I am planning to go back to work after almost 15 years ( my 5 years work experience was in my home country in admin/HR)..At present i feel I'm a very "work part time" kind of person because I have 3 kids ( some have medical issues ) and I want to give time to them.
.I'm an observant kind of person & love researching things ,talking to people ...I prefer any desk job ( preferably at school to coincide with same vacation with my kids ) but don't know where to start ... Which courses will help me at this point ? ( I have high school and some college ed and 5 years exp in admin/hr but that was 15 years back ...sigh !!!
Please help me to decide ...thanks
Try a site like hiremymom.com. They are legit, but you still have to verify the companies and the jobs presented. A friend got a virtual assistant job from there, and I also got a long-term, PT gig. It is only for mom professionals.
I worked 20 hours a week as a classroom aide at my daughter's school for three years. It was the perfect PT "mom" job. I just went to the district website and applied when I saw an opening. Since they already knew me as a volunteer it was pretty easy to get hired.
I just had an interview with an insurance agent today looking for office help. The hours are 10-3 M-Th, off on Friday...yahoo! My son is in a charter school so I have to drop/pickup and half days every Friday so this really worked for me. I would think that any kind of office like this, insurance, medical, etc, may be flexible to have some extra help in the office. I'm not sure what courses would help you but I hope you find something that works for you. Good luck.
I would think that you could start with a computer class. Most desk jobs are computer-driven and if you are behind in computer skills, it makes a big difference in getting and keeping a job.
After you get your computer class done, try going with a temp agency. That way you can "try out" different companies, different jobs.
School district jobs, from admin to bus driving to paraprofessionals (often working with kids with an IEP or in the resource room) have the school schedule, and they can usually function if you have to take an occasional day with a dick kid. The school system will have a district-wide website. I highly recommend that you not be in the same school as your kids - too much conflict and you won't be seen by the other kids as a professional, but as "Susie's mom".
Almost everything you would do administratively in the schools or anywhere else require updated skills with Microsoft Office - Word, Excel, PowerPoint, email programs like Outlook, etc. So brush up on skills through a course at the community college or through your state's Employment Division (often they give free classes to get people off the unemployment rolls).
Temp work is a great option but offices are not going to be interested in your kids' sick days, snow days or school pageants. They can't ask you if you have kids - it's illegal. But if you volunteer info, they can use it for or against you. Get help with your resume even if it means hiring a resume consultant or a coach - I have a lot of friends who do this, and if you use a consultant, ask what their success rate is in getting you noticed. The average HR manager looks at a resume for 6 seconds! So while a good coach can't get you hired, they usually measure their "success rates" in terms of how many of their people get an interview. I have one college, for example, who has a 95% success rate. You can worth with people outside your area too - you aren't limited to a local person. I know a lot of people who conduct coaching sessions across the time zones.
You should also find ways to turn your volunteer work into employable job skills. Those are important - don't' apologize for your years raising kids, but DO capitalize on what marketable skills you developed or refined over the years.
If you've been out of the work force for 15 years, then you should definitely take some computer classes. I would suggest power point, and excel to start. Whenever I look at job ads for office jobs, these are the two most common ones employers are interested in. Look at the classifieds/job postings to see what employers are looking for in terms of computer skills and take those courses. Without some sort of up-to-date computer program knowledge, your chances at an office job are very slim.
Research the business schools in your area and see what they offer. If you don't want to go back to college and get a full degree then business school might be perfect for you. Our Vo-Tech also has some business classes too.
You might look at applying with an employment agency. They can open doors for you and a temp position can become long term or permanent.
If you're not already, become familiar/proficient with the current versions of common software used in business. Agencies and employers both are likely to quiz you on your knowledge if you're looking for an office position.
