Finding The Humour In Returning To Work

Article Written By: Sarah Maple

I had decided, before even becoming pregnant, that I would stop working until my child went to school. My partner and I looked at the figures, and decided the difference in income, whilst difficult, was manageable. And whilst there were months when we've struggled with the mortgage payments, it's been worthwhile.

However, September sees the start of full school days, and I feel ready and able to take gainful employment again. This has been a daunting prospect. After all, four years is a long time in the business world - computer skills easily become rusty and out-of-date, and it is very easy to lose touch with current trends.

Given I work in publishing, I have spent the last few months taking refresher courses in the programmes I used to use daily. Whilst the skills quickly returned, the courses were good. Not only are they beneficial to my C.V, they've saved me the panic of returning to an office thinking I can't remember what to do.

I've also been dealing with interviews, and thinking about my interview technique. I know I'm always going to be asked about my reliability andndash; what's to stop me taking another four years off if I decide to have another child - but I hope my integrity is obvious.

One of the ways I've been calming my nerves is remembering some of my past interview experiences. I've taken comfort from the fact that I'm not going to repeat some of these past mistakes. For example, I have a wardrobe of smart clothes now andndash; unlike the interview I went to whilst I was a student when my clothes came from charity shops. Being a student, I never ironed, and it was only when I got out this innovative kitchen appliance on the day of interview, that I realised these andldquo;smartandrdquo; items were covered in tiny holes and stains.

Another memorable experience, was applying for a job just after I'd left university which I was grossly under qualified for. By enhancing my C.V., I miraculously got an interview. However, instead of both revising what I'd put on this document, and researching the company, I had the arrogance to think I could still do well at interview. Not surprisingly, the result was one of the most excruciating half hours of my life.

More recently, at my last job change, I had an interview where my mobile phone rang just as I was describing my commitment to the company. I had been rushing around, and had simply forgotten to turn it off. Apologising profusely was not enough to correct this mistake, and I didn't get the job

However, another of the benefits of reliving some of these embarrassing past moments, has been to laugh at myself. In all the seriousness of job hunting, and the stresses of applications and interviews, it is important to keep a sense of humour. It's also made me realise that employers are human beings, and they want to see some of the personality of the person they're employing.

About the Author

Sarah Maple writing about jobs and how to find the humour in your past mistakes.

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