Did you know that 48% of Indian women quit their careers midway? India ranks 123 in the female-male ratio at the workplace. Aren’t these statistics startling?

It is a fact that many women at some point in their career take a break; the reasons could be family, time off or any other valid cause. But, resuming work after a break is not an impossible task!

  Today, these women are also excited to start their second innings; they are   entrepreneurs, software engineers, content writers, project managers and     more.

  Here is what Neha Bagaria, founder, JobsForHer, says, “Once I was          convinced that my getting back to work would not negatively impact my     children, I was fine with it and thought of addressing this very gap in the      employment sector. This is a sheer waste of talent. When the reason is not     compelling enough, the women should not take a break. If they decide to       take a break due to various genuine reasons like marriage (where they      become a trailing spouse), motherhood or taking care of the elderly at home,   there must be an avenue for them to get back – thus JobsForHer was    conceptualized.”

  So, if she can, you can too! If you are among those looking forward to start   their second career, we bring to you five tips that may help you:

1. Update your LinkedIn page

 LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your skills and expertise and at the same time stay connected with your colleagues. “More than 90 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn to look for candidates and vet them,” says career coach Linda Conklin. So, if you don’t have a LinkedIn page, you must go ahead and create your full resume for potential employers. You can also apply for suitable jobs once you are all set.

2. Upgrade your skills

 Look up certification programs that might be useful in your area of expertise. Check out the courses offered by professional associations. You can even take up online courses on websites like Lynda.com or Udemy.com. Carol Fishman Cohen, CEO of iRelaunch, suggests that when looking for a certification program, it is good to look for one that includes a final project or field study.

3. Join a boot camp

 Today, many organizations help women to network with HR and industry heads by organizing return-to-work boot camps. Boot camps help create forums and platforms for women to stay in touch with the right people in the industry.

4. Returnship programs

 Most big companies like GE, Cisco, Dell, IBM, Loreal, etc.have returnship programs for women. Through these programs, companies hire women, test their skills and train them. If these women perform well, then companies absorb them.

5. Word of mouth

 You can always tell people you interact with that you are looking out for a job. That is how you will build your network. You never know who could be your lucky mascot. So, just speak confidently that you are job hunting. 

 Plunging into a new career later in life can be rejuvenating and rewarding. Alan Alda, American Actor, Director and Writer’s quote sums up the predicament of women looking forward to work after a hiatus, “You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. You can't get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you're doing, but what you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself”.

 All you need to do is be willing to take risks and discover the world of opportunities waiting for you.

About Smitha Abraham

I love traveling in my flights of imagination where I craft short stories and poetry. I am a budding writer from India. My passions are reading, creative writing, listening to music, learning languages, meeting new people, getting acquainted with different cultures, and traveling. Authors like Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, genres like magic realism, historical romance, and writing styles that are imaginative and flow effortlessly fascinate me. I love to unwind curled up on a sofa with a book or by gazing at the stars by the sea shore. I am a nature lover, and spending time admiring the sunset and sunrise is relaxing for me.