Support and inspiration for career returners
Support and inspiration for career returners
Welcome!
WelcometoourNovemberedition!Asthe leavesfallandthedaysgetchillier,we’vebeen busygettingreadyforthelaunchofournew CareerReturnersCommunityinDecember!
Nextmonth,wewillbeevolvingfromtheCareerReturnersProfessionalNetworktothe CareerReturnersCommunity OurCommunitywillbeaglobalsocialnetworkandgo-to supporthubforprofessionalsreturningtoworkafteracareerbreak,providingconnection, supportandpracticaltools We’reexcitedthatthiswillbeavailableviaamobileappfor‘on thego’connectionaswellasanonlinemembers’area Watchthisspaceformoredetails comingverysoon!
Oneofthetopicsthat’sincreasinglypoppingupisAIandhowitcanhelpyouinyour jobsearch.Ifyou’venotyettriedexperimentingwithanyAItools,ourblogwill hopefullydemystifyitforyouandhelpyoutogetstartedwithafreeeasytousetool
Contributors
KarenDanker HeadofCoaching
LizMearns DeputyHeadof Coaching
LaurenWilson SeniorCoach
We’vegotadoubledoseofreturnerinspirationforyouthismonth Our successstoryfeaturesthefantasticElbaLovelace-Franciswho embarkedonacomprehensivetrainingprogrammetobecomeaTrain DriverwithGTRailwaysonherreturntowork Welovedhercontinuing beliefinherselfthatkepthergoingthroughtheintensiveassessment periodaswellasherjoyinbeingapositiverolemodelforheryoung daughter.
Ourpodcastmini-seriesoncareerchangewrapsupthismonthwiththe inspiringstoryofAjaySahotawhoswitchedroleandsectorfromfood techtobusinessmanagement,afterhercareerbreak Resolvedtouse herbusinessconsultingandMBAskillsdevelopedduringhercareer breakonherreturntowork,Ajayshareshowsheresistedtheurgeto returntoheroriginalcareerinthefaceofchallengestryingtofindarole inhernewarea,eventuallyfindingtheperfectroleatLeidosviatheir returnerprogramme
Continuingthisthemeofcareerchange,our‘AsktheCoaches’section sharesfivepracticaltipstoguideyou,ifyou’reconsideringacareer changeonyourreturntowork.
FaithRuto SeniorCoach
Happyreading!
Career Returners Coaching Team
KarenBraakman SeniorCoach
3 How AI Can Help With Your Return To Work
Knowinghowandwheretogetstartedin yourreturntoworkcansometimesbethe hardeststep.WelookathowAItoolscan helpandideastotryout!
6 New Podcast Episode
Hearourinspiringchat“MoveForwardand EmbraceGrowth”withAjaySahotawho heldfirmtohergoalstochangeroleand sector
7 Elba’s Return to Work Success Story
Elbashareshowshesuccessfullyapplied tobecomeatraindriver,thevalueof connectingwithotherreturnerpeersand howmuchsheloveshernewjob
9 Ask the Coaches
Howdoyougoaboutchangingcareerson yourreturntowork?Weofferfivepractical tipstogetyoustarted!
10 Webinars & Events
Detailsofournextexclusivemembers’ webinarwherewe’llbehearingreturner storiesandofferingexpertadviceon returningtoworkafterillhealth,andour newexciting‘ReturntoWorkAccelerator’ Programmelaunchingin2025!
Whenyou’relookingtoreturntoworkafteranextended break,knowinghowandwheretogetstartedcansometimes bethehardeststep.Ifyou’reinneedofahelpinghand, artificialintelligence(AI)toolsmightjustbethethingtohelp kickstartyourjourney.
WhatisAI
AIistechnologythatenablescomputersandmachinestosimulatehumanlearning, comprehension,problemsolving,decisionmaking,creativityandautonomy TherearelotsofAI toolstochoosefromandhere’safewpopularones:ChatGPT(OpenAI),Claude(Anthropic),Gemini (Google)andMicrosoft365Copilot(Microsoft).
WhatcanAIhelpwith
AIcanhelpyouwithmostaspectsofyourreturntoworkjourneyfromgeneratingdifferentjob ideastoexplore,understandingwhatskillsandexperiencearerequiredfordifferentroles,helping youthinkaboutyourtransferableskills,refiningsectionsofyourCVorLinkedInprofileand generatingtypicalinterviewquestionsfordifferentrolestohelpwithyourinterviewprep!
