Rejoining the workforce....1

It's been a few months since we moved here.

The 'dust' appears to have finally settled and everyone seems to have some sort of routine in place.

Even I, have some sort of structure to my day. Between the school run, gym, errands, blogging and keeping up to date with current industry trends, my days are generally fairly busy.

I've perfected the school run and even the car pool line is no longer intimidating. I know where most of the bargains are in my city and best of all, I can now clean up a messy house (and prepare a decent meal) in record time!

But deep down, I yearn for something else. Something extra. I yearn for more.

It certainly feels like the time is right to pick up my career, from where I left off, and prepare for my re-entry into the work-force. (Before we moved to this location, I had a full-time job. Yes, it had its stressful moments, but I truly LOVED it!)

In today's current economic climate, I realize that finding a job is likely to be an uphill task, but one that is achievable, nonetheless.

Before commencing anything, there are a few preliminary steps that I need to ponder over.

• what exactly am I skilled to do?
• does it still make me happy?
• am I up to date with the skills I need to function in that role?
• am I legally authorized to work in this location?
• what are my strengths?
• is there anything else I could do??

Once this in-depth soul-searching exercise is complete, the next step will be assessing the options available to me, within my chosen field, to see what is feasible and what is not.

Options like contracting, consulting, employee, self-employment, volunteering will come into full play. I will also start thinking of how to create and maintain a work-life balance, to ensure that my transition back into the workforce is not detrimental to our family life.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...This should definitely be an interesting exercise and who knows, you might even find it useful, as well.

Do feel free to contribute if you have suggestions from your personal experiences, within your specific location.