Returning to work – one member’s story
If you’re sitting there thinking that your time out of the office means you’ll never make it back there, think again. We regularly talk to women (and increasingly, men), who feel they’re out to pasture and have let their skills slip so far that they’ll never get back up that ladder and into another role. And guess what? They’re wrong: they do.
In some cases, if you’re a skilled professional in an industry that requires regular training and updates to make your role viable, you may have to take a relevant course to get where you want to be. Just like one of our candidates, a former senior in-house commercial lawyer, who had to do just that.
Returning to work after a career break
Katherine retrained, re-qualified and worked in a new profession when she went back after a gap of seven years following the birth of her third child. She became a Family Mediator. This led her on a new path, but crucially, she gained fresh confidence and skills at a time when she needed them most. Eventually, Katherine undertook a solicitors’ returner course through the Law Society and hasn’t looked back.
Katherine says, “It was a major commitment to bring myself up to date with the relevant legal developments and to try various initiatives – there were plenty of setbacks and dead ends along the way. However, I kept going and remained positive (mostly!) focusing on interim, part-time in-house roles.
“Six months after the returner course, I was offered my first interim in-house role. It was a great start and I quickly adapted to changes in the office environment since I’d been away – open plan, quieter, more emails, instant messaging and fewer telephone conversations, plus no admin support.
“I was soon ready for a new challenge and after five months, I joined a global company to provide maternity leave cover as part of a European legal team, which I loved. Following that, I completed an assignment with the legal team of a FTSE 100 company. I then moved to my current permanent role, and after 18 months still enjoy its variety and challenge. It’s made such a difference to my career.
How Ten2Two made the difference
“Ten2Two is a flexible recruitment agency that has really helped my career go from strength to strength. They found me my first returner role and my current role – both fantastic in-house legal opportunities working 20 hours a week over three days.
“I value Ten2Two’s personal approach and their support of me at all times. I sense the business community is beginning to realise the benefits of recruiting experienced professionals on a flexible basis, and Ten2Two has contributed to that.”
My advice is to be determined in pursuing what you want and not to be afraid of trying new areas, even if it is not exactly what you think you are looking for. No experience is wasted and you will learn a lot along the way. I am also pleased that my children can see there is another side to me as well as being their mother.”
If you’d like to learn more about returning to work after a career break, why not get in touch with your local Ten2Two office. Find out more here – and remember, if others can do it, so can you!