Howtogetstarted
Ifyou’recompletelynewtoAI,thenwe’drecommendgettingstartedwithonetool ChatGPTisfree touse,intuitiveanduserfriendlysoisagoodonetoexperimentwith Google‘OpenAI’andthis willtakeyoutotheirhomepagewhereyoucandownloadChatGPT,setupafreeaccountandget started.You’llbegreetedwitha‘WhatcanIhelpyouwith’openbox,andthisiswhereyoutypein yourquestionor‘prompt’thatyou’dliketoask Themorespecificanddetailedyourprompt,the betterresponseyou’llreceive Onceyou’veaskedyourfirstquestion,youcanthenaskadditional questionstohelpyourefinetheinformationyou’rereceiving
Promptexamples
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Makingacareerswitchorchange: ‘I'm a qualified accountant but would like to work in compliance and risk roles in the insurance sector What skills and experience will I need to develop?’ ChatGPTgeneratedalist ofskillsandexperiencetodevelopwith helpfulexamplesofhowtobuildit,different coursesandcertificationsthatmightbe helpful,aswellasstepstomakingthat transition
Identifyingtransferableskillsfromcareer breakactivities: ‘I'm an experienced project manager Whilst on my career break, I volunteered at my local church, helping with fundraising events in the community. What additional transferable skills did I build during my career break that I can bring with me to my next professional role in the finance sector ’ HereChatGPTgenerateda longlistofskillsandthendetailedhowthese mighttransferacrosstodifferentroles It alsoillustratedhowyoumightpositionthese skillsandexperienceatinterview
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anorganisation’sapplicanttrackingsystem. ThiswillhopefullygetyourCVthroughthe firstscreenandinfrontofahuman!Do checkforaccuracythoughandthatwhat’s capturedaccuratelyreflectsyouandyour experience!
Creatingadynamicpersonalprofileon LinkedIn: ‘How would you improve my LinkedIn Profile: Copy and paste current LinkedIn About section.’ ChatGPTdoesan impressivejoboftakingyourcurrenttext andoptimisingitforclarity,keywords, storytelling,andengagement Itgivestipson whattoincludeinyourLinkedInheadline, whatskillstoaddintheskillssectionto improvekeywordvisibilityandreinforceyour expertise,anddifferentwaystoengageon LinkedIn
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TailoringyourCVtoaspecificjob: ‘Please tailor my CV to this role: copy and paste your current CV (removing all personal data), then copy and paste the job description ’ ChatGPTcanhelpyoutotailor yourCVtothespecificroleyou’regoingfor, ensuringyourCVcontainsthekeywords thatwillbescreenedforautomaticallyby
Awordofcaution….
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GeneratingtypicalInterviewquestions: ‘What are some typical interview questions that might be asked for this job: Copy and paste Job Description from relevant jobs board.’ ChatGPTgeneratesalistof questionsforthedifferentskillsand expertisesought Italsolistsdifferent behavioural‘competency’questions,i.e.tell meaboutatimewhen aswellas‘whyare youinterestedinworkingforourcompany’ questions.Asabonus,italsocreatesasetof questionsthatyoucouldaskyour interviewer!
Whilethisallsoundsfantastic,wedowanttosoundacautionarynote!Neverputpersonalor sensitiveinfoordatasuchasyourname,address,mobilenumber,financialinfoetcintoanAItool AI toolstrainonthedatathat’sinputsoyourpersonaldatawon’tnecessarilyremainprivate!
DoviewAIasatooltoassistyou,nottodothejobforyou Itwillrespondtoyourpromptwitha detailedanswer–someofthedetailwillberelevanttoyourskillsandexperience,butsomewon’tbe Alwaystakewhat’sshared,checkforaccuracyandthenadaptittomakeitauthentictoyouand bringittolifewithyourrealexamplesofstrengths,skills,experienceandachievements
The Podcast to #InspireYourReturn
“At any given point in time, you will always be faced with two directions. You could either go back to safety, continue doing what you've always been doing, or you could move forward and embrace growth ”
We’rethrilledtobringyouthethirdandfinalepisodeofour latestmini-seriesofourCareerReturnersPodcastoncareer changeinmidlife!
ThisepisodefeaturestheinspiringAjaySahotawhosuccessfully changedroleandsector,movingfromtechnicalrolesin thefoodsectorinIndiaandtheUKtoabusiness managementroleatLeidos,atechnologycompany
HearhowAjayheldfirminseekingoutabusinessmanagementroleonherreturntowork,looking foranopportunitytonotonlyuseherprebreakexperiencebutalsothebusinessskillsand experienceshehaddevelopedduringhercareerbreakthroughherownconsultingworkandMBA.
