What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Meity Margareta is a certified career coach who returned to the workforce after a 10-year career break and now teaches AI, cybersecurity, data science, and IoT. In this episode, she shares how she re-entered the workforce, formats CVs to pass ATS systems, and uses strategic networking to tap into silent hiring.
[00:00:00.06] – Speaker 1
Hi there. Welcome to The Digital Jayasty Show, your go-to podcast for digital marketing insights that drive business growth and career success. I’m Jayasty Anandan, your host, and this podcast is brought to you by Digital Jayasty. That’s my digital marketing consultancy helping businesses worldwide. You can check it out at digitaljayasty.com. Whether you are a B2B business looking to expand your online presence or a professional in a full-time job or freelancing, this podcast is designed to help you learn from top marketing experts and make smarter, more strategic decisions. If you’re watching on YouTube, subscribe to my channel and hit the bell icon for updates. If you’re listening on any podcast app, follow The Digital Jayasty Show. And if you like the show, leave a rating. All right, let’s jump right in.
[00:00:45.17] – Speaker 1
Joining us today is Meity from Indonesia, a career coach whose professional journey from HR to teaching digital skills demonstrates remarkable resilience and adaptability. Meity started with 2 years in management consulting before taking a 10-year break to focus on her family. After this break, she found her way back into the workflows as a project assistant, which let her build on her experience while learning new skills. When COVID happened, Meiti adapted by moving to freelance work. Now she works as a certified career coach and teaches subjects like AI, cybersecurity, data science, and IoT at Edexcel Academy. Meity has become an inspiration for many women who leave their jobs for family and then feel stuck about how to get back to work. Her story shows that careers don’t always follow a straight path, and with hard work, you can build a meaningful career at any point in your life. Niti, we are so happy to have you with us today to start our conversation. You successfully navigated a 10-year career break. What specific strategies helped you re-enter the workforce effectively?
[00:01:53.16] – Speaker 2
All right, thank you, Jayasty, for having me on your show. Thank you also for the introduction. So after a 10-year career gap, what specific strategies helped me re-enter the workforce? Effectively, I guess the first thing I did was getting really clear on the type of work I wanted to return to. I look at my existing skills and ask myself, how can this be relevant to today’s job market? Sometimes it works the other way also, the other way around. I see a role that I’m interested in and then reflect on which of my skills could contribute to it. I also took time to map out where I can align my strengths with what the industry needs today. And I guess that several steps helped me set realistic expectations and figure out what new skills I needed to learn. And continuous learning here played a big role. I joined online courses, attended webinars, and followed thought leaders in the field to rebuild both my confidence and capabilities. I think that this process can really take time and looks different for everyone. And it is important to acknowledge that early on so you can manage your expectations without losing hope of re-entering the workforce.
[00:03:12.28] – Speaker 2
And for me, staying hopeful is also a help and being realistic. And it’s a journey. Again, it’s different for everyone, but I think one journey that is completely possible if we have patience, persistence, and the right mindset to do it.
[00:03:32.00] – Speaker 1
That’s true. All right. So which platforms, like Udemy or LinkedIn Learning, provided the most valuable credentials for your career advancement?
[00:03:41.05] – Speaker 2
Okay. For me, platforms like LinkedIn Learning have been especially valuable since they have easy access, particularly because of their focus on professional development in areas like soft skills, such as leadership, HR strategies, and project management, but they also have digital skills. Joining the trend right now. And I think if we talk about LinkedIn itself, the credibility of the platform combined with certifications that are easily shareable, also on LinkedIn- share it to our feed- I think it also helped my profile during the re-entry into the workforce. And for Udemy itself, I think I found it more helpful for more in-depth practical courses since it’s shared by practitioners, especially when I choose to, or I want to deep dive into specific tools or soft skills, productivity, time management, communication. And I think the flexibility also helped me to learn at my own pace. Both platforms are great, Udemy and LinkedIn Learning, and these tools can also be a key to building confidence and staying current. Since the courses are updated every once in a while, especially after a long career break, I think I have to catch up with everything- the trends, what professionals have in the work field or the workforce- and this platform is really helpful for me.
[00:05:10.11] – Speaker 1
Great. So you mentioned that HR is often lower priority and outsourced. So what functions are best to outsource versus keep in-house for growing businesses?
