Been a SAHM for too long - getting back to work - online courses?

[SpireMum]

Hey all, I’ve been a SAHM for over 14 years now and I want to go back to work in some capacity. However I am so out of the loop and so out of practise. I’ve been for a couple of interviews and subsequently I’ve not got the job and I feel very demoralised and not wanted.

Because I’ve been out of the rat race for years I feel as though I can’t articulate myself as well as I’d like at interview stage and because I’ve got such a huge gap in my employment history, not so much to offer a prospective employer.

Does anyone know if there any online courses I can do that will help build up my confidence - ideally I’d like to work in an admin based role, so I could brush up on say MS Office skills, or do a finance based course so I could do something small in accounts admin etc. Prior to becoming a SAHM I worked in London for years as a PA.

Thank you in advance x

Why don’t you look into volunteering?

Maybe look for an admin based online course so that potential employers can see that your skills are up to date and you've got the qualification to prove it. I'm dreading this myself as I've been out of work a long time too and I'm looking at data entry WFH roles

There are government funded online training qualifications you can do in shortage areas such as sustainability and project management. They are delivered through the skills network and are a good way to ease back in.

i went baCK to work after many years as a sahm and I got a job doing care, which has turned into mental health support, and ive been surprised by how much i love it. Its the most rewarding job ive ever had. If you get a supportive company and dont let them overwork you, its a really lovely job and they gave me all the training i need and are always offering more. I think its a good shout if someone needs confidence to get back into work even if its not the industry they want to stay in.

There’s a European Computer driving license which is good. It’s highly thought of and will show you are both up to date and motivated.

Most authorities have an adult community learning service where you might get it for free. And I think Reed.co.uk might have some of it online for free.

But I also think you should get out and do some volunteering. You can’t really build up confidence at home, and it would also give you a recent reference, there will be a volunteer centre near you and they will likely have admin roles if that’s what you’d like to do. It will be tough to persuade an employer to hire you will such a long reference gap and this will make a real difference.