Re-entering the workforce after absence

August 20, 2007 · Filed Under For the love of HR 

Hi HR Guy,

Any advice for re-entering the workforce after an extended personal leave (medical and personal in my case)? What’s the best approach for the tough interview questions regarding the time out of the work force?

This can change depending on the type of industry you are in but generally speaking, you’ll want to be as honest as you can without going too much into details.  I want to know that the leave was legitimate and not some sort of criminal or psychological incarceration. I know, I know, even if it were, they may not be able to discriminate based on that (depending on the state) but hiring managers may publicly say they won’t discriminate based on that, they often times admit that they do in private.

Also, there may be some low grade discrimination along the grounds that you may have a more balanced view of work than others in your field (i.e. if you need time away from work, you take it).

Since that will likely be the case, regardless of industry, the best way to address it is to mention the leave (again, being honest but brief) and focusing much more on what you have done while on leave to enrich yourself in a way that a professional may see value (reading books, following industry news, continuing to hone skills, studying for a certification).  If the answer to what you have done to enrich yourself professionally is zip, zero, or nada, there is no real easy way out of this. Talking about how excited you are to re-enter the workforce may help but it may still be up to how you compare with the rest of the applicants that makes the difference.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Re-entering the workforce after absence”

  1. Marvin Walberg on August 21st, 2007 4:39 am

    Read “Getting Hired”…go to my blog for directions to access archives from Scripps Howard News Service.

  2. Carol Fishman Cohen on November 3rd, 2007 9:16 am

    Check Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin (Warner Books June 2007) for strategy and advice on resuming careers after a career break of any kind (for dads too!)

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