How to get back to work after a career break | Carol Fishman Cohen

譯者: Daphne Chou 審譯者: 易帆 余

People returning to work after a career break:

離開職場一段時間後 再重返職場的人

I call them relaunchers.

我稱他們為： 「重新出發者」。

These are people who have taken career breaks for elder care,

這些人因為一些原因 必須長期離職，

for childcare reasons,

例如，照顧長輩、照顧小孩、

pursuing a personal interest

追求個人興趣

or a personal health issue.

或個人健康因素。

Closely related are career transitioners of all kinds:

還有各式各樣類似 相關的轉職者：

veterans, military spouses,

老兵、軍人配偶、

retirees coming out of retirement

退休返聘的人、

or repatriating expats.

或遣送回國人士。

Returning to work after a career break is hard

離開職場後，再回來工作 會相當困難，

because of a disconnect between the employers

因為再出發者與雇主之間，

and the relaunchers.

會有一種無法銜接的感覺。

Employers can view hiring people with a gap on their resume

雇主在應徵者的履歷表上 看到一段空窗期，

as a high-risk proposition,

會認為他們是高風險的族群，

and individuals on career break can have doubts about their abilities

而且一個人離開職場太久，

可能會對自己重返職場的 工作能力產生懷疑，

to relaunch their careers,

especially if they've been out for a long time.

特別是，如果他們已經 離開職場好一段時間。

This disconnect is a problem that I'm trying to help solve.

這種無法銜接的問題就是 我正在嘗試幫忙解決的事情。

Now, successful relaunchers are everywhere and in every field.

如今，我們在各行各業 都能見到成功的再從業者。

This is Sami Kafala.

這是薩米．科法拉，

He's a nuclear physicist in the UK

他是一位英國的 核子物理學家，

who took a five-year career break to be home with his five children.

因為要在家照顧五個孩子， 他離職了五年。

The Singapore press recently wrote about nurses returning to work

新加坡媒體最近在報導

一位護士離職後 重返職場的故事。

after long career breaks.

And speaking of long career breaks,

提到長時間離職，

this is Mimi Kahn.

這位米米．卡恩女士，

She's a social worker in Orange County, California,

她是一位加州橘郡 的一位社工，

who returned to work in a social services organization

在離職25年後，

after a 25-year career break.

她現在已經回到 社會服務機構工作。

That's the longest career break that I'm aware of.

這是我所知道的 最長離職時間。

Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor

最高法院法官 桑德拉．戴．奧康納，

took a five-year career break early in her career.

從她的前一個 工作離職了五年，

And this is Tracy Shapiro, who took a 13-year career break.

這是崔西．莎碧羅， 她離職了13年。

Tracy answered a call for essays by the Today Show

崔西在 Today Show 的節目中， （一個談話性節目）

from people who were trying to return to work

回答了一個重新找工作，

but having a difficult time of it.

卻困難重重的問題。

Tracy wrote in that she was a mom of five who loved her time at home,

崔西寫信說，她是五個孩子的媽， 也很享受居家的時間，

but she had gone through a divorce and needed to return to work,

但她剛經歷一場離婚 必需回去工作賺錢，

plus she really wanted to bring work back into her life

加上她真的很想把工作 帶回她的生命中，

because she loved working.

因為她熱愛工作。

Tracy was doing what so many of us do

崔西當時也做了我們 大多數人曾經做過的事，

when we feel like we've put in a good day in the job search.

每天不停的 搜尋合適的工作。

She was looking for a finance or accounting role,

她在尋找一個財經 或會計領域的職位，

and she had just spent the last nine months

她在那之前已經 花掉了九個月時間，

very diligently researching companies online

很努力地調查 網路上的公司，

and applying for jobs with no results.

然後遞履歷， 但都沒效果。

I met Tracy in June of 2011,

我在2011年6月遇上崔西，

when the Today Show asked me if I could work with her

當時Today Show 節目 問我可否與她合作，

to see if I could help her turn things around.

看看我是否可以 幫她扭轉局勢。

The first thing I told Tracy was she had to get out of the house.

我告訴崔西的第一件事， 就是她必須走出家門。

I told her she had to go public with her job search

我告訴她，她必須 公開自己求職的想法，

and tell everyone she knew about her interest in returning to work.

然後告訴她認識的所有人， 說自己很有興趣再重回職場。

I also told her, "You are going to have a lot of conversations

我也告訴她， 「你將會有很多的對話

對你是完全沒有幫助的。

that don't go anywhere.

Expect that, and don't be discouraged by it.

