look at what training you may need to do and the skills that you’d use.??

You could explore an area of work you have done previously or something completely different. You may also want to consider roles that are flexible in terms of fitting in around the school day or school holidays.??

Take your first step??

Once you have considered your skills, tips to gain more confidence and what you would like to do, you can start to plan your next step. This could be updating your CV or applying for a course. Take small steps to get to your end goal.? ?

Don’t forget the National Careers Service is here to help. You can chat to an adviser online or via the helpline on 0800 100 900 (lines are open every weekday from 8am-8pm and between 10am-5pm every Saturday), or take a look at the dedicated careers advice on our website.