How to restart your career after a long absence

Robin Ryan, a career coach and author, suggests crafting a few statements about why you took a sabbatical, what you did, and how you stayed current.

Above all, be truthful. Kay tells of a man who had been out of work and lied on his résumé. "He had been working as a contractual employee, and now they were hiring him. He was afraid he'd be caught."

Although skills remain paramount in attracting employers' interest, the length of absences can matter, too. "If you've been out less than five years, you have an easier time reentering," says Cali Williams Yost, president of Work+Life Fit, Inc.

Even so, longer absences are not insurmountable. Claire Celsi of Des Moines, Iowa, stayed home for seven years when her daughters were young. She left a job with an insurance company and ran a family day care in her home. During that time, she studied for her undergraduate degree and volunteered for the Democratic Party.

When Ms. Celsi was ready to return to work in 2000, a friend asked if she would like a job with Al Gore's presidential campaign. The pay was low, but she said yes.

"Having those volunteer interactions while I was home with my kids was what got me that job," she says. Later, she took a paid position with the Iowa Democratic Party, then managed a congressional campaign. From there she moved to public relations. Celsi says, "No matter what you're doing, always be learning new things and making connections."

For men, the search can be more challenging. "Society is much more accepting of women staying home," says Ms. Ryan. "It's much more questionable" when men stay home.

Joe Musa of Mid­dletown, N.J., spent 18 months out of the workforce, caring for the couple's first child. "My wife had the better-paying job with better benefits," says Mr. Musa, a pastry chef.

When he wanted to return to work, he took a part-time job making pastries at a golf club. The position is now full time.

"It was great to go back," Musa says.

Eventually, most at-home fathers do earn paychecks again. "Seventy-five percent go back when their first child hits first grade," says Peter Baylies, founder of the At-Home Dad Network.

In the best cases, preparing for reentry begins while people are taking time off. Sarah Grayson, a partner at On-Ramps in Boston, suggests doing not-for-profit work or project-based work. "Even a couple hours a week, a couple days a month helps to maintain confidence and skills."

Those reentering also need a willingness to begin at a lower salary and a lesser title than they had before. "We all start somewhere and work our way up," Ms. Everton says. "That's not going away."

Ryan finds that many returning mothers would do well to consider part-time work. That is a need companies like Mom Corps are trying to meet. Speaking of the desire for flexibility, Ms. Thomas, now a vice president of Mom Corps, says, "The younger generation is forcing it."

As a labor shortage looms, some workplace experts think reentry will get easier. Corbette Doyle, chief diversity officer for Aon, says, "Women who have opted out largely for ... child-raising reasons offer one of the greatest untapped and underutilized talent pools employers have."

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