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 You may be wondering whether you’ve been out too long, your skills are out of date or why someone would employ you over a tech-savvy graduate.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.
How you integrate your break shapes your confidence and credibility
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.
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.
