On-ramping: Get to Work and Get a life!

In her controversial book Get to Work…and Get a Life Before It’s Too Late, Linda Hirshman urges women to act now by entering into or staying in the workforce. It’s a compelling read even if you don’t agree with all of its arguments. Hirshman labels her book a call to arms for “the backlash generation [that] slowly walked away from the promise of a better life.” That “promise” is a career and Hirshman cites two main reasons for why women should want one: the first is that being financially dependent on another person is a dangerous state in this day and age; the second? A job can be an avenue to personal fulfillment.

Many women who previously dropped out of the workforce, each for her own reason, are scrambling to re-enter.  Their children are now in school and they have days free or, even better, the kids are off to college and they are empty nesters. What to do with all that free time? Getting a job or embarking on a stimulating new career—also known as “on-ramping”—is a great option.

And there are more resources out there to help you get back into the job market than ever before. Just google “onramping” and you’ll find pages of results. Websites such as “Onramping.com” provide suggestions and tools for those looking to re-establish themselves. Some organizations, such as wealth management firm Signature FD, hold seminars specifically tailored to women who are considering on-ramping (for more information visit http://www.signaturefd.com/2012/11/18/financially_fit_women/). 

I have been asked more than a few times to speak on this subject. My tips to on-ramping women fall into these categories: 1) Brand Your Passion, 2) Mind Your Resume, and 3) Own the Illusion of Confidence.

Brand Your Passion
Find the intersection of what you like to do and what you do best. After all, most of us spend more time at work than anywhere else during our waking hours—so we might as well like what we do. And you better be good at it or finding a job in your area of passion will be really tough. Also, make sure that you are branding yourself—in effect, creating the box around your talents. You have to be able to explain who you are and what you want to do clearly and concisely.

Mind Your Resume
Many resumes come across my desk that have large blocks of time with no work experience—especially women who “off-ramped” to raise children. My first question to them is: “What did you do during this time other than care for your children?” Many of them worked for a not-for-profit and were even a board chair here or there. This is relevant experience that can fill in those gaps. Make sure that your resume is not harming you by making it seem as if you were totally unplugged from work life for years. Most of us aren’t.

Own the Illusion of Confidence
When people leave the workforce, they don’t lose their skills and they certainly don’t lose their brains. But when we’ve been out of anything for a while and want to return, we lose our confidence level. And it is important to get that back. I coach my “on-rampers” that they still possess the quick mind and talents that got them places in their previous lives. My advice? Act as if you belong back in the workforce and others will believe you belong there too!