Dear friends,

Most of us face this situation whether we like it or not. If you are in the same boat, don’t feel defeated. You can always get back to work no matter what was the reason for your break. Also you need not feel guilty for taking the break, whether it was to take care of your kids, or you were on H4 visa in USA, or ill health, or had to take care of your parents, all is for good reason. So do not worry about it.

Now getting back to work can look challenging. You might feel the world has changed so much in past few years. But here is also a good news, world has changed for good when it comes to people who have long career breaks. After covid, not many people are really keen on knowing where you worked, how much salary you got, they want to to know what do you know now, what can you bring to table. Most works are online these days so they do not worry much about your age, location and other demographic details. You can also find flexible hours.

This will be my suggestions for you to get back to work

• Make a note of your skills and intersts.
• Check if you can find any volunteering opportunities in that field. Volunteering experience adds to your resume and you get used to working in organizations with different people. It will be easier to get volunteering opportunities than finding a job. Sometimes the organisation where you volunteer can offer you a job.
• upskill yourself using various free courses available these days. some of them are
  • Coursera: Coursera offers free courses from top universities and institutions around the world. They cover a wide range of subjects, including business, computer science, data science, and more.
  • edX: edX is another popular platform that offers free online courses from top universities and institutions. They offer a wide range of courses in fields such as engineering, computer science, and humanities.
  • Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that provides free online courses in math, science, and other subjects. Their courses are designed for students of all ages and levels.
  • Codecademy: Codecademy is a platform that offers free coding courses in various programming languages, including Python, Java, and HTML/CSS.
  • Udemy: Udemy offers both paid and free courses in a wide range of subjects, including business, technology, and creative arts. Their free courses are usually shorter and cover more basic concepts.
  • Google Digital Garage: Google Digital Garage offers free courses in digital marketing, data analytics, and other digital skills. The courses are designed to help individuals and businesses improve their online presence.
• Linkedin – Create a profile in Linkedin or make use of the Linkedin profile you already have. Search for job, see which contact can refer you to that job.
  • Build your network by adding people whom you already know.
  • sign up for free trial of linkedin Premium and complete relevant courses in linkedin learning. showcase those courses in your profile.
  • Be active in Linkedin by writing posts, or liking and sharing posts from your area of interest.
  • search for remote work, volunteering and other jobs of your interest.
  • contact small companies directly by going to their website and sending your cv.
• Improve you resume with key words and key achievements highlighted. Send them to as many places as possible.
• Attend workshops and Webinars as much as possible in in the field of your interest. You can find them online by searching in google, watching relevant videos in youtube, in places like meetup.com etc.
• If you are living in USA – actively look for postings in relevant groups in Network of Indians in America.

Hope this helps, feel free to put your comments and questions.