Life after divorce forces us not only to focus on our personal development, but also on our professional development in order to live our best life. Whether you’ve been in the workforce for a while, or at home raising your children, you may have found yourself with new responsibilities and the need to advance yourself professionally. This could mean working toward a promotion, changing jobs for a more flexible schedule, or re-entering the workforce.
If you have been out of the workforce for many years, you may need to return to school or take classes to develop your skills. Going back to school may be a valuable experience that helps give your life new meaning and new direction Your local community college or university is a good place to start. Stay-at-home moms also have many skills that can be applied to a profession, especially if you have volunteered or had a leadership position with a civic or community group, the PTA or a religious organization. Moms are specialists at time management, event planning, negotiating, listening, communicating and multi-tasking – all skills that are easily transferred to a résumé.
Regardless of your status, take a closer look at your current situation. Whether you are working on part time or a full time basis, decide whether or not it will continue to support your new, post-divorce lifestyle. Supporting your lifestyle is more than just providing the financial resources you need to survive. You also need to evaluate what your skills and talents are and what you are passionate about. Do you feel personally fulfilled in your career? Are you in a career that you are passionate about, or has it just become part of your routine because you never took the time to look at other options? Make sure you write all these thoughts down.
Specifying your career goals and creating a plan is an important step in moving forward professionally. You gain self confidence by seeing your strengths on paper and may discover a career you love. Be sure to share your plans with other people so they can help you achieve your professional goals. Networking and referrals are great ways to get your professional ball rolling. You don’t have to keep a job simply because you’ve worked there for several years You have been given an opportunity to recreate your life so take advantage of that. There is no better feeling than being fulfilled by work you are passionate about!
