How to return to work after caring for a sick relative

How to return to work after caring for a sick relativeHow to return to work after caring for a sick relativeTackling a job search always feels overwhelming - especially when you have a large gap on your resume after becoming the full-time caretaker for a loved one who fell ill.Considering that 61% of caregivers have experienced some sort of change in their employment - be it decreasing their hours, receiving a performance warning, or even giving up working entirely - due to caring for a loved one, its understandable that youre afraid the career detour couldhinder your job hunt.Beyond that, youre left with a lot of lingering questions. Should you openly address why you were out of the workforce for that time? Or, is it better to wait to see if youre asked? Will employers think less of you because of that time off?Heres what you need to know about getting back in the game after taking that time off.1. Be honestIf theres one thing thats bound to poke holes in your confidence during y our job search, its that gap in your employment.Before you rush your resume out the door, consider whether you have something to help fill in that blank space on your resume, even if its notlage conventional paid work.This may be volunteer work that you did, as long as your volunteer work is related to the type of work that you want to do, explains Victoria A. LoCascio, President of Ace Your Interview. Or, perhaps you did some consulting work on the side while providing for your sick relative or friend.Still, many people who were consumed with caregiving and are now looking to rejoin the workforce may not have had any free time for side jobs.In those instances, its best to be up front and honest about why you stepped away from bro life - rather than waiting for an employer to ask you about it (or worse, make assumptions). Most people can relate and sympathize with needing to sacrifice personal goals in order to prioritize the needs of family (whether its a new child or an aging pare nt).When and where you choose to explain your employment gap is up to you. Some people choose to include it directly in their cover letter - for fear that they may not get an in-person chance to explain that gap - while others wait to see if they land an interview to divulge that information. Theres not one right way to go about it. Ultimately, its up to what makes you most comfortable.2. Extract value from your experienceYour time away from work was anything but a vacation - more often than not, it was stressful and incredibly trying. But, it was probably enlightening as well.When you go through a challenging experience, youre bound to learn a few valuable lessons. Highlighting those can make for an incredibly powerful career story and piece of your overall personal brand.Perhaps you were taught the importance of patience, dedication, and priorities (or all of the above). Or, maybe that experience revealed an entirely new career path you want to explore.Those are critical things that you may or may not have realized had you not taken that time off. So, dont forget to look at your employment gap with a more positive spin and pull out some of the valuable things you learned.You only need to share as much detail as you feel comfortable with. But, emphasizing those lessons is an effective way to show prospective employers that your time off was more than just a break from work - it was an important chapter in your entire story.3. Do your researchResearch is the foundation of any successful job search. And, this is especially true when youve been far removed from the working world for a longer amount of time.Before pulling together your resume, its time to brush up on whats been going on in your profession. Have there been any major industry shifts or updates? Is there something new required of people in your field - meaning you need to expand your skill set? Has the technology you used to use as part of the job changed?The world moves at a rapid pace. So, wh ether you were caring for your loved one for a couple of months or a couple of years, its worth taking the time to figure out exactly what you need to do to remain competitive in your chosen field.With that knowledge in your back pocket, you can knock the cobwebs off your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile and give them a much-needed refresh. Remember, including information thats seriously outdated or no longer relevant to your desired position is a surefire way to find your application in the hiring managers wastebasket.4. Put yourself back out thereOnce youre feeling a little more confident about what sort of value you bring to the table, its time to take a deep breath and start putting yourself out there once again.First, sign up for daily alerts on LinkedIn and Indeed for job titles in which you may be interested in applying, shares LoCascio, Apply to as many positions as you can during a two-week to three-week period when you start your job search.LoCascio explains that this sort of strategy will hopefully keep things moving at the same pace and thus supply you with more options- meaning you wont feel like you need to accept the very first job thats offered to you.Your network can be another powerful asset to you as you hit the ground running in your job search as well. Reach out to industry peers, past colleagues, friends, and really anybody else that you think might be able to help you in order to let them know that youre restarting your career.Considering that one study claims that 85% of all open jobs are filled via networking, it cant hurt to reach out to your web of contacts and enlist their help in your search for a new position.5. Dont apologizeThe fact that youre a little rusty in your profession is enough to inspire sweaty palms and some feelings of guilt or embarrassment, but cut yourself some slack.While offering some explanation for that gap in your employment is understandable (and oftentimes even encouraged), resist the urge to pro fusely apologize for it - its nothing to feel shameful about. Quite the contrary, in fact.Taking time off to care for a relative is okay for your career, and its admirable, concludes LoCascio, Show companies that you are ready to re-enter the workforce and give 110% to your job, and you will be able to land a new role.

