We met Robin Colner at the Harvard Business School New Path program in 2007 and asked her to share her OnRamp story.  Her's her story in her words...

I began my re-entry strategy in January 2006.  I stopped working as a full time marketing professional over 10 years ago. Although I worked many years in new product development for financial services firms, I felt most comfortable pursuing opportunities related to the last full time position I held which was at a direct response advertising agency. While working in lay leadership positions for several prominent NY based non –profits, I helped develop direct and internet marketing programs to improve donor acquisition and retention.  Throughout 2006 I focused on researching the current employment landscape for direct marketing professionals. 
I quickly discovered that while the discipline of direct marketing had not changed much, firms were not interested in hiring anyone who had been out of the job market for over 2 years.  I also believed that the internet was going to be the most important marketing forum in the near future. The disciplines of direct response advertising actually provide the foundation for structuring and analyzing online marketing strategies.

I came to the realization that I had to learn as much as I could about online advertising as quickly as possible.  I felt it would be incredibly difficult to land a job at a search engine marketing firm at my age with no internet experience.  Therefore, I turned my energies into teaching myself about this new world.  In order to become more credible, I launched what I call a “Netlog” or local network/blog to help my peers become more cyber savvy.   This gave me the platform to learn about SEO and test the universe of user generated content.  Now I could explore the field with a story to show and tell. 

By the beginning of 2007 my search became more focused as I knew what I wanted to do but not exactly how to get there.  I quickly realized that the best way to direct a search is through networking.  I found that it was easier to network when I could talk about what I was doing currently and how it related broadly to job functions that I wanted to pursue.  It is always better to have a targeted response when asked the sometimes dreaded question,  “Do you know what you want to do?”  Therefore, I continued my adventure by joining professional marketing associations.  I also became the Chair of the Marketing and Communications division of Wharton’s New York alumni association.  I joined a leading diplomatic advocacy organization and became a member of the delegations negotiating with Turkey, China and Qatar to gain support for key policy initiatives.  I also served on the boards of several philanthropies. I pursued these activities to expand my contacts and context within a broader community.

The experience at the New Path course at Harvard gave me the guts and motivation to go after what I wanted.  Armed with my elevator pitch, I approached friends, acquaintances and their spouses for referrals.  This was one of the hardest challenges.  I came to understand that most people in my community and social sphere only knew me in terms of my recent activities and family unit rather than my professional experience.  I also learned that I got the best networking results from acquaintances rather than from close friends.

I landed my pot of gold when a casual friend introduced me to her husband.  He had a similar marketing background and was excited to become a mentor.  Coincidently, after meeting me for coffee, he had lunch with an internet entrepreneur who wanted help with launching a new website and prospecting for advertisers and sponsors. He matched us up and we became partners.  I was able to get the position because I agreed to be paid initially with equity.  This arrangement was perfect as it gave me the chance to work part-time from home.  I have a high school freshman that still needs supervision and support.

Since May of 2007, I have been the Chief Marketing Officer of the early stage media company, PreRetirement Resources Group, a company dedicated to providing the best and most complete online resource to help the 53 million  Baby Boomers between the ages of 50-64 make this “PreRetirement” life stage rewarding and enjoyable. We recently launched the Beta site,  www.PreRetirementLife.com (password: preview) as the perfect vehicle for advertisers to reach this huge, affluent segment with a unique, targeted approach. I am really enjoying being in the middle of a start-up and working with talented, experienced professionals.  I am in a position that draws on my background but pushes me to accept new types of responsibilities.  It is fun to have the rusty skills shine again.

My advice to everyone pursuing a return to the working world is to get involved with a new project or part-time job related to an area of interest so that you can build a current story to present to networking contacts. It is easier to feel confident when you can speak about specifics rather than generalities. You may even share that your experience helped you know what you are good at and want to find.

Be sure to network beyond your current community and contacts by rejoining professional associations and on-ramping communities. Attending events or workshops offer opportunities to practice your pitch, get valuable feedback from new peers and learn more about the current issues affecting key industries. It is also important to pick up the buzz words or language associated with your interested job function. I recommend studying industry publications so you can contribute to conversations in a knowledgeable way especially when you ask new referrals questions about their positions.

Best of Luck!  We need to find the needle in the haystack, which we are used to doing  often throughout our lives.