reacHIRE

One resource that all of us connected to this blog have used is a company called reacHIRE. They help women who have taken a break get back to the paid workforce.
In our blog post, Looking Beyond Ourselves, I wrote about the importance of networking and  gave some suggestions on how to make those networking connections. But what do you do if you really don't have a network that you can rely on?

reacHIRE is a great resource to help you in your job search efforts. They partner with companies to create "returnships." These are six month contract to hire positions at a company. These companies that partner with reacHIRE understand that the candidate has taken a break and is looking to return to work. It's great because as an interviewee, you don't need to explain your break. These companies get it and in fact they value the experience you bring.

reacHIRE is not a staffing consulting firm. It's goal is to place women into full time employment positions. It was founded by Addie Swartz who recognized the challenges returning women were facing in the marketplace. reacHIRE provides workshops and training to women returners that enter their program.

Several of us from We've Got This attended their "powerUp" training event. This event was such an inspiring and uplifting experience. You are with other women who are trying to return to the workforce. The two day workshop was filled with topics and exercises to help you understand the things you need to do to get back in the game. The marketplace has changed a lot while we have been away from the corporate world. The workshop helps you understand how it has changed. It also gives you advice such as how to manage your job search/home life balance.  

The practical advice the workshop provided on things such as social media, interviewing, and resumes was great but there was so much more value to this training than just those tips. We listened to each other's stories, shared our fears, shared ideas, and encouraged each other. Listening to the responses the other women gave to interview questions was both eye-opening and informative. I realized, boy do I have a lot of work to do on my interview prep. But, I also found new ways and ideas to answer some of the typical interview questions.

Being around other women who were in the exact same place in life as you is reassuring. You realize you are truly not alone in this quest. In fact, it was the inspiration we found at this training that brought those of us at We've Got This together and it was one of the factors that led to the creation of this blog! Of course you can do of all this on your own, but we can tell you it's more fun and often more successful to work with other women to re-enter the workforce.

Disclaimer:  This blog, and any of the women associated with this blog, is not receiving any compensation, monetary or non-monetary, from reacHIRE for this post. We really liked our experiences with this company and wanted to share them.