Abigthankyoutolongerlivesthinktank PhoenixInsightsforsponsoringthis mini-seriesandforconveningthe Careerscanchangecampaign
CareerReturnersisproudtobepartof theCareerscanchangecampaign, aimingtoinspirepeopletoseethattheir careerscanchangesuccessfully,in manydifferentways
“I am really proud of the example that I'm setting for my children and like I look up to my father, I hope they look up to me and say, it can be done. You can pursue your dreams and you can reinvent yourself in any stage in life..”
Catchuponpreviousepisodes inourCareerReturnersPodcast
Listentothefull episode
ListentoAjay’s clip
Elba Lovelace-Francis
TraineeDriver
GTRailway
3yearcareerbreak
Elba’s Success Story
“I still can't believe I'm doing this! I’ve really enjoyed learning something new, and I love the driving”
IstartedmycareerincustomerservicesatWilliamHill Iwasa cashierandmyrolealsoinvolvedmanagingtheshop.Iworked therefor7years,anditwasfun Iwasresponsiblefor customerservice,managingthetillandIenjoyedbuilding rapportwithcustomers Ioftenspenttimeworkingaloneinthe shopandgotcomfortablewithmyowncompany,whichhas beenreallyhelpfulinmynewrole!
Itookacareerbreakin2020.Itwasthepandemic,andthenI hadmydaughterandsointheendItookacareerbreakof3 years,whichwaslongerthanI’danticipated
Duringthistime,IreflectedonwhatIwantedtodo,anddecidedthatIwantedtopursuea careerthatprovidedmorestabilityandwaswellpaid.
IhadconsideredacareerasatraindriverbeforebutIwaspregnantatthetime,soIdidn’t pursueit.ButIcontinuedtothinkaboutit,andwhentheadcameupagainin2023,IknewI hadtogoforit!IresearcheditonlineandjoinedaplatformcalledTheRailForum,toasklots ofquestionsandhearbackfrompeopleintheindustryandIdecidedtoapply
“Theclassroomwasgreat-likegoingbacktoschoolandyou realisethatyourabilitytolearnjustcomesbacktoyou.”
Theapplicationprocesswasstraightforwardquestionsonyourrelevantskillsandwhyyou thinkyou’dbesuitableforthisrole-andIwas invitedtoanassessmentday Theassessment daywasreallyquiteintense,andtheactivities testedyourconcentrationskills,attentionto detailandyourabilitytomultitask–allkeyskills forbeingatraindriver!Ithinktheseareskills youeitherhaveordon’thaveandsoifitdoesn’t gowell,it’sprobablynottherightroleforyou I gotpastthis,afewmoreinterviewsanda medicalscreening,andthenIwasdelightedto beofferedthejob!
“IthinkalltheresearchthatI didhelpedmetounderstand whattheywerelookingfor andtobespecificinmy answersatinterview.”
I’dneverappliedforsomethinglikethisbefore anditwasamazingtobeofferedthejob Itwas agreatfeeling!IthinkalltheresearchthatIdid helpedmetounderstandwhattheywere lookingforandtobespecificinmyanswersat interview
IstartedinAugust2023andthefirst6months isspentintheclassroomwithyourtrainee drivercohort Thereare6modulestolearn, includinghowtohandlethetrain,customer service,traction,andemergencysituations. Theclassroomwasgreat-likegoingbackto schoolandyourealisethatyourabilitytolearn justcomesbacktoyou.Mytrainerwasgreat andmadethelearningenjoyableandmypeers becamelikealittlefamily–sosupportiveand helpful.WesetupaWhatsAppgroupandwould messageeachotherwithquestionsand someonewouldalwaysanswer Nowwe’veleft theclassroom,Iloveseeingmyclassmatesout andaboutdrivingtheirtrains–it’snicetohave thatconnectionwithpeoplewhostartedthe journeywithyouatthesametime
“It’snicetohavethat connectionwithpeoplewho startedthejourneywithyou atthesametime.”
Inowhavetobuildmy225drivinghours,the practicalstageofourtraining,underthe supervisionofourdrivinginstructor Oncethat’s done,there’sonefinaltesttodoandthenI qualifyandgetmykey!
Istillcan'tbelieveI'mdoingthis!I’vereally enjoyedlearningsomethingnew,andIlovethe driving.It’sgreatwhenyougetloadsoflittle kidsonabridgeoronthetrainplatformwaving atyouandwaitingforyoutosoundthetrain hornasyougoby!Andit'simportanttometo bearolemodelformyowndaughter–I’m lookingforwardtohercomingintoworkwith meonedaywhenI’mqualifiedandtoshowher thatthisisapossiblecareerpath.
“Forotherreturnerslooking togetbacktowork,justgo forit,whateveryouwantto do!”
