You may have recently had a baby or spent some time raising your child. You’ve decided you want to go back to work, but after some time out, finding a suitable job and being able to balance the parent/work lifestyle might feel daunting.
Here are some tips on going back to work after having a baby.
Create An Action Plan
Everything should start with a plan and everything works better if you have one. Making a plan to return to work after having a baby is no exception. Some things you can include in your plan are what type of job you’ll be seeking, how many hours of work per week would be ideal, who can care for your child while you’re at work and so on.
As you fill out your plan, not only will you have a clearer picture of what you want and what you have to do, you’ll also start to feel a lot more confident and positive about the prospect of returning to the workforce.
Look For a Job With Flexibility
No doubt one of your goals will be to create a good work/life balance. After all, you have a young child to nurture and spend quality time with. You won’t want all of your time consumed by work.
The solution would be to find a job that has some flexibility in the hours you work. Jobs that offer different shifts throughout the morning, afternoon and evening are ideal for this, as you can change your hours around if you need to by swapping shifts with someone else.
When you are job hunting, let potential employers know your situation, so if they do employ you they’ll already have a heads-up and be more understanding of your needs as a parent of a young child.
Handy Tips For Finding a Job
In today’s high-tech world with the internet and social media at our fingertips, it only makes sense to take advantage of this convenient technology for your job hunt.
For starters, you can put the word out on your social media channels, informing your network that you’re currently looking for a job with some flexibility. Even if you don’t yet know exactly what type of job you’re looking for, just put the word out and see what comes back to you.
Another thing you can accomplish online from the comfort of home is job searching. There are numerous Australian websites that list current positions vacant for all industries. Sites like Seek and CareerOne are just 2 examples. The great thing about the internet is these job sites are updated constantly, so you can search for new listings at any time of the day or night, whenever it fits in with your daily schedule.
An Overview Of the ParentsNext Program
The Parents Next program, often written joined together as ParentsNext, is a government initiative designed to assist parents in finding gainful employment. The program can be entered into voluntarily or may be a requirement to continue receiving a Centrelink Parenting Payment each fortnight.
ParentsNext can be accessed through your local Jobactive provider. Even if you’re required to join the program, it’s not designed to harass parents to find a job, but rather to give them the necessary assistance to help them find gainful employment.
Parents who have been out of work for some time can face difficulties in the search for a job. You may lack the resources you need, or be suffering from a lack of confidence. ParentsNext is designed to arm you with all the tools and help you need to find a job and keep it. Your support network will help you prepare for work-life and even line up job interviews for you for suitable positions.
To avoid becoming dependent on welfare, consider joining the ParentsNext program.
There are some eligibility criteria to participate in ParentsNext and it includes:
- Having at least one child below the age of 6
- You must be receiving the Parenting Payment
- You cannot have worked in the past 6 months
- You reside in a Targeted or Intensive Stream location
- You are not currently participating in another job assistance program
Many new parents may need assistance finding a job, so it’s good to know that there is professional help out there for you to take advantage of.