It is difficult to talk to your wife about returning to work if she has been out of work, is recovering from an injury, or is at home with the kids.If your family needs a second income, it's important that you sit down with your wife.If you decide to do so, you can help her find a job she loves by taking on some additional responsibilities at home.
Step 1: Discuss your finances.
One of the easiest ways to get someone to return to work is to review how much money they have.You can make a list of your monthly expenses by sitting down together.If you compare this to your monthly income, you can determine if your family needs more money each month.Rent, mortgage payments, loan repayments, utilities, school tuition, food, transportation, clothing, and entertainment are just some of the things you spend money on each month.Saving for retirement, emergencies, or even luxuries like vacations should be considered in addition to expenses.Talk to your wife about your long-term financial goals and whether or not you will be able to meet them with only one income.
Step 2: Consider the hidden costs.
There are a lot of costs associated with your wife's return to work, especially if you have children, and you may think that a second income will make a huge difference to your financial situation.If she does go back to work, you have to come up with a list of all of the additional expenses you will incur.If the decision makes sense for your family, balance these against her potential salary.It can be a huge expense if you have young children.It's okay for your wife to go back to work if you come up with an affordable and quality solution to this problem.If your wife does all of the laundry and cleaning while she is at work, you may need to hire someone to do it.If your wife doesn't have the time to cook meals at home every day, will you be eating out more?Should you buy a new car for your wife to commute to work?Think about the everyday expenses associated with going to work, such as gas, tolls, business clothing, and lunches.
Step 3: Offer to help with household chores
If your wife has been taking care of the housework while she is out of work, she may be reluctant to return to work because she will still be responsible for all of these tasks.It will be easier to convince her to go back to work if you split her responsibilities with her.You can come up with a schedule that is fair.You need to step up your game if she did 98% of the time.If you have an infant or older children, offer to take them to soccer practice during the week.Help out with cooking, cleaning, and laundry as well.She might feel better about going back to work if she sees that you are willing and able to take on these tasks.If she goes back to work, ask how you can make her life easier.If it's not obvious what can be helpful, ask her.
Step 4: Consider her emotional well-being.
There are a lot of emotions involved in the decision to return to work.To address any concerns your wife may have about returning to work, it is important to determine how she really feels about it.When women aren't working, they get bored and depressed.If you think this is the case for your wife, you should let her know that you are worried about her and that she should return to work.Women who have young children may feel guilty about returning to work.It is important to sit down with your wife and discuss what you can do to make your children happy and healthy after she returns to work.Making sure that your wife's work schedule is flexible enough that she can still attend soccer practice is one thing this may involve.
Step 5: Take a look at a viable schedule.
If you have a plan for how to juggle your schedule, it will be helpful for you and your wife.When deciding how many hours your wife can commit to working each week, think about her responsibilities and limitations.When will your wife need to be home to care for your children?A full-time schedule may not work if she needs to pick them up from school everyday.When your wife is recovering from an illness, be sure to consider how many hours she will be able to work.She can't do more than her body can handle.There are other options besides full time and part time employment.Depending on your wife's skills, she may be able to find work-at- home opportunities or even start her own business.
Step 6: Discuss the pros and cons of her last job.
The last thing you want is for your wife to return to a job she hates, so be sure to discuss whether or not she was happy at her last job.If your wife can do a job that she really enjoys, she will be more willing to return to work.Encourage her to contact her previous employer to find out if there are any job openings that would be right for her if she enjoyed her last job.If this isn't an option, consider other job opportunities that offer the same rewards and challenges.Talk about what she didn't like about her last job.If she didn't like the kind of work she was doing, it's important to know.She might need to do something completely different if she didn't like the work she was doing.
Step 7: Her interests and skills have changed.
If your wife has been out of work for an extended period of time, going back to the work that she used to do might not be the right fit for her.Discuss with your wife what has changed for her since she last worked.She might have found a new passion while away from the workforce.If this is the case, make a list of different job opportunities that would allow her to pursue this passion.Your wife may have different priorities now than she used to.If she wants to be able to spend more time with her family, she may not want to return to a job that requires constant travel.If this is the case, consider job opportunities that use her skills, but don't require travel.Encourage your wife to see a career counselor if she needs help deciding what to do.
Step 8: If a temporary job is needed, make a decision.
Your wife may not be able to wait for the perfect job if your financial situation is urgent.If this is the case for your family, you should talk to your wife about the possibility of her taking a temporary job to help pay the bills.Make sure she understands that you want her to keep looking for her dream job while she is at her temporary job.If she dislikes what she is doing, be supportive and help her find a job that will be more fulfilling.
Step 9: Help her learn new skills.
If your wife hasn't worked in a while, she may not have the skills employers are looking for.It's important that your wife is aware of the new standards in the industry.Since your wife last worked, technology has probably changed.Encourage her to take a course or teach herself to use the latest technology even if it's only been a few years.She can get back in touch with her industry if you research conferences for her to attend or subscribe to industry publications.She will be able to stay on top of the latest trends and news as a result of this.
Step 10: She should be encouraged to network.
Job hunters are more likely to find a job if they network with other professionals in their industry.Let your wife know how important this is to her success if she's not already doing it.If she has contacts from her last job who may be able to help her in her job search, suggest that she reach out to them by phone or email.Networking opportunities can be found on social media sites.Encourage your wife to meet people by doing volunteer work related to her field or attending conferences if she doesn't know anyone in the industry anymore.
Step 11: Help her write her resume.
Your wife's resume needs to be updated if she hasn't worked in a while.It's very important that she write a good resume, as this is the only way to make a first impression with most prospective employers, and putting all of your experience down on paper can seem like an intimidating task.Encourage your wife to organize her resume in a functional format if she has been out of work for a long time.This means grouping her skills and experience by type.If you are a good resume writer, you can offer to help your wife with her resume.If you don't know what you're doing, consider hiring a professional to help her polish her resume or asking a friend or family member who is a good resume writer.
Step 12: Interview questions can be practiced.
Asking her sample questions will increase her chances of getting hired and boost her confidence.Both common interview questions and questions related to her extended absence from the workforce should be focused on.Help your wife tell you about her time away from work.She may have used her skills as a graphic designer to design posters for the kids' school play.It is possible for your wife to convince potential employers that she was never removed from her field of interest."Why do you want to work for this company?" is a common interview question.What strengths and weaknesses do you have?Why do you think you would be a good fit for this position?What are your career objectives?What was your greatest achievement and greatest failure?How do you deal with angry customers or coworkers?Make sure your wife knows about the company she will be interviewing with.It's a good idea to help her think of a few questions that she wants to ask the interviewer that show interest in the company and position.What do you want the company to achieve in the next year?What is the biggest challenge facing this department right now?She should not ask about pay or benefits unless the interviewer brings them up first.
Step 13: Be supportive.
It is difficult to return to the workforce after an absence.Many formerly successful professionals are discouraged that they are not able to find high-paying jobs as easily as they thought they would be.If your wife becomes discouraged, be prepared to be emotionally supportive.It's common for people who have been out of work for a long time to doubt their abilities.If you feel this is the case with your wife, give her a confidence boost by reminding her of her many talents and accomplishments.It helps to know if the job search is not going well.If you become accusatory about your wife's inability to find a job, it will not help the situation because the family is under a lot of financial pressure.