[00:05:24.04] – Speaker 2
From my experience, especially in supporting growing businesses in management consulting before having this experience, I think it’s true that HR is sometimes seen as a lower priority when we try to build a business. I think more people focus on the product and sales, and tend to outsource HR at an early stage. However, I think not every— all HR functions should be treated the same. For something that you can outsource, like administrative tasks, maybe payroll processing, benefits, and compliance are typically the easiest and most cost-effective to outsource since there are services for these kinds of activities. And these functions are process-driven, so I think it depends on the activities that we want to focus on in the early process of the business, and it can often be managed efficiently by third-party vendors. On the other hand, for the strategic function of HR, such as talent development, culture, or internal communication, I think it’s better to keep that in-house since these require maybe a deeper understanding of the company values, vision, or the team’s character. And I think for growing businesses, having someone internally from the top management that can mentor, train, or help shape this organisation to be a good or great people operation makes a huge difference in long-term success and also employee retention.
[00:07:00.16] – Speaker 1
So I think you have to separate these two activities into administrative and strategic activities in the HR function.
[00:07:09.09] – Speaker 1
Great, that’s a great strategy. Okay, so since recruitment represents a high cost, what strategies help businesses ensure better candidate culture fit from the beginning?
[00:07:22.00] – Speaker 2
I think one of the most effective ways to ensure a strong candidate culture fit from the start is to be really intentional and transparent about the company values. Since we want to attract the top talent, right? So not just on paper. So when we, the candidates, do the research of the companies, we see all of those sort of things, the values, right? The vision, not just in writing, but when we actually get into the recruitment process, we want to see how the company communicates, interviews, and makes decisions. And as a candidate before, also in recruitment, team before, I can see from both sides, from the candidates themselves. When the culture is really authentic, that can help the candidates self-filter or select their decision of whether they want to join the company or not. And I think another strategy to do this is involving the team also, not only in HR, to do the interview process. So from the outside of the process, they can offer a more grounded perspective on what it’s really like to work within the company with a different team. And I think it also gives the candidate a chance to connect with the people they will be working with day to day.
[00:08:42.24] – Speaker 2
And nowadays, culture fit isn’t about values only. It’s about the energy, the chemistry, collaboration style, and also expectations. For the candidates themselves. And I think for the interview behavioural questions, it’s important to ask about how someone handled real situations in the past, as it can also reveal a lot about whether their approach aligns with our team’s ways of working. And it’s not only tested in the interview, since we have a very short time for doing an interview with the candidates. But I think when we have that click moment in the interview, and then whether the candidate can join the company. It’s also something that we can nurture by being clear, consistent, and also open about what kind of culture that they will have when they’re joining the company.
[00:09:32.26] – Speaker 1
All right. Okay. So what specific CV formatting tips help ensure applications pass through ATS systems successfully?
[00:09:43.02] – Speaker 2
All right. So this is often asked since candidates really want to know the process. How can we make sure that our application is getting through the system? And one of the first things I always emphasise when somebody is asking this, especially when coaching job seekers, is to keep the CV format simple and clean. I think many people don’t realise that overly designed templates with graphics, columns, or unusual fonts can confuse the system- the ATS, the applicant tracking systems- which means their application might not even get seen. And they can also stick to a clear structure: the information, the contact information at the top, followed by a summary, a short professional summary, a ” About Me ” section, and then followed by work experience, education, and relevant skills. And use standard section headings like simple, short titles, experience only using that word or skills so the ATS can easily identify and categorise the content. Also, I think the most important thing is to tailor your CV using keywords from the job description, the job requirements, and qualifications, since ATS scans for those specific terms. So I think aligning your words in the content, the CV content, especially your experience, your job description, responsibilities, also achievement, makes a big difference when you send that CV.
[00:11:13.05] – Speaker 2
And I’ve seen from the examples before from the candidate that the CV gets overlooked simply because their CV didn’t speak the same language as the role. So this is kind of a strategy that I think people should know. And there are 2 types of document format. It’s in Word or PDF, but this is also according to the systems, and you can always test it if you can, since you don’t know. Which company uses the ATS for their CV screenings, but I think overall the goal is to make it easy for both the system and the recruiter to understand your assets. We can see your value at a glance that your CV’s content is really clear and really speaks to us.
[00:11:57.13] – Speaker 1
All right, so when does it make more business sense to hire a part-time specialist versus a full-time generalist?
