Julianne Miles
Co-Founder, Career Returners
Reframing your career break as a period of skills development – rather than a ‘career gap’ – helps you rebuild your career with confidence and purpose.
When considering a return to work, it’s easy to slip into self-doubt. You may be wondering whether you’ve been out too long, your skills are out of date or why someone would employ you over a tech-savvy graduate.
In my returner guidebook, ‘Return Journey: How to get back to work and thrive after a career break, I emphasise that a career break is far from career-ending. It’s a stage of life that broadens and deepens the strengths you offer an employer. Proudly own your break rather than apologising for or hiding it. You’re returning with a host of valuable skills, like resilience, adaptability, empathy and a fresh perspective.
Craft your story
How you integrate your break shapes your confidence and credibility. Aim to highlight the range of life and career experiences that positively differentiate you. Craft a concise professional introduction — for networking contacts or prospective employers — that draws together three elements: highlights of your working life, your career break experiences and achievements and future ambitions. A strong narrative reassures others and strengthens your own sense of direction.
Choose to return or pivot
A career break is a rare opportunity to reflect and reset. Returning to work doesn’t have to mean fitting back into an old mould — especially if your interests, priorities or values have changed, or if opportunities in your field are limited. Careers are long — it’s never too late for a career pivot to open new opportunities and reignite your ambition.
How you integrate your break shapes your confidence and credibility.
Build momentum in small steps
Don’t wait to map out your perfect path before acting. A test and learn approach is more effective. Take one achievable step at a time: reconnect with a former colleague, join a support network (such as our Career Returners Professional Community), attend an industry event or take a skills update course. Action builds confidence and may create your lucky break.
Once you’re back at work, you’ll find you’re stronger than ever, because of — not despite — your career break.
