Bangalore: New job is always a serious business and it means an even harder time when you are back after a lay-off from the job. We may hardly foresee the months of gap that awaits us when we put our career on hold due to some personal reason or other. Women employees often face the situation due to their maternal needs. Be it software programmer at a leading IT firm or mid-fielder at state level football team you always bump into the eerie feeling of anxiety and alienation you used to feel during your first days at kindergarten once you manage a new job after long. So what can be done to ensure that you get acclimatized with the job after your lay-off? Doing a background check of what happened in the industry after you left is very important for re-entry into workforce. You have to analyze the market surroundings and find out how the market had taken off during your hiatus. Talking to your ex-colleagues or mentors from the current scenario will help you in knowing who is hiring, which are the hottest companies, how has the salary structure and employer's expectation has changed etc. Brushing up your skills and updating your knowledge is another key area that should not be missed out. This can be done based on the background check and by reading industry blogs and trade publications to get current on news and trends. You should keep track of the key skills that are most sought after presently and if you feel that your expertise have started fermenting, then it's time to brew it up to the new level. You should insist your new employer to brief you precisely on the major areas you are going to work and what kind of duties you are going to undertake so that you can work on areas which you feel should be improved. Preparing your mind is the next step. You have been on a 'sabbatical' for long and frankly you don't have a clue what your mind thinks about the new workplace. Who knows whether your self-confidence has nose-dived and you are going to feel awkward as a new kindergarten boy at your new office? So better be prepared to face the worst especially questions from your new colleagues who will be surely interested in knowing your history and reasons for your lay-off. So keep in mind all the answers you are going to deliver. Learning from previous mistakes is an important thing you should be constantly exercising. Instead of thinking all the negatives your lay-off has caused, you should understand that you are always on an advantageous side with all the experiences you have gathered so far. Don't make the same mistake again. You can make a self-check and learn the areas of your character that needs any kind of attitude work-outs. After all you can do a whole character makeover in the new firm. If you were the rough and tough at the old office, be the sweet and smile in the new workplace. After all who knows you can crack a joke or two with your new boss and roam around as the cool dude.