After being out of the workforce for a few years to focus on my family and children, I’m worried that Summer is a tough time to look for a new job.

Q.  For the last four and a half years, I’ve taken a break from working outside the home to focus on my small children. I need to find either a full or part-time position in the next month. Is summer a bad time to look for a job? Is it okay to just be transparent about why I took off that much time? That is the longest I’ve gone without working outside the home. I’m panicking about my timing, but I really do need to contribute financially to our household.

A. Generally job seekers think that whenever they are looking for a job is a bad time to be looking for a new job, whether it’s the summer, school starting, or the holidays. Summer is not a bad time to look for a new position, particularly as some industries ramp up hiring for seasonal or temporary roles. If you can conduct a good job search, then the seasonality of it is less important than the activity.

In fact, a seasonal job might be perfect for you to ease back into the workforce and contribute financially and you can look for a more permanent role while working. You have given yourself a very demanding time limit, which is a greater concern than your ability to find a position. 30 days to find any kind of position is a very tight schedule, particularly after being out of the job market for a while. It’s doable but is that the kind of job that you want? Maybe fast food, maybe retail, warehouse perhaps? Give yourself a break, and recognize that you will work, but you don’t want to be looking for a job nonstop as you leave jobs you don’t want or like, or don’t work well when you have small children. 

It’s important to be transparent about why you took that time off and why you’re interested in reentering the marketplace. And you have to have a plan for childcare that is solid. Employers will be concerned about your plan for your children. Will they be taken care of? Will they present an obstacle to your being focused on work? Will you need too much time off? You’ll need to be able to address your plans, and your back up plans.

The at-home parent network is particularly strong. If you’re looking for a job, I would start by networking with that population. Often there are a series of part-time jobs that people work through, and they recommend other people for those jobs. So, start with that network in terms of asking about opportunities that they may know of, that may have a very limited commute or allow you to work remotely, which allows you more time to arrange for solid childcare.

If you’ve been out of the job market for four and a half years and want to now contribute financially, 30 days should not be your focus. Your focus should be finding a position that works for you in your life. Continue to network with people that you used to work for and focus on the role and what you can contribute rather than the timing. Focus on the transferable skills you developed during your career break. Approach your job search with confidence, highlighting the strengths and skills you’ve gained rather than apologizing for any gaps in employment.
 
  Boston.com