Julianne Miles
CEO and Co-Founder, Career Returners
You’re never too old to relaunch your career after a long career break, be it for childcare, eldercare, illness or other reasons. Find out how to restart your career.
Organisations are increasingly valuing the skills and perspective that returners can bring, and we’re seeing more and more people who are thriving back in professional roles after breaks of 10 to 15 years or more.
Take the long view: unlock midlife career potential
With working lives extending towards 50 years, non-linear careers — with stops, starts and steps down or up — are becoming more the norm. Lengthening careers bring an exciting opportunity if you’re returning to work in midlife.
You have an extended timeframe to re-establish yourself in your old career or pivot into a new one. For many returners, this is a moment for them to reinvest in their careers, to strengthen their financial position and reignite their career ambitions for decades to come.
Fill tech gaps to empower your return
Don’t reinforce the ‘tech dinosaur’ stereotype of the older worker. There is a wide range of free or low-cost tech courses available online and in local communities. As you prepare to return, upskill yourself in Microsoft Office and other tech relating to your sector.
There is a wide range of free or low-cost tech
courses available online and in local communities.
Target returner-friendly employers
Recruitment biases against candidates without recent experience are sadly still prevalent in the wider job market. A good starting point is to look for Irish employers running returner programmes. For example, Deloitte and J.P. Morgan run annual returnships; these are paid professional placements, which act as a supported bridge back to a permanent role.
To broaden your target, do your research and use your network of friends, family and ex-colleagues to find other employers that are actively seeking a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Even if they’re not directly targeting returners, they are likely to be more open to candidates whose careers haven’t run in straight lines.
Reframe your career break
Most importantly, don’t write yourself off. With the reduced self-confidence that often kicks in during a multi-year break, many returners question whether they’re employable. Rather than seeing your career break and age as barriers to returning, focus on how these factors positively differentiate you from a younger candidate.
The maturity, fresh perspective, motivation and wealth of skills and experience from before and during your career break will be huge assets to your future employer.