How to Network and Relaunch Your Career After Divorce

By Laura Lifshitz | Sep 26th, 2022

Okay, lady. You just got your divorce signed, sealed and delivered. You’re probably a bit weary, a lot tired and maybe completely terrified.

Been there, done that—certified in those feelings totally.

And now, you’ve got more financial responsibilities on your shoulders. While your life has unraveled, it’s now time for you to get it all buttoned up and particularly, with your career.

Believe it or not, your divorce could be the launching pad you need to either totally revamp your career or start one altogether. Even though it’s a time of crisis, it is a time of renewal and a time to focus on you and your life path for at least the next 1-10 years. 

So, how will you get your career off the ground or, shined and polished up? With a bit of networking and strategy, that’s how:

Get the Tools

Before you start networking like a fiend, you need to know what tools you’ll need to make your career blast off.

Is it:

• More education? Do you need to go back to school? If so, can you take out loans? Can you set aside any money weekly? What about your assets? Can you sell your engagement ring, wedding band or marital jewelry to help fund this endeavor? 
• A better resume? Do you need to invest in a resume writer? Perhaps you need two separate resumes or more—in order to nail down the position you want, you may have to test out a few resumes.
• A job switch?  Do you have to leave your current job altogether to get to where you want to go? Or, could you move up or laterally in the company? Consider your “directionality.”

Once you know the tools you’ll need to make your next steps, you can move on to both envisioning your new career, as well as networking to make it happen!

Envision What You Want

It’s very easy to feel defeated after your divorce, but you’ve got to shake those feelings off. The most important thing might very well be to “fake it until you make it.”

Envision yourself as already having what you want. Believing in yourself is a big part of the battle when it comes to any goal.

• Try daily meditation: This will help you get focused for each day in a positive way
• Adopt positive mantras:  Pick 1-3 positive mantras to say to yourself daily like, “I AM the CEO,” or “I will get the job of my dreams.” Write it down on post-it notes. Frame them. Have them in your car or office. 
• Seek therapy or a life coach:  It can never hurt to have someone to keep you on track of your goals, especially if your confidence or mental state could be getting in the way of your success
• Interview people you admire: Wrap yourself in positivity by talking to people you admire. Ask about their career paths and what they did to get there—what were the steps, habits or tools they used to carve out a successful career?

Whatever you do, stay in the positive zone. Careers are not built in a day: they are built over a period of time and crafted with hard work and deliberate moves. 

Tell Everyone You Know

In order to successfully network, you can’t be shy and you must go all out. Here are the best ways to network when you’re trying to reinvent your career:

• Tell anyone you meet you’ve been looking for job leads. Don’t be shy. The early bird gets the worm, and nothing good will come from keeping your job hunt to yourself.
• Join networking groups—google for local ones, search meetup.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, your local colleges, as well as your alma mater. The more people you know, the better chance you have at finding the connection or job you need.
• Don’t turn down a conversation. Even if a phone call or meeting won’t lead you to a direct job, you never know exactly where it will lead you! A call with a contact changed my job search parameters, which then got me to my latest job. Talk to people, take notes and listen.
• Hold your own group.  If you can’t find a solid networking group, build your own.
• Attend seminars and podcasts in your industry. You should immerse yourself in your industry or the industry you want to work in. Consider it preparation for the job you want.
• Interview people who have your dream job. What better way to learn how to land your dream job or raise or promotion than by learning from someone who has what you want?

The bottom line? You can’t be shy and you absolutely must be your own best advocate if you want to switch gears, advance ahead or re-enter the workforce. As hard as it can be to toot your own horn, you better learn your song, and fast.

View your divorce as a clearing: the old is brushed away, leaving a new path for you to make on your own. As hard as a divorce can be, choose to view your slate as shiny and clean and start writing that next chapter today!