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Post Graduate Education
Discuss your job search, the interviewing process, creating the right resume, how the HR profession's changes require new job-search approaches and related topics.
I just found this forum and have already learned much about what is going in HR in this century. I left my HR position about 9 years ago and have been a full-time mom since. I've read several artic
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Post Graduate Education

posted at 1/23/2007 4:36 AM EST
Posts: 1
First: 1/23/2007
Last: 1/23/2007
I just found this forum and have already learned much about what is going in HR in this century.

I left my HR position about 9 years ago and have been a full-time mom since. I've read several articles that indicate full-time moms returning to the workforce are a hot commodity.

However, this has not been the case for me - having been out of the field for so long (at least that is what I've attributed it to). I have a masters degree in labor relations, though I've been a generalist as long as I was a labor contract administrator.

I'm contemplating a Post Masters Certificate in Human Resources Management at my local university. This would bring me up to date on the current HR landscape and perhaps have something to put on my resume that is professional AND not in 199X.

Is this certificate of any value, or would my time and energy (and money) be better spent working my way up if I'm able to land an entry level position?

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Post Graduate Education

posted at 1/23/2007 5:22 AM EST
Posts: 38
First: 9/29/2006
Last: 3/10/2008
Weve worked with many a stay-at-home Mom (or Dad), or people who have been out of the workforce many years for various reasons (such as depression). In all cases, the person first has to get up-to-date on whats been happening in their field. Certainly, reading this Forum is one way. Here are a few others:

· Read industry trade journals, including Workforce magazine, of course.
· Join HR organizations; attend the meetings; volunteer to be on the program or membership committee so youll meet a lot of people in-depth. Attend the national convention and youll get as much information there are you could in a certificate programand will meet lots of people besides.
· Be persistent.
· Get to know people in the industry and ask to meet them in their offices to find out what is going on.
· Take a relevant course or two, ask the professor for contacts and contact those people.
· Do part-time work in HR in the area that is of interest to you. When people ask what youve been doing, you can now say that you are working part-time at XYZ helping on a special HR project. You will now have something to put on your resume that is not 19xx.
· Be persistent.

For example, we worked with one stay-at-home Dad who had been in computers and was now out of the workforce for 4 years. He took a volunteer position with a technology firm for four months, in exchange for great references and the ability to put that experience on his resume. In his case, it was a much more productive way to spend his time rather than take a course on the latest in technology. With that experience on his resume, he landed a paying job very quickly. (In your case, you already have a Masters.)

A stay-at-home Mom attorney had lost all of her confidence by the time she wanted to return to the workforce. She landed a part-time consulting assignment with a prestigious law firm and was soon able to conduct a full search, having some great things to say about her experience there.

In general, we encourage our job hunters to get back into the workforce for pay or not for pay because it tends to be a better sell than only getting more education. But be sure to join those HR organizations and read Workforce magazine, among others.

Good luck

Kate Wendleton
President
The Five OClock Club
A national career coaching and outplacement organization
www.fiveoclockclub.com
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