Back on the Career Track, pt. 2

back on the career track, irelaunch, career reentry, restart careerCarol Fishman Cohen, co-founder of iRelaunch, returns today with some concise words of advice for anyone looking to reignite a career or maybe change direction. She gives us some great personal stories that we hope will provide inspiration and direction.

If you want to hear more, click here for Part 1 of our interview with Carol.

5 ways to relaunch a career:

1.    The Volunteer Relaunch

  • After a 15 year career break, Jenny Brody founded the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project to provide pro bono representation to low-income clients in family law cases.  The non-profit has now secured funding and has 450 lawyers involved.
  • Another lawyer, Deborah Felton, spent most of her 15 year career break as a community activist, including increasingly senior volunteer roles at a senior housing community. When the housing community was looking for a new (paid) Executive Director, Deborah was their first choice.

2.    The Back to School Relaunch  The benefits of going back to school only begin with what you are learning in the classroom.  You have access to career services, exclusive job listings and internships, and networking opportunities with professors and fellow students.

  • Belinda Nanda, an IT consultant who had taken a 10-year career break, took IT courses at a local community college to update her skills.  She applied for an internship posted at the community college to work at an electronic medical records management company.  Instead of being offered the unpaid internship, she was offered a permanent position.
  • Cindy Rawlings completed a Certified Financial Planning Certificate at Northwestern University at the end of her 20 year career break and subsequently returned to work at North Shore Community Bank as part of their commercial banking group. She has worked in increasingly senior positions in the 6 years she has been back at work.
  • Debbie Krasnow, a former public relations executive, went back to school for a degree in social work at the end of her 15 year career break. She is now a social worker working with at-risk women and their families at a non-profit.

3.    The Internship Relaunch 

  • Erika Grinius transitioned from a career as a social worker to a career in business. She was in the part time MBA program at University of Chicago Booth School of Business when she saw a listing for an internship at Whitney Automotive Group, the largest online retailer of auto parts in the country.  The internship turned into a permanent position, and Erika got a promotion upon receiving her MBA degree.  She subsequently transitioned to a position as Director Target Marketing, E-commerce, for Walgreens.

4.    The Career Reentry Program Relaunch. 

  • Dr. Margaret Rayman relaunched her career via the Daphne Jackson Fellowship program in the U.K., which enables professionals in scientific and technical fields to relaunch careers after career breaks.  Following a 15 year career break, Dr. Rayman returned to academia and is now a tenured professor at the University of Surrey.

5.    The Entrepreneurial Relaunch. 

  • Kris Hintz founded Position U4 College after a 15 year career break. A former consumer marketing executive, she completed a part time Masters Degree program in Psychology and also focused on personal coaching and counseling.  “My relaunch has been tremendously gratifying thus far. I am happy to share my experience with other empty-nesting parents who want to leverage their experience and talents in a new entrepreneurial career!”
  • Ann Levin was a former advertising executive who took a 20 year career break to care for her children, and ultimately, her mother, who had suffered a debilitating stroke. Her experience caring for her mother and orchestrating the downsizing of her home and relocation to an assisted living facility was the genesis of her business idea. Now her company Senior Move Partners does this work for other seniors and their families.

Click here to order Back on the Career Track: A Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms Who Want to Return to Work.

 

About Grown and Flown

Mary Dell Harrington and Lisa (Endlich) Heffernan are the co-founders of Grown and Flown the #1 site for parents of teens, college students and young adults, reaching millions of parents every month. They are writers (Lisa is a New York Times bestselling author), moms, wives and friends. They started the Grown and Flown Parents Facebook Group and are co-authors of Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults (Flatiron Books) now in paperback.

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