Rediscovering confidence and returning to work through mentoring

Julie Bullimore, an experienced HR leader and qualified coach, brought more than two decades of mentoring expertise to the CIPD Trust’s Bridging the Gap mentoring programme. She was matched with Gloria*, a data professional returning to work after a three-year health-related career break. Here’s their story…

A change of direction

Julie spent 22 years at Newcastle University, where she established and led a university-wide mentoring scheme. Alongside managing the programme, she consistently mentored individuals herself, later completing a coaching qualification to further strengthen her practice.

After moving from higher education into a law firm, Julie experienced an unexpected shift:

“I’d gone from a community where you could always pick up the phone to someone doing a similar role, to a much smaller environment. Mentoring had always been part of who I was, and I didn’t want to lose that.”

Re-engaging with her CIPD membership led Julie to volunteer with the Trust and provided an opportunity to continue mentoring while supporting someone navigating barriers to employment.

“It was invaluable having someone who really listened, didn’t judge and challenged my thinking,” she recalls. “I wanted to offer that same support to others.”

A three-year break

Gloria joined the programme after spending three years out of work due to serious health issues that required long-term physiotherapy. When she felt ready to return, the employment landscape felt unfamiliar and intimidating.

Despite a solid background in data and finance, Gloria found her confidence had diminished due to her time away from the workplace. Interviews were often conducted by much younger hiring managers, and she became increasingly aware of the labels she was placing on herself: middle-aged, a foreigner and female. She said,

Even though I had experience, I wasn’t sure how to present myself.

Gloria discovered the Bridging the Gap programme through Trust partner Career Returners while searching for return-to-work support and applied, hoping for guidance from someone with employer insight.

Bridging the perception gap

From their first meeting, Julie focused on building trust and understanding Gloria’s goals. Reviewing her CV revealed something important.

When I read it, I thought it was excellent. But Gloria believed it needed major changes. There was a clear gap between how she saw herself and how I saw her.”

Rather than suggesting a rewrite of the CV, Julie concentrated on strengthening Gloria’s confidence. One pivotal exercise was creating a concise two-minute career summary – a structured response to the common interview question:

“Talk me through your CV.”

They also explored strengths, using frameworks to help Gloria identify and articulate qualities she found difficult to acknowledge. Julie added:

“Receiving positive feedback was uncomfortable for Gloria. But recognising those strengths was key.”

Preparation meets opportunity

Soon after developing her two-minute summary, Gloria was invited to interview for a role with an asset management company through a returner programme.

The preparation proved invaluable.

“They asked exactly what Julie had prepared me for by asking me to walk them through my CV.”

Gloria felt ready to answer the questions and she secured a six-month contract in asset management. Three months into the role, senior management indicated they wanted to retain her beyond the initial programme.

Beyond technical support

While the mentoring focused primarily on career confidence and interview readiness, its impact ran deeper. Gloria describes feeling truly seen and understood.

“It felt like Julie could see things in me that I couldn’t see myself. That trust made a big difference.”

For Julie, the experience was equally significant.

Gloria was completely engaged. She spent time reflecting, acted on feedback and kept surprising me. Mentors often gain as much from the process as mentees do and that was certainly true here.”.

Looking ahead

Gloria is now focused on progressing within the asset management sector and strengthening her negotiation skills as she moves toward permanent employment.

Julie remains committed to mentoring and advocates stepping beyond sector comfort zones. She explains what the mentoring relationship taught her:

“It reminded me how unique we all are, and how powerful it is when someone helps you see your strengths clearly. It put a real spring back in my step.”

Interested in becoming a mentor on our Bridging the Gap programme? Find out more.

*Name changed to protect the privacy of the mentee

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