你要做好心理準備， 別因此而灰心喪志。

There will be a handful

找到工作機會之前， 會有很多棘手的事。」

that ultimately lead to a job opportunity."

I'll tell you what happened with Tracy in a little bit,

我稍後再跟各位說明 崔西後來發生的事。

but I want to share with you a discovery that I made

但我想先跟各位分享，

when I was returning to work

在我離開全職工作後的11年， 當我再回去工作後的一個發現。

after my own career break of 11 years out of the full-time workforce.

And that is, that people's view of you is frozen in time.

就是，人們對你的印象 是停留在以前的狀況。

What I mean by this is, when you start to get in touch with people

我的意思是， 當你再次開始與人打交道，

and you get back in touch with those people from the past,

並與過去這些人連絡上後，

the people with whom you worked or went to school,

像是，在你離職前的 工作夥伴、上學的同學

they are going to remember you as you were

他們對你的印象

before your career break.

就是停留在 你離職前的狀況。

And that's even if your sense of self has diminished over time,

就算你的自信心 隨著時間已經消失了，

as happens with so many of us

我們很多人都會有 一樣的狀況，

the farther removed we are from our professional identities.

時間越久遠，我們對我們的 專業認同會越沒信心。

So for example, you might think of yourself

舉例，你可能會認為你自己

as someone who looks like this.

像是這樣的一個人。

This is me, crazy after a day of driving around in my minivan.

這就是我，開了一天小麵包車， 整個人感覺很瘋狂。

Or here I am in the kitchen.

或者，這是我在廚房裡的樣子。

But those people from the past,

但這些過去的朋友，

they don't know about any of this.

他們對這些一無所知。

They only remember you as you were,

他們只記得你以前的樣子，

and it's a great confidence boost to be back in touch with these people

當你重新與這些人接觸後， 就會大大地增加了自信心，

and hear their enthusiasm about your interest in returning to work.

而且他們對你有再從業的興趣 感到非常的開心。

There's one more thing I remember vividly from my own career break.

從我離職後， 有一件事，我印象很深刻。

And that was that I hardly kept up with the business news.

我當時幾乎跟不上 財經新聞的腳步。

My background is in finance,

我的背景雖然是財經，

and I hardly kept up with any news

但當我在家裡 照顧四個孩子時，

when I was home caring for my four young children.

我卻幾乎 跟不上任何新聞。

So I was afraid I'd go into an interview

所以我很害怕， 自己去參加面試的時候，

and start talking about a company that didn't exist anymore.

會講到一個 已經不存在的公司。

So I had to resubscribe to the Wall Street Journal

所以，我必須重新 訂閱華爾街日報，

and read it for a good six months cover to cover before I felt

然後每一本從頭到尾好好地 連續看了六個月，

like I had a handle on what was going on in the business world again.

之後我才覺得自己 對財經又有點解了。

I believe relaunchers are a gem of the workforce,

我相信重新出發者 是職場上的一顆鑽石。

and here's why.

原因如下。

Think about our life stage:

想一下我們的人生階段：

for those of us who took career breaks for childcare reasons,

我們這些因為要照顧 小孩子而離職的人，

we have fewer or no maternity leaves.

大都沒有產假， 或是產假很短。

We did that already.

我們也是這樣度過了。

We have fewer spousal or partner job relocations.

我們也經歷過一些 配偶或夥伴的調職。

We're in a more settled time of life.

我們在生命中 已經處理安置過很多事。

We have great work experience.

我們有很好的工作經驗。

We have a more mature perspective.

我們有更成熟的眼光。

We're not trying to find ourselves at an employer's expense.

我們不用再花雇主的成本 來嘗試尋找自我的定位。

Plus we have an energy, an enthusiasm about returning to work

加上因為我們 已經離開一陣子，

precisely because we've been away from it for a while.

我們對重返職場 充滿著一股熱情的能量。

On the flip side, I speak with employers,

另一方面， 我跟雇主談話時，

and here are two concerns that employers have

雇主對聘雇重新出發者

about hiring relaunchers.

有兩個主要考量點。

The first one is, employers are worried that relaunchers

第一，雇主擔心重新出發者，

are technologically obsolete.

有技術上的銜接問題。

Now, I can tell you,

現在，我可以告訴你，

having been technologically obsolete myself at one point,

因為這方面 我已經經歷過了，

that it's a temporary condition.

這只是暫時性的。

I had done my financial analysis so long ago that I used Lotus 1-2-3.

很久以前我做財務分析時 用的是Lotus 1-2-3。

I don't know if anyone can even remember back that far,

我不知道還有沒有人記得 這個很久以前的軟體。

but I had to relearn it on Excel.

