Your Return November 24

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

1

2

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

4

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

3

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….

5

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.