The future of work is medically enhanced elite super-workers

The future of work is medically enhanced elite super-workersThe future of work is medically enhanced elite super-workersIn the future, we will be competing against medically-enhanced workers who can work longer and harder than us. Artificial intelligence will make it easier to monitor our every move in the office. This may sound like science fiction, but its a likely reality, according to a new report by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.The report, which drew upon a team of science researchers and a survey of more than 10,000 workers based in China, Germany, India, the U.K., and the U.S., predicts that rapid advances in technology, resource scarcity, and population demographics are among the key forces that would radically shape the future of work by 2030.According to PwC, ansicht forces will result in four potential futures one where humans come first, one where innovation rules, one where companies care, and one where corporate is king.Report new breed of elite sup er-workers will emerge in 2030In the future world where corporations reign, PwC states thathuman effort is maximised through sophisticated use of physical and medical enhancement techniques and equipment, and workers performance and wellbeing are measured, monitored and analysed at every step. A new breed of elite super-workers emerges.This is a world where performance is everything, and workers will need to create every advantage to stay ahead. This may sound like a stressful objective, but the majority of people surveyed welcomed the challenge.Seventy percent of the workers surveyed said that they would undergo treatments to improve their body and mind if it would improve their chances of employment. This could be because we believe its up to us to improve our careers - even if that means pill-popping performance-enhancing drugs. Of those surveyed, 74% said it was their individual responsibility to update their skills rather than relying on any employer.To visualize this cognitiv e-enhanced future, PwC created a mock news article reporting from 2030 that detailed the first large-scale use of brain-enhancing drugs in the workplace.But you dont need a fake news report to binnensee this future real news reports about augmented bodies in the office have existed for some time. Companies in the U.S. and Europe are already offering microchip implants to workers, so they can enter company buildings and get their chips from the vending machine with the wave of a hand.PwC predicts that the idea of a cyborg workforce will go from science fiction novelty to mainstream in the next few decades.So implants at work are already possible and happening and people will use it socially to pay for things and to get on to buses and public transport. Why would they not 10 years later go, sure, put one in my brain to make me think harder or for longer?Jon Williams, PwCs people and organizations division leader told The Australian about its survey. Its just natural progression.

Crush Fear in the New Year - Be Your Own Boss

Crush Fear in the New Year - Be Yur Own BossCrush Fear in the New Year - Be Your Own BossIts time again to ring in a new year by celebrating with family and family, reflecting on the prior year.Our career is often a critical focus area deserving of our attention.Maybe this is the year to ask yourself some thought-provoking questionsIs my job invigorating or is it sapping my energy?Do I create my own schedule and have the flexibility to attend important events with my kids and spouse? Or does someone control my destiny?If I stay where I am today, will I be able to build enough wealth to retire comfortably and be financially secure through retirement?If youre unable to answer yes to the above questions, it may be time to consider becoming your own boss.However, sometimes when we think of change, the word fear gets in the way of achieving our life goals.Could fear be standing in your way?According to dictionary.com, fear is defined as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger,ev il, pain, etc. whether the threat is real or imagined.When considering business ownership, its common to feel fearFear of failureFear of successFear of changeFear of the unknownAnd the list goes onFear has often been referred to as theacronymF.E.A.R., which stands for ...False Evidence Appearing RealSo, if we are not in impending physical danger or pain, then we are creating an illusion of fear in our heads, preventing us from pursuing our dreams.(Read theBest Tips For A Mid-Career Change.)How do we manage fear?Its important to let go of our past failures, so they dont define our future.In fact, many people believe that a part needs to fail several times before experiencing success.We can take a lesson from Michael Jordan, one of the greatest NBA basketball players of all times who saidIve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.? Michael JordanWe as humans can control our thoughts.How?By becoming more aware of how we process our experiences.Its a me thod that will require awareness, positive self-talk, razor-sharp focus, and consistent practice.Be aware that one failure doesnt automatically mean another failure will follow on its heels.Practice positive self-talk that builds confidence in your abilities to improve upon every experience.Stay focused on your goals regardless of disappointments or setbacks.If you succumb to discouragement or negativity, just try again to maintain a more positive mindset next time.By concentrating on these new behaviors, we can overcome our fears, step out of our comfort zone, and live our best life