所以，我必須重新學習Excel，

It actually wasn't that hard. A lot of the commands are the same.

它實際上沒這麼難， 因為很多指令都是相同的。

I found PowerPoint much more challenging,

我發現Power Point 比較有挑戰性，

but now I use PowerPoint all the time.

但現在我對PowerPoint 駕輕就熟。

I tell relaunchers that employers expect them to come to the table

我告訴重新出發者， 雇主希望他們

with a working knowledge of basic office management software.

要有基本的辦公室管理軟體的知識， 好應付每天的工作。

And if they're not up to speed,

如果他們沒有趕上速度，

then it's their responsibility to get there.

那他們有責任要趕上。

And they do.

而他們做到了，

The second area of concern that employers have about relaunchers

第二個雇主 對重新出發者的考量點是：

is they're worried that relaunchers don't know what they want to do.

雇主擔心他們 不知道他們想做甚麼。

I tell relaunchers that they need to do the hard work

我告訴重新出發者 他們必須仔細研究，

to figure out whether their interests and skills have changed

了解自己的興趣與能力 在離職長假的過程中

or have not changed

是否發生了變化。

while they have been on career break.

That's not the employer's job.

這不是雇主的職責。

It's the relauncher's responsibility to demonstrate to the employer

這個是重新出發者的責任， 把自己展現給雇主，

where they can add the most value.

來證明自己 可以創造的價值。

Back in 2010 I started noticing something.

回到2010年， 我開始注意到一些事。

I had been tracking return to work programs since 2008,

我從2008年就開始追蹤 重回職場工作的方案。

and in 2010, I started noticing

在2010年，我開始注意到，

the use of a short-term paid work opportunity,

一種短期、帶薪的 工作機會開始出現，

whether it was called an internship or not,

不論它是不是名叫「實習」。

but an internship-like experience,

但總之有一個 很像實習的經歷，

as a way for professionals to return to work.

對專業人士而言， 是重返職場的方式。

I saw Goldman Sachs and Sara Lee

我看到高盛和莎莉集團，

start corporate reentry internship programs.

已經開始找人合作 二次從業的實習項目。

I saw a returning engineer, a nontraditional reentry candidate,

我看到一個重返職場的工程師 算是不太傳統的再從業人士，

apply for an entry-level internship program in the military,

申請了一個軍中初級的 實習工作項目。

and then get a permanent job afterward.

之後也得到了 一個正式的工作。

I saw two universities integrate internships

我看到兩所大學，把實習工作與 在職管理教育課程合併在一起

into mid-career executive education programs.

So I wrote a report about what I was seeing,

所以，我把我看到的 寫成了一篇報告。

and it became this article for Harvard Business Review

它後來被刊登在 哈佛商業評論中。

called "The 40-Year-Old Intern."

名稱叫「40歲的實習生」。

I have to thank the editors there for that title,

我必須感謝主編 幫我取的文章標題。

and also for this artwork

還有這張美工圖，

where you can see the 40-year-old intern in the midst of all the college interns.

你可以看到那個40歲的實習生 站在全部是大學實習生的中間。

And then, courtesy of Fox Business News,

然後，還要感謝福斯 商業新聞的好意，

they called the concept "The 50-Year-Old Intern."

他們取名新聞內容是 「50歲的實習生」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So five of the biggest financial services companies

所以，5個最大的財經服務公司，

have reentry internship programs for returning finance professionals.

已經有提供重返實習生計畫 給準備重回職場的財經專業人士。

And at this point, hundreds of people have participated.

截至目前，已經有數百人參加了。

These internships are paid,

這些實習工作是有支薪的，

and the people who move on to permanent roles

而當他們 轉正式員工後，

are commanding competitive salaries.

老闆給的薪資都還不錯。

And now, seven of the biggest engineering companies

現在，七家最大的工程公司，

are piloting reentry internship programs for returning engineers

也開始導入重返實習的項目， 提供給重回職場的工程師。

as part of an initiative with the Society of Women Engineers.

這也是女性工程師協會 新方案的一部分。

Now, why are companies embracing the reentry internship?

現在，為什麼公司會開始 大力支持重返職場的實習項目呢？

Because the internship allows the employer

因為這種實習可以讓雇主

to base their hiring decision on an actual work sample

以實習生實際工作的成效 做出聘僱決策，

instead of a series of interviews,

而非一系列的面試。

and the employer does not have to make that permanent hiring decision

而且雇主也不用在實習期間

until the internship period is over.

