Support for your return to work

Top tips to help you feel more confident returning to work after a break

Returning to work after time away can feel daunting, but career gaps are more common than you think! Whether for caring responsibilities, health, redundancy, study or life changes, a career gap does not define your ability or potential. These top tips will help you feel more confident and prepared for your return to work.

My mentor helped me tighten my CV and reminded me to believe in myself again. Even though I’ve taken a stopgap role, I now feel more confident about working towards the job I really want.”
Chi, Bridging the Gap mentee

Career gaps are normal

Recent UK research shows that nearly half of job seekers have a gap on their CV and 1 in 3 people have taken a break of six months or more.

Your gap is part of your story, not a weakness. Career gaps are a normal part of modern working lives.
Focus on what the experience has given you – not what you think it has taken away. Your career break may have helped you build valuable, transferable skills such as communication, organisation, problem solving, adaptability and resilience. Caring responsibilities often builds strong organisational and problem-solving skills and job searching can show resilience and good communication skills. All of which are highly valued in the workplace.
Employers are often more interested in how you talk about the gap than the gap itself. Think about what you did, what you gained and what you’re ready to do now. For example, “I took time out to care for my children where I developed strong organisation, problem-solving skills and the ability to multi-task I’m now ready to bring those into the workplace.
Be honest about your time away – you don’t need to apologise for it but it is worth considering how you frame the career break to show how the skills you’ve developed are useful in the workplace.

Rebuild your confidence step by step

It’s normal for your confidence to suffer during the job search. Take time to celebrate daily or weekly small wins. This could be updating your CV, applying for a role, attending a short course or being invited to an interview.
Use the people around you or join online groups for support and accountability. Being out of work can feel very lonely, especially when you’re doing it all on your own. Having someone to tell about your day or small wins can make a huge difference. Consider getting a mentor to help you through it, you can join our Bridging the Gap mentoring programme here.
Pause to reflect on previous strengths and experience.
Make use of available resources including webinars and podcasts such as The Squiggly Careers Podcast or The Mel Robbins Podcast to help build your confidence. These can offer practical tips whilst you navigate your return to work. The CIPD Trust webinars cover a range of topics delivered by HR professionals and are here to help you on your journey. You can watch these here.
Don’t let rejection define you – job searching is a process.

Focus on your transferable skills, not just job titles

Don’t overlook skills you might have gained during your career gap – they are hugely valued in the workplace.
For example, redundancy can develop resilience, caring responsibilities drive organisation and problem solving skills. These skills are highly relevant in the workplace – make sure they’re visible on your CV and in interviews.
You don’t need to have been in paid work to build valuable skills.

Understand the job market has changed

Take time to refresh your CV, LinkedIn profile and develop your interview skills. Build your interview confidence by preparing a few key examples of what you’ve done, researching the organisation and practising your answers out loud with a friend or HR mentor. It’s also helpful to reframe your nerves as part of the process and to treat each interview as a new opportunity to learn and improve.
Research your sector and the types of roles you’re interested in so you feel more confident.
Consider working with a HR mentor to understand how recruitment processes and technology have changed. Our Bridging the Gap programme will provide you with a HR mentor who will work with you every step of the way for up to six months. You can find out more and apply here.
Remember, it is a two-way process, and it has to be as right for you as it is for the employer. Be clear about your needs and make sure that it’s the right fit for you. Making a list of your non negotiables is helpful.
Things may look different if you’ve been away for a while – and that’s ok!

Don’t do it alone!

The power of mentoring – getting an outside perspective can help you recognise your strengths more clearly.
Support, encouragement and guidance can make a huge difference
Having a HR mentor in your corner allows you to get practical hints, tips and advice.
You don’t have to navigate your return to work on your own. Our Bridging the Gap mentoring programme is here to support you!