How to re-enter workplace after a long absence

Someone who has never worked needs to grab internship opportunities or voluntary work whether paid or unpaid. FILE PHOTO | SHUTTERSTOCK    

By WANGU KANURI More by this Author

How do you re-enter the workplace after gap years?

Vincent Ogutu left formal employment in 2008. He took two years sabbatical to..

find himself as he felt he had stagnated in his career.

Working as a sales personnel in the pharmaceutical industry for close to 10 years, Mr Ogutu tendered his resignation and started researching extensively on how to jumpstart his career.

He watched YouTube clips on self-improvement and even practised farming.

During that time, he also prepared a 10-year plan and what he needed to do to achieve his goals.

Confident that he had his life together, Mr Ogutu reached out to a few of the friends he had made while employed to refer him to job opportunities.

Mr Ogutu now a transformational speaker cum author, shares that when he was going back, he had his curriculum vitae up to speed and tailored to what is needed by the employer.

“When I was applying for jobs, I looked for the gap in the market and aligned it to my skills. I showed my future employer my value, and what I was bringing to the table. I gave a solution,” he says.

To have a seamless entry into the job market, he says it is crucial to have information about the trends and changes in the industry. This knowledge is best obtained from people already in the industry.

“My goal to come back to employment was not necessarily a high-paying job but one to get me going. I already had a plan, what I lacked was financial resources to get me started,” Mr Ogutu says.

His script is similar to Celine Alobo, a client engagement manager for Priority Activator Consulting who re-entered the job market after a seven-year gap.

She notes that planning to go back for her entailed engaging a career coach and/ or a life coach. This, she says was not only to help her understand the changes in the industry but also to get her confidence.

Ms Alobo notes that when she actively started looking for a job, it took her six months to get one.

“During this time of getting regrets and no response, I was hurt. It's human but I did not dwell on that because I knew there was a job for me,” she says.

Read: Job satisfaction: Does your workplace meet these needs?

On his side, Mr Ogutu attended two interviews and passed one. Luckily, when he was two months into his new job, he was called for yet another interview.

He says a jobseeker needs to only fit 60 percent of the required job qualifications.

“If they are asking for a Master’s degree holder but you have a diploma plus other certifications, just apply. If they want someone with a-three-year experience but you have two, go for it. What matters to the employer is the ability to do the job,” he says.

Explain the gap in your CV

When Ms Alobo was re-entering, she was aware of the gap and never shied from explaining what she was doing while away.

This, she observes, was easier for her because she never sat idle but developed and sharpened her skills.

Discrediting the notion that a gap in the CV is a minus, Ms Alobo shares that often than not, these people are the movers and shakers in the job space.

“They are re-energised, their morale is high, they are more motivated, refreshed, productive,” she says.

Even though you may not have the certification for the skills you did in your gap, Ms Alobo says that oozing confidence while facing the panellist is enough to show whether you are speaking the truth or not.

How should you blend in?

“Coming back to the same profession after taking a break is like riding a bicycle. You can never forget.”

While the adjusting can take some time, Ms Alobo notes that sometimes the pressure is within. Being fair to yourself and asking for help when you need it is the only way out.

“Do not work yourself into frustrations by setting unrealistic goals. Set those that you can grow in at an acceptable and progressive pace,” she adds.

How much should you ask for?

Ms Alobo notes that by the time one is coming back, they know their worth. Saying you will take anything is not an option. Quote, a figure that you feel is comfortable with you.

“Do not show your employer you are so desperate to get any amount,” she notes.

What of the fresh graduates?

For graduates, Mr Ogutu says that someone who has never worked needs to grab internship opportunities or voluntary work whether paid or unpaid. This is the first step into the employment ladder, a path.

Read: Help! I cried at work. How do I bounce back with grace?

Further, fresh graduates need to keep in touch with the people they schooled with. These people can form a basis for your networks because often than not, you might not be at the same level and they can be resourceful while looking for a job.

Furthering studies or attending trainings is also a viable option. “What you should never do is be or stay idle.”

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