To ask what office skills i need to work after being SAHM for too long

[MeetMeAtTheMuseum]

Been a SAHM for 18 years.

Please let's not debate the rights and wrongs of being a SAHM - it wasn't entirely my decision. Life happens and it's led to many years of depression and loss of confidence.

Anyway, I'm late 50s now and need to return to work- for money and my sanity.

Please could you advise what basic office/IT skills are needed for an admin job. The NHS is quite a big employer round here but am happy to take anything.

TIA

For my NHS (Band 3) Job - they asked for competency with Microsoft Office - tend to be hot on Outlook for diary management, then Word, Excel - Audio typing is a benefit - you can practice that online.

My advice for applying for an NHS job is to basically go through the person spec and make a point of how you fill each bulletpoint in your application.

Also read up on the values of the trust - they will generally ask about these at interview, its the easiest question to get right if you have looked at the website.

Everything Microsoft

Teams
Word
PPT
Excel

Apprenticeship is a good idea. My friend in 40s wanted to retrain and applied and was snapped up - her life skills meant she stood out compared to the school leavers. Yes apprentice wage was awful but they trained her and paid for all her qualifications and she now has a permanent job for the normal wage.

I would honestly say that 18 years out of that environment is going to go against you right now as there are so many with recent experience fighting it out for jobs just now.

I would start by taking courses on MS applications. Could you pick up some other work and maybe volunteer to gain experience in an admin type role and go from there.

Wow, that was really rude

Not at all. I'm just asking for no negativity - that should have been apparent from my OP. Now stop patronising me. I'm getting a lot of useful info from this thread and will ignore those who are here for a pile on.

The apprenticeship thing sounds interesting.

I've got a degree and post graduate qualifications - would that rule me out?

I think you'd be better off looking at apprenticeships, honestly. You're going to have a massive uphill struggle in this market, which is full of digital natives with fresh degrees and current experienced hires, when many of the principal competencies are going to relate to new tech.

@MeetMeAtTheMuseum

The apprenticeship thing sounds interesting.

I've got a degree and post graduate qualifications - would that rule me out?

No. All you need is GCSE maths and English, plus any specific pre-requirements. Plus an employer to hire or sponsor you.

I'm on a L4 apprenticeship right now and I have two postgrad degrees.

@MeetMeAtTheMuseum

Wow, that was really rude

Not at all. I'm just asking for no negativity - that should have been apparent from my OP. Now stop patronising me. I'm getting a lot of useful info from this thread and will ignore those who are here for a pile on.

Christ. People have given you constructive feedback. It isn’t negative it’s truth and trying to ready you.

@MeetMeAtTheMuseum

The apprenticeship thing sounds interesting.

I've got a degree and post graduate qualifications - would that rule me out?

No but you are going to have to really set out why you are a better bet than someone straight out of college. Could you find volunteering in the sector you are interested in?

I second voluntary work OP.

Lots of voluntary work comes with training that covers gdpr and other workplace basics. It is often a quick route into a job as well.

Hi do you have an up to date computer at home and do you use a keyboard with full size keys?
Many good ideas have been given. Also get used to using Cloud, it is good for sharing and Saving when several people work from home.
Are you methodical in opening New Folders and files?
Dropbox and Voice recognition software is useful, and it will help you build confidence, similarly StreetView.

Good Luck

What job did you do before? Have you kept certain skills up to date? What qualifications do you have?
Maybe have a look at the NHS jobs website and look through some of the JDs and person specs as that will give you an idea of what competencies are being asked.
If you have never worked in admin before then in this climate you will probably struggle to get an interview. That's not being negative, just realistic. You need a plan B - what other work have you considered?

@MeetMeAtTheMuseum

Wow, that was really rude

Not at all. I'm just asking for no negativity - that should have been apparent from my OP. Now stop patronising me. I'm getting a lot of useful info from this thread and will ignore those who are here for a pile on.

I don't think they were trying to put you off returning to work, just preparing you for how brutal the jobs market is if you have only just started looking. It's so much different to precovid days and it was hard enough then.

Agree with previous posters - Microsoft packages like Word, Excel, as basics.

You'll also need to be able to pick up new packages quickly. Employers won't expect you to know their bespoke packages, so wi give you training, but they would normally expect you to be able to pick it up quickly.

Many companies are now using Team, Zoom, Skype for remote meetings, so you need to learn how to use those.

Typing speed - needs to be able to use a pc quickly. Plus being able to draft communications professionally eg emailing a colleague or customer.

Technical - GDPR, Equality Act.

Soft skills - communication, team working, dealing with difficult people. You'll probably be asked about all of these things, so prepare some examples.

The technology stuff isn’t that complicated. You can learn things like Outlook in an hour at home from a YouTube video.

CRMs are generally workplace specific so you will get training on them anyway.

A lot of office work is about getting on with a range of people with different views to yours.
Interviews may well question that.

Possibly not be so quick to jump down people's throats? and apologise if you get it wrong.

OP have a think about what you have done while you have been a SAHM - is any of that relevant? For example have you been on the PTA? Have you organised any school fundraising events?

Things like this will involve communicating with stakeholders, setting plans, managing budgets etc.

These skills are all relevant for the workplace

There are Microsoft courses available for free online at the minute due to COVID, I think they are on Coursera or Udemy.
As others have said, all the MS packages especially Excel and Word. Also how Office 365 works as cloud based, using Teams and Zoom.
Anything you can use as example of communication skills and attention to detail will help too.
When I was temping before I got into my ‘career’ job, I found that each temp assignment built on the last so first one was basic skills and minimum wage (eg reception sick cover, basic emails and admin) and then gradually the agency could use the previous jobs to put me forward for increasingly better ones.

What did you do before as a job?

Also, take a look and see if any companies near you are doing returnships for women who have been out of the workforce, seeing as you already have a degree and qualifications.

Front Desk/Reception work on a part time basis may be a good start. That would leave time to do further training, whilst also having the reduced pressure of "only" working two / three days a week.

Pleasant phone manner (with ability to quickly learn in house phone systems), confidence with Excel (basics), Word, Outlook emails. Good at making visitors feel welcomed and helped.

You will need examples of how well you take criticism and feedback so maybe volunteering would help if you don't have recent examples.

*OP have a think about what you have done while you have been a SAHM - is any of that relevant? For example have you been on the PTA? Have you organised any school fundraising events?

Things like this will involve communicating with stakeholders, setting plans, managing budgets etc.

These skills are all relevant for the workplace*

Only if done in a sort of professional sense - so volunteering for PTA or governing board, charity, something like that. Putting in "skills" from doing domestic things or raising kids will send your CV on a one way trip to the bin.

Really appreciate all the replies with positive suggestions

I was a primary school teacher but really don't want to do any kind of teaching!

@SecretSpAD

*OP have a think about what you have done while you have been a SAHM - is any of that relevant? For example have you been on the PTA? Have you organised any school fundraising events?

Things like this will involve communicating with stakeholders, setting plans, managing budgets etc.

These skills are all relevant for the workplace*

Only if done in a sort of professional sense - so volunteering for PTA or governing board, charity, something like that. Putting in "skills" from doing domestic things or raising kids will send your CV on a one way trip to the bin.

Oh completely agree. I didn’t mean “I can manage a budge because I go to Aldi rather than Sainsbury’s”

More around it the OP managed committees with numerous elements to it or similar type activities