Trying to re-enter the workforce after off-ramping to raise a family, you may feel as if the deck is stacked against you. Make that several decks, given this economy.

Last week, the founders of MYOB Moms, Mind Your Own Business Moms, talked to UB about taking advantage of social media to optimize a job search and stay connected to the professional world. In part two of their interview with UB, Barri Waltcher and Pamela Weinberg, career advisors, share tips for maintaining your professional identity if you’ve opted for SAHM-dom (or been laid off):

Get Carded
Every woman who is searching for a job should have business cards. You never know whom you might meet at your kid’s nursery school, your book club, your cousin’s wedding. Head to vistaprint.com to get free business cards.

Get Confident
It’s not uncommon for women who have stayed home to raise a family to feel a bit uneasy when they contemplate re-starting a career. You can easily ramp up your self-esteem by getting new training, taking classes and sharpening your social media skills. (See You 2.0, Part I)

Get Smart about Volunteering
If you’re a writer, don’t volunteer to run the school’s bake sale. Write the newsletter. Get into the mindset that you can build your resume with unpaid work. What’s relevant is whether you’ve acquired skills and have a product you can show someone. MBA moms, take note: Running the big school benefit highlights your management and organizational skills as well as your ability to interface with businesses and organizations.

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