Forotherreturnerslookingtogetbacktowork, justgoforit,whateveryouwanttodo!Doyour research,learnasmuchasyoucanaboutitand believeinyourself!
Readmoreinspiringstories inourSuccessStoryLibrary
Our coaching team is on hand to answer your questions!
I want to change careers on my return to work. What tips do you have?
Returningtoworkafterabreak,especiallywhilepursuingacareerchange,canfeeldaunting butitiscompletelyachievablewiththerightapproach Hereare5practicaltipstogetyou started:
Reflectandreviewyourskillsandinterests
Lookbackatpreviousroles,bothinyourprofessionalcareerbeforeyourbreak,and therolesyouundertookduringyourbreak,eg volunteering,PTAorschoolgovernor, settingupyourownbusiness,studying,projectmanagingahousebuildorrelocation, orcaringforothers Reflectonwhatyouenjoyedaboutthoseroles,whatskillsyou developedandwhatyou'reinterestedinnowandjotdownyourthoughtstoinspire youastowhatyoucoulddonext.
Researchandupskill
Youmayneedtoupskillorreskillifyou’rechangingroleorsector,butbeforeyoudive inandspendmoney,talktopeopleinyournetworkwhoaredoingwhatyouwould liketodototesttherealityofyourideasandunderstandmoreaboutwherethe opportunitiesmaylie.ResearchcoursesandtrainingrelatedtoyourdesiredfieldtherearelotsoffreeopportunitiestoupskillsodocheckouttheSeptemberissueof YourReturn, AsktheCoaches section
Buildexperience
Whenyou’reventuringintoanewarea,seekprobonoorvolunteeringopportunitiesto buildexperienceandcontactsinyournewarea Thiswillgiveyouexamplestodraw oninjobapplicationsandatinterviewandwillhelptoboostyourprofessional confidenceinmakingtheswitch!
TailoryourCVandLinkedInprofile
UpdateyourCVandLinkedInprofiletohighlightyourtransferableskillsandrelevant experience,includingrelevantkeywordstohelpgetyounoticedandpassthe automatictrackingscreensfavouredbyrecruiters Reachouttonewcontactson LinkedInviatailoredmessagestobroadenyournetworkinyournewarea.
Keephopealive!
Makesureyouspeaktopeoplewhowillencourageyouandbackyourideas,not bringyoudown!Listentopodcastsandread successstories tobuildyouup We launchedabrilliant podcastmini-series thisyearoncareerchangesodolistenfor inspirationasyoulaunchintothisnextcareerchapter!
Webinars & Events
New‘ReturntoWorkAccelerator’Programme
IntheNewYear,we’redelightedtolaunchournewgroupcoaching‘ReturntoWorkAccelerator’ Programme.Inthis6-weekprogramme,we’lltakeyouthrougheveryaspectofyourreturntowork journeyincludingexploringjoboptions,buildingacompellingCVandLinkedInprofilethatcaptures yourprofessionalexperienceandtransferableskills,growingyournetworktohelpyouoptimisejob opportunitiesandpreppingforinterview Ateachstagewe’llshowyouhowyoucanalsouseAItohelp getyoustartedandgenerateideasandhelpfulprompts,toaccelerateyourreturntoafulfillingcareer Moredetailscomingsoon!
CareerReturnersWebinarSeries2024:Returningtowork afterillhealth
27 November,11am - 12pm (UK time)
Areyoureturningtoworkafteracareerbreakforhealth-relatedreasons? Ifso,thenthiswebinarisforyou
Joinusaswesharereturnerstoriesandexperiences,expertadviceand positiveandpracticalstepsyoucantaketomoveforwardonyourreturn toworkjourney
LaurenWilson,SeniorCoachatCareerReturners,willbehostingthe session.She'llbejoinedby:
27November 11am-12pm
IulianaUdangiu,BusinessAnalystatEDF,whoreturnedtoworkayearagoaftertaking4yearsto recoverfromillhealth
JoYarker,ProfessorinOccupationalPsychologyandManagingPartneratAffinityHealthatWork Joisaleadingexpertinthefieldofworkplacehealthandwellbeing,drivingacademicresearch, strategy,andpracticalsolutionsintheareaofreturningtoworkafterlong-termillness,including cancer,longcovidandburnout
Inthiswebinarwewillcover:
Thevariouschallengesandhurdlesofreturningtoworkafteraperiodofpoorhealthorillness
Rebuildingone'ssenseofidentityandself-perceptionafteranillnessrelatedcareerbreak
Re-evaluatinglifeandcareerpriorities
Tips,strategiesandpracticalsuggestionstonavigatethereturn-to-workprocessinaproactiveand constructivemanner
Registrationclosesat11.59pm(UKtime)on24November.
