According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, there are over 5 million women who temporarily leave their profession
to become their family's primary caregiver. But many of these women will reenter the workforce and when
they do they need to prove to employers that they are just as sharp and
up-to-date in their field as the next candidate. Here are some tips on reentering the workforce after a stint
as a stay-at-home mom:
-
Do not attempt to conceal your time away from
traditional work. Remember,
today's background checks are thorough and any discrepancies will be
uncovered.
- Before reentering the workforce make sure that
you do the things that will keep you up-to-date in the legal field. Attend
classes, conferences, volunteer or even take a part-time or consulting job
that's not too demanding on your time. Even if you're volunteering once a
week or even once a month, that looks a lot better than a year or two away
from practicing law.
- Stay connected with colleagues so that you can
remain informed about "insider" information regarding the legal
industry or even specific firms. Take the time to do lunch a couple of
times a month and check in on the latest happenings.
- Continue to network and connect with new people
in the legal industry.
Staying connected will show that you are making an effort to remain
current and "workforce ready.