Getting Back to Work After a Break

by Miriam Hanna, Director MadlinHanna Consulting

A cornerstone of our role in the recruitment industry as Consultants is to offer advice and support. One group that I am particularly passionate about speaking to is working parents, and specifically those who have had a break and are looking to return to work. In my experience, working mums are the clear majority in this group and seem to take a penalty on their careers for deciding to take time off. When there is such a high level of competition for talent, especially at the moment, it is madness to me that there is a significant group not being considered for opportunities because they have had a break. Here is some advice for those looking to return to work and those looking to hire them.

To start with

After any break, whether it was 12-months of parental leave or longer, you need to remind yourself of what you were good at. Too often we can forget the good stuff and only remember the things that went wrong. Confidence is a friend you may need to reacquaint yourself with so go back through the CV and look at what you managed to achieve in the course of your career. It’s also worth remembering that everyone has wobbles so don’t let them be the reason you don’t go for something and don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet, no one else will do it for you! As Susan Jeffers so aptly put, feel the fear and do it anyway. 

Types of roles

It’s always worth being open-minded when it comes to what kinds of roles you will consider. If you have had a longer break, why don’t you try freelancing to re-build your muscle memory? Reach out to your network and see what kind of short-term work might be floating around. To that end, contracts are also worth considering. 6 months in a team that would benefit from your instant availability, eagerness to get stuck in and willingness to do a short term stint will do no wonders for you in the long term.

Hiring Managers

Whilst appreciating there might be a risk associated with hiring someone who has been out of the industry for a bit, don’t be so quick to ignore previous experience and the fact that most of these parents are going to be incredibly eager to do well. You can’t teach an attitude and even if they take a bit of time to get up and running, in the long-term you will benefit from their loyalty and respect. Consider phasing them up to 5 days a week if you can and maybe bring them in on a contract to begin with if you are trying to reduce risk. It gives both parties a chance to try things out.

I am passionate that in an industry as competitive as this one, there should be no reason why we don’t consider those who have had a break. Please do get in touch if you’d like advice specific to your situation.

MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation about these services and more.