[00:12:07.01] – Speaker 2
All right, okay, I will answer this based on my experience, and I think for this kind of question, it’s actually according to the company’s needs, because both of the types, a specialist or a generalist, have their own pluses and minuses and pros and cons, and it really comes down to understanding your business priorities and capacity. From what I’ve seen, hiring a part-time specialist makes a lot of sense when you need deep expertise in a specific area or focused project or a short-term goal. For example, if you’re building a learning platform like I did in my current job or setting up a new system, bringing in a specialist even on a part-time basis can help us move faster or avoid costly trial and error since they already have a good understanding of the platform. On the other hand, full-time generalists are valuable when I think you’re still building your foundation and need someone who can hear what kind of business, what kind of priorities that you want to do in the beginning, and also can do several roles at one time, multiple roles, and adapt quickly, and also can help the processes as the business continues, maybe evolves into another new system.
[00:13:27.24] – Speaker 2
And the generalist often being a bridge between strategy and execution, especially in growing teams where I think the flexibility matters more than the specialisation because the companies or the business keep on moving. And I think from the company’s perspective itself, it’s important to map out not just what the business needs, but what kind of support will help it grow Sustainability. Sometimes you can also blend both of these types of having a generalist team but also supported by a specialist when needed.
[00:14:04.05] – Speaker 1
Awesome. So when is it appropriate to use a creative CV format versus the traditional one?
[00:14:11.24] – Speaker 2
The choice between creative and traditional CV really depends on the nature of the skill and the type of company you’re applying to. So for larger or structured organisations, especially those that rely heavily on ATS since maybe they get a lot of CVs every day, a traditional CV is usually the safest format for this. And these companies often have multiple layers of screening, and I think a clean standard format ensures our CV gets read accurately by the system or the recruiters themselves. On the other hand, creative CVs can be a great fit for smaller companies like startups or industries that value personal branding and creativity, such as design, marketing, and media. So in those environments, I think a creative format can also help to make us stand out and reflect our personality based on the CV content or the portfolio. But even then, the content still needs to be clear and easy to scan since recruiters don’t have that much time to read all the CVs, and creativity shouldn’t come at the expense of readability. So even though you have a maybe kind of complex design in the CV itself, just make sure when you give it to people, or you send it to the recruiter, they can easily scan your skills and what you can do in the role before or based on your experience.
[00:15:42.07] – Speaker 2
And as a career coach myself, I often advise candidates to consider the company culture also, the role that they’re applying for, and how decisions are made in the hiring process. So I think just to be safe, if you are in doubt about what kind of CV you want to use, you can always have these 2 versions. You can always prepare for 2 types of CVs: one standard CV for broader applications and the type of companies that are more structured. And I think the creative one is for applying to roles that I think are more in that startup area. And I think this approach is really according to what kind of company you want to apply for.
[00:16:27.20] – Speaker 1
Okay. So how can professionals tap into silent hiring through strategic networking?
[00:16:34.29] – Speaker 2
Silent hiring. So I think I will talk about what silent hiring actually is. Silent hiring is when companies want to fill positions without publicly advertising the job vacancy itself. So often, this process is done by internal referrals, networks, or headhunting. For professionals tapping into this hidden job market, I think it’s all about leveraging strategic networking. First, you can focus on building genuine long-term relationships with the key players in your industry, whether they are peers, mentors, or even potential future employers. And LinkedIn is a really great tool for doing this strategic networking. You never know when an opportunity might arise. So by using LinkedIn or any other platforms that you know, I think staying visible and engaged in these networks is also the key. For example, maintaining communication with maybe former colleagues or attending relevant industry events or exhibitions, whether it is online or offline, and sharing insights, sharing your stories in your LinkedIn profile also can keep you top of mind for when opportunities surface. And you can also position yourself as a resource. So whether you are still working right now, you don’t looking for a new job, you can still share your value, whether through those stories, advice, or just a simple reposting of an interesting article or making a new request connection between others on LinkedIn.
