Advice Please about returning to work...

[flowertop]

Hi, I stopped working 6 years ago and although I have really enjoyed by break and now wanting to return to work. I want to work in administration ideally within HR which is where I was before my break. I am concious the market is extremely competitive so hoping that I can at least get an interview. I have been doing voluntary work (admin) for the past 2 years which I hope will stand me in good stead. Do you think it is ok for me to email my C.V. with a covering letter or should I do this by post. Also I want to say to any prospective employer that I am willing to refresh my IT skills for a specific role at my own cost if I were to be offered a job. Is that ok to say? Any help/advice on the best way to break into the job market would really be appreciated. Thanks.

Yes all of that is absolutely fine! Very good luck.

I would say - email is fine if you have a specfic email of a person -I wouldn't bother sending a general one - I would look at doing some IT courses anyway will give you a bit of confidence.
but I think in this job market the best way in is networking - I would try and set up short meetings for advice - not do you have any job - with any suitable contact - ex-collegue, friend of friend that kind and ask them for further contact

Thanks for your advice so far. I was thinking of writing to companies and offering my services say for a 4 week period in return for some work experience. Obviously this would be unpaid. What are your thoughts on this. Do you think companies would buy into this. Would i be wasting my time in writing to them?

Companies are generally pretty flooded with requests from schools and colleges for work experience placements. Army place
we get a lot of requests - we do take some- but on the while it's
more of a bind than a benefit.

Generally better to do a course and volunteer for a
charity to get experience.

At my place, I meant