做出雇用正式員工的決策。

This testing out period removes the perceived risk

這種測試期，可以移除

that some managers attach to hiring relaunchers,

少數經理人對重新出發者 的認知風險，

and they are attracting excellent candidates

而且他們還可以吸引到

who are turning into great hires.

準備重回職場 的優秀人士。

Think about how far we have come.

各位，想一想我們 已經走多遠了。

Before this, most employers were not interested

在這之前，多數的雇主 完全對重新出發者沒興趣。

in engaging with relaunchers at all.

But now, not only are programs being developed

但現在，不僅那些 特別為重新出發者

specifically with relaunchers in mind,

發展出來的專案大受歡迎。

but you can't even apply for these programs

如果你簡歷上沒有一段空檔期，

unless you have a gap on your résumé.

你還不能申請這些項目呢！

This is the mark of real change,

這是改變的指標，

of true institutional shift,

一種制度上實質的變革，

because if we can solve this problem for relaunchers,

因為如果我們可以解決 重新出發者的問題，

we can solve it for other career transitioners too.

我們也可以為其他的職業轉型者 解決同樣的問題。

In fact, an employer just told me

事實上，有一位雇主 剛剛告訴我，

that their veterans return to work program

他們的「退伍軍人再從業項目」

is based on their reentry internship program.

就是參考他們自己的 重返實習項目的。

And there's no reason why there can't be a retiree internship program.

我們再也沒有理由， 沒有退休實習的聘僱計畫。

Different pool, same concept.

不同的對象，相同的概念。

So let me tell you what happened with Tracy Shapiro.

所以，讓我告訴各位 後來崔西．莎碧羅怎麼了。

Remember that she had to tell everyone she knew

還記得她必須 告訴每個她認識的人

about her interest in returning to work.

有關於她有興趣 重返職場的事嗎？

Well, one critical conversation with another parent in her community

是的，她與社區裡的長輩 進行的一次關鍵談話中，

led to a job offer for Tracy,

為崔西帶來了 一個工作機會。

and it was an accounting job in a finance department.

那是一個在 財務部門的會計工作。

But it was a temp job.

但那是暫時性的工作。

The company told her there was a possibility

公司告訴她，

it could turn into something more, but no guarantees.

有機會可以轉成某個 正式的職位，但不保證。

This was in the fall of 2011.

當時是2011年的秋天。

Tracy loved this company, and she loved the people

崔西很愛這家公司 也很愛她的同事，

and the office was less than 10 minutes from her house.

而且公司離她家 距離不到10分鐘。

So even though she had a second job offer

所以即使她在另一家公司 有一個資深工作的機會，

at another company for a permanent full-time role,

可以給她一個 永久、全職的保證。

she decided to take her chances with this internship

她還是決定要接受 這個實習工作的機會。

and hope for the best.

並期望可以達到最佳狀態。

Well, she ended up blowing away all of their expectations,

最後，她跌破大家的眼鏡，

and the company not only made her a permanent offer

那一家公司在2012年初，

at the beginning of 2012,

不僅給她一個正式員工的職位，

but they made it even more interesting and challenging,

甚至讓她的工作變的 更有趣、更具挑戰性，

because they knew what Tracy could handle.

因為他們知道 崔西可以辦得到。

Fast forward to 2015,

時間快進到2015年，

Tracy's been promoted.

崔西被晉升了。

They've paid for her to get her MBA at night.

公司付費讓她 晚上去上MBA課程。

She's even hired another relauncher to work for her.

她甚至雇用了另一個 重新出發者替她工作。

Tracy's temp job was a tryout,

崔西的短期工作 只是一個嘗試。

just like an internship,

雖然像是一個實習生，

and it ended up being a win for both Tracy and her employer.

但最後證明，那份短期工作是 她和雇主雙贏的開始。

Now, my goal is to bring the reentry internship concept

我的目標是將這種 再從業實習的概念，

to more and more employers.

推薦給更多更多的雇主。

But in the meantime,

但是與此同時，

if you are returning to work after a career break,

如果你離職一段時間後 想重返職場，

don't hesitate to suggest an internship or an internship-like arrangement

別猶豫向雇主提議設立實習項目， 或者類似實習項目的安排，

to an employer that does not have a formal reentry internship program.

特別是那些沒有正式的 再從業實習項目的公司。

Be their first success story,

當他們的第一個成功故事，

and you can be the example for more relaunchers to come.

而你會成為更多重新出發者 再度重返職場的楷模。

Thank you.

謝謝各位！

(Applause)

（掌聲）