Dear Peter: how do I get back in the workforce after raising children?

Dear Peter,

I've been out of the workforce for 5 years raising my kids, but now that they're in school, I'm ready to return to my career. However, I'm feeling a bit rusty and unsure of how to get back in the game. Can you offer some advice on how to update my skills and get back into the job market?

Sincerely,
Returning to the Workforce

Dear Returning to the Workforce,

First off, let me start by saying: raising kids IS work. In fact, it's several jobs rolled into one - you're a project manager (coordinating schedules), conflict resolution specialist (sibling disputes), and operations lead (keeping the household running) all at once. The skills haven't gone rusty - they've just been applied in a different context.

Let's talk about getting back in the game, shall we?

Remember our friend Frodo? Better yet – maybe a Bluey reference is most apropos here.

You know Chilli from Bluey? She took time off to raise Bluey and Bingo. When she went back to work part-time in airport security, she probably had moments of doubt too. But you know what made her great at her job? Not just her past work experience, but all those skills she'd honed at home - patience, problem-solving, and a sixth sense for objects lodged in folks sinuses (noses are not a crayon holster, Bluey!).

That's not even to mention explaining the world to kids. There's a reason the concept of "explain it to me like I'm five" is so appealing – there's a huge need for the skill of explaining complex concepts in understandable terms.

Your situation reminds me of what I often tell my clients: the key to getting any job isn't showing that you can already do everything - it's showing that you can learn. And let me tell you, anyone who's successfully managed a household of small humans for five years has proven they can learn, adapt, and handle pretty much anything thrown their way (sometimes literally).

Here's what I suggest:

1. Start with developing your story. Not the "I took time off to raise kids" story, but the "I managed a complex operation involving multiple stakeholders with competing needs and tight deadlines" story. Because that's what parenting is, once you translate it into corporate-speak. Interviewers are looking for stories that exemplify what they're looking for in a candidate – craft your real stories for this audience, and parenting is rich with real skills and capabilities.
2. Get clear on what YOU want. The workplace has changed a lot in five years (hello, hybrid work!). Take some time to reflect on what kind of role would work for your life now. Remember: you're not just taking what you can get - you're choosing your next career chapter.
3. Update your technical skills, but don't overthink it. Yes, some tools might have changed, but presence of mind is still the biggest factor in hiring. Most companies worth their stuff will invest in training if they see someone with great fundamentals - and you've got those in spades.
4. Network, but make it natural. Start with former colleagues who knew your work before. They can be your best advocates and help you understand what's changed in your industry. Plus, they're probably curious what you've been up to anyway!

Here's the thing about returning to work: you're not starting over, you're starting from a new place. Those five years weren't a career gap - they were career development in a different domain. Now it's just about helping potential employers see that too.

And remember: if anyone gives you grief about the gap in your resume, they're telling you something important about their workplace culture. A good manager (like the ones you want to work for) knows that life experience makes us better at work, not worse.

Want to talk more about this? Hit me up for a session - first one's free, and we can dig deeper into your specific situation.

Let's make work suck less,

Peter