It seems like a story from a past lifetime.
I recruited two woman candidates in a bank branch who were back from a career break. I was sceptical in the beginning about there not being serious about careers and the likelihood that they may not continue for long. Little did I know that I would board the same train soon and learn enough to be able to help others.
Those were the days when candidates were trained to explain a gap in the resume. It was essential to be doing something outside gainful employment, and it continues to be so. What has changed is the approach. Back then, they were grilled more on the why of leaving a job. There was a suspicion about negative performance or behavioural issues in the workplace. The curiosity seems to have petered off now, with people being laid off for no fault and the millennials choosing their assignments rather than organisations choosing them.
It is an excellent time to be a woman returner. There is a break on many resumes, and work-from-home assignments are scaling up.
LinkedIn chooses ‘ a career pivot’ as a trending discussion point.
WHAT EXACTLY IS A CAREER PIVOT?
Jenny Blake explains it as follows on monster.com
Doubling down on what is working to make a purposeful shift in a new, related direction.” Pivoting, in this sense, is “an intentional, methodical process for nimbly navigating career changes.”
COVID-19 has brought more people on the bandwagon for a multitude of reasons.
Read stories you can relate to at
In the case of women who made a choice before COVID-19, the issue needs to be examined from a different perspective.
They know, have learnt, or need to know what a pivot is for life. A pivot can be related to relationships, a change of geographical location, starting a family, or just discovering your true calling. A pivot is not just about careers, though that is what we discuss today.
ARE YOU PIVOTING THE RIGHT WAY?
Are you stuck in the sunk cost fallacy that you need to work in a particular field because you have earned your degrees from an esteemed educational institution or have spent a couple of years or decades in a specific profession?
Are you ruled by a subconscious belief that you cannot do justice to a different assignment?
Do you suffer from an impostor syndrome? You are being called a veteran compared to the newbies, but ….
The bigger question in every interaction with a potential employer is, why should an organisation hire you? What do you bring to the table that other candidates do not?
ADVICE FROM LINKEDIN
Your job matters, and not the industry you are in. Know that your skills can be applicable in multiple ways.
Let your potential employer know about your skills that will help you cross over to another industry.
Get an idea of the average salary ranges in the market before you go for the job interview.
Source: Career Pivot amid a crisis
Keep sharing, and keep writing.
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