Back to work after 20 years at home!!!

Sallys_Savings

:eek: After twenty years of being a stay at home mum I'm now venturing out into the big bad world looking for a job.

I'm finding it so scary...how did others manage?
If you've been in the same position do you have any tips?

My husband doesn't seem to think theres anything to be worried about as on the outside I seem confident but I'm absolutely bricking it

Astaroth

Just to let you in on a little secret.... even those of us that have been in continuous employment for the last 20 years are bricking it when they start to look for a new job too.

Before you gave up work what did you used to do?

Sallys_Savings

I used to be in secretarial work and export sales......we were still sending telexes lol and the only computer was a word processor

My sister has been on a few computer courses excel etc and she has lent me her notes. So I'm slowly going through them first before I go on the course myself. So at least I'll know a little more than I do now.

At the moment I'm not really sure what sort of job I would be able to do...and eventhough I was pretty intelligent years ago, the years of being at home has left me feeling rather brain dead

margaretclare

Look at your local adult community college. There are lots of computer-based courses. There may even be a touch-typing course which is computer-based - this will help restore your skills and your confidence from basic level up. Also, look for CLAIT courses - computer literacy and information technology. Working through someone else's notes may not help you as much as getting some indidivual help and tuition. Also, have a look for a program called 'Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing'.

Many women will relate to your 'feeling brain dead' after years at home!

Try contacting a local office agency about what work you can do - Adecco, for example.

Good luck!

Margaret

Astaroth

I would be surprised if either of the jobs you mention have actually changed much at all in the last 20 years other than the tools that they are using. Certainly for things like a PA the ability to write short hand is as valid now as it ever was but only the more "mature" people actually have the skill to use it.

Certainly a PC course on the microsoft office packages would be a good idea. In particular Word and Excel with Outlook and Powerpoint to a lesser degree.

Sallys_Savings

Just going out now to book myself in for a course in January

BargainJunky

Good luck!

I've been a stay at home mum for nearly three years. I have been offered a temporary job at a place I worked for in the past but hope to get back into the 'proper' job market when my little boy starts either nursery next September or school the following one.

Why dont you try your local job centre (thats if its called that now:rotfl: ) and tell them you are looking for work but need a few refresher courses.

Let us know how you get on.

taylorsmum

hi, i have been a stay at home mum for ten years, finally got an interview on weds,been trying to get a job since feb this year, i think personally that they look at how long i have been out of work , (even though i chose to stay at home)and think i have lost all my skills. i have always worked in retail (supervisor) it makes me really angry. anyway good luck.

wolfehouse

I went back to work after 10 years of being a stay at home mom. I found that the hardest part was not the technicalities of doing the job but getting back into the social scene in the office.

Sometimes if you can basically do a job you are judged more on whether people feel comfortable working with you and get on. (bringing in the odd treat for everyone to share never hurt).

I swore I'd never lose my own identity and interests and get deskilled yet that is exactly what happened. I'm so much happier now that I'm back at work and so are the kids. Hope it works out for you, good luck.

Savvy_Sue

You should have seen me the night before starting my first 'proper' job since having children! And what was I bricking it about?

Catching a bus, knowing where to get off it, knowing where to get on it to come home at the end of the day.

Finally, I decided that if DS1 had been managing this for the last few weeks, without adult intervention, I could do it too.

Mind you I wasn't entirely convinced by my personal pep talk. Not until I'd done it a few times.

Good luck!

Sallys_Savings

BargainJunky wrote:

Good luck!

I've been a stay at home mum for nearly three years. I have been offered a temporary job at a place I worked for in the past but hope to get back into the 'proper' job market when my little boy starts either nursery next September or school the following one.

Why dont you try your local job centre (thats if its called that now:rotfl: ) and tell them you are looking for work but need a few refresher courses.

Let us know how you get on.

Been to visit my local job centre (our town one has been shut and have to go 15miles to the nearest one...eventhough that town is smaller than ours arrggghh makes me mad, but thats a different story)

They were really helpful and guided me towards the courses as well as one job.