[00:18:16.07] – Speaker 2
You’ll be naturally seen on LinkedIn or any other platform that allows you to network, and this can also increase the likelihood of you being considered when a role opens up. So when we open our LinkedIn and we saw a feed in front of us, there will be names doing activities, and eventually when the time is right, might be a recruiter looking for a candidate for the role in their companies, and your name pops up in the feed, and they instantly can search about your background and contact you through LinkedIn, even even if you know and you research before, there are no job vacancies publicly posted by them. And I think when it happens, do not hesitate to reach out to this kind of communication just to get to know what kind of role they need. And I think by the time it’s going, when you really open up later to new opportunities looking for a new job, you can always depend on these relationships, so you already make a communication with them before, but I think you still have to remember too that people have different approaches on this. People appreciate the relationship, but also we can respect them if we have a genuine interest or not, so don’t keep people hanging on by your decision, and I think you should start working to build a strong relationship, strong network based on this trust and consistent engagement. And this can be the best strategy to access those silent roles that aren’t advertised.
[00:19:59.03] – Speaker 1
This is not just a strategy, a lot of strategies. Okay, so now how can freelancers strategically position part-time work as a pathway to full-time employment?
[00:20:11.11] – Speaker 2
Okay, freelancers can strategically position part-time work; one way to see it is as a stepping stone to full-time employment since freelancers enter a project-based work type when they get hired by the company. And I think for the freelancer itself, since it was— it is project-based, to deliver high-quality work, it is the most effective way. So the work speaks for itself. Right, to the company or to any organisation that’s hiring. And when a company sets some deliverables or expectations, I think you can make the result exceed their expectations, so they will remember. The best way to deliver your best work is to meet their deadline, show that you are a reliable asset to the team, and I think performance will speak louder. than anything else here. Second of all, you can communicate your intention. It might be that in the beginning you just do this job for a freelance type of work, but if you see that this is the company that you actually want to work for in the long term, you can be transparent also to the employer about your career goals. So again, when they already know your need and the opportunity arises, the manager or the user here or the client knows that you are interested in moving into full-time.
[00:21:38.29] – Speaker 2
This ensures the process is shortly— can be processed quickly, and I think they can also make you a priority when a full-time role becomes available. Besides that, show your values as a worker even though it’s a short-term work period in freelancing. As a freelancer, you can actually bring a new perspective to the team since you are not within the company. Do you know what I mean? You can see the perspective from the other side of the organisation, and you can see that you can bring another contribution to the team by giving these values. I think when they already feel the experience working with you is a great thing, I think that is also one thing that can be considered when they are looking for a full-time role, and that also can help you transition from freelance to full-time roles. Also, yeah, mentioned before, networking is important. So get to know each other in the organisation that’s hiring you as a freelancer. If you are getting invited to maybe company events or any company meetings, I think it’s possible to broaden your knowledge and also your network here with the internal team. And yeah, be top of mind.
[00:23:03.27] – Speaker 2
Also, when the time hasn’t come, just be patient. I know that it could be a different process for anyone here. As I said before, you’re entering the organisation as a freelancer, but now you have different career goals to be a full-time employee. I think this is a learning process, and you have to match them with your standards, whether the organisation matches your values or not. So just keep being proactive, communicate, and show your skills. And I think the team and the company that want to see you as a freelancer can also see your values as to work in another long-term period for them.
[00:23:49.21] – Speaker 1
All right, thank you, Meity, for joining us today. Your story of coming back to work after a 10-year break and building a new career is helpful for so many people. You have given us great tips on getting back into the workforce, finding the right online courses, and smart hiring practices. I really liked your advice on how to format CVs and how freelancers can turn part-time work into full-time jobs. For anyone who wants to connect with you or get career coaching, where’s the best place to find you online?
[00:24:20.23] – Speaker 2
Thank you, Jayasty. It was a pleasure being on a show with you, and I hope this conversation could be helpful as we can continue to grow and move forward in our careers. If you’d like to stay in touch with me or have any further questions, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. My name is Meity Margareta. You can search it in LinkedIn, and I also mentor on ADP List, so don’t hesitate to reach out there if you’d like to schedule a session or explore more career insights from me.
[00:24:49.14] – Speaker 2
All right, thanks once again for being here and showing that it’s never too late to restart your career. Thank you so much, Meity.
[00:24:56.11] – Speaker 3
Thank you.
[00:24:57.20] – Speaker 1
This podcast is brought to you by Digital Jayasty. If you want more tips, strategies, and interviews with top marketing experts from around the world, make sure to subscribe and follow The Digital Jayasty Show. Thank you for tuning in, and I’ll catch you next time.