Your child is becoming increasingly independent, after-school care is well organized and you are thinking about returning to work? Wouldn't it be nice to supplement your income and take on new professional challenges? On the other hand, you may also have doubts about whether the double burden will work. Or you may have doubts about how to get back on track professionally after your extended family-related break. What will definitely help is a good plan and optimal preparation. With a positive attitude and targeted support services, your return to work will definitely work!
Motivated specialists are urgently needed on the job market in many sectors. After all, you have proven to be extremely resilient during the family phase. After all, it takes organizational talent, flexibility and a willingness to work around the clock to cope with "normal" everyday family life. With these skills, you can go into a job interview with confidence. Good employers appreciate commitment and motivation. And as far as specialist know-how is concerned: even if a lot has changed in the meantime, with a little willingness to learn, specialist knowledge can be quickly refreshed and missing skills can be newly acquired. Perhaps your future employer will provide appropriate offers for re-entry. In many cases, you will also find support from the local authorities, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Employment Agency.
These four steps will help you prepare for your return to work:
These questions will help:
These questions will help:
Check your skills:
Are you ready for the next step? Then it's time to start your job search and application:
The job market has changed in the course of digitalization. You will find fewer vacancies in daily newspapers, but increasingly on the internet. You should preferably use the usual job portals for orientation.
The following are examples of portals for individual specialist areas:
The Federal Employment Agency provides extensive digital tools and information. If you would like to get an initial overview of which qualifications are in demand on the job market and which professional development courses can increase your chances of returning to work, you are welcome to use the following exploration tools:
The Internet portal www.perspektiven-schaffen.de of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs is aimed directly at women with extensive career information. You can use the interactive advice center map to search for employment agencies, equal opportunities offices and other advice centers.
Are you thinking about starting your own business?
Women interested in starting their own business will find information and services specifically tailored to them on http://www.existenzgruenderinnen.de/ on the path to self-employment.
You will certainly be asking yourself how you will benefit financially from returning to work. The re-entry calculator will help you answer this question. With the online tool, you can quickly and easily calculate what income you can expect in your desired profession.
The calculator also shows you what impact your salary will have on your pension. This gives you a good estimate of your pension provision. The accompanying flyer "Re-entry calculator - Check your financial prospects" from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs provides further inspiration and tips.
The state of NRW promotes joint activities to improve the process of returning to work. You can find out about support services from the following local and regional networks:
If you have any questions about returning to work, it is best to contact your local employment agency or job center directly. You can use the contact form to arrange a consultation appointment -, in person, by phone or by video.
You can get advice on training and further education opportunities for people returning to work, career orientation courses and the assumption of costs.An interactive map of advice centers, where you can search for employment agencies or job centers, start-up advice and other advice centers, can be found on the portal www.perspektiven-schaffen.de
Unions and professional associations also offer advice on the topic of returning to work. This can cover other topics, such as what financial support you are entitled to, what a qualification might look like, which flexible working time model is right for you or how you can combine family management and your career. Together, you can check whether self-employment could be the right path for you.
