Time For A Career Break? Interview with Angharad Boyson, of Women Returners

Whether you're considering a new career path, or would like to start a family, taking a career break is more common than you think

There are multiple strategies to help you plan and make the most of a break from work, as well as how to present your time off to new potential employers when you come back. We caught up with Angharad Boyson, Coaching & Relationship Manager at Women Returners, to find out how taking a career break is becoming more accepted, what the options are, and her advice for both employees and returners.

Thank you for joining us today! Would you be able to give us a brief summary of Women Returners' mission and your role there?

Women Returners is a purpose-led consulting, coaching and network organisation. We founded Women Returners in 2014 with the mission of removing the ‘Career Break Penalty’ by making extended career breaks a normal part of a 40 to 50 year career. We are experts in enabling the return to fulfilling work of experienced professionals, mainly women but also men, after an extended career break. We work with individuals, organisations and public bodies.

My role is two-fold. As a coach, I run coaching workshops that help women as they start their return to work journey. As the Relationship Manager, I liaise with professional associations to collaborate and assist returners in their professional communities find routes back to work.

What are the most common reasons that you see for taking career breaks? 

The most common reason for taking a career break is for caring reasons, usually childcare. But it is also important to note that there are other common reasons, such as elder care, illness, relocation, training, starting a business or redundancy.

Do you have any statistics or insights on how taking career breaks has changed or evolved in recent years?

Career breaks are becoming more recognised and common. Employers are increasingly recognising the talent that lies in the returning pool and creating more opportunities. In 2014, there were just 3 returner programmes in the UK and they were all in finance. Now Women Returners work with over 150 employers in many different sectors. The narrative around the value that returners bring is rightly improving as employers recognise the transferable skills and experiences that returners bring and proactively look to recruit from this talent pool.

If you could give 3 top pieces of advice to someone who is thinking of taking a career break but is nervous to jump, what would they be?

Gather your data – your key achievements and value delivered in role. Where possible, note metrics on the value you brought and impact you made. These are all vital pieces of information for including in your return to work CV. Don’t let your CV lie dormant during your career break. It’s a living document that you can keep up to date with new skills and experiences that you gain or improve on throughout your break.

Don’t just disappear. Keep your networks warm. Connect with current co-workers on LinkedIn now. Take a small amount of time regularly to check in on your industry or sector by reading trade journals, attending an online event, or adding comments and insight to online articles. Whilst many people leave their professional associations when on a career break, see if you can negotiate a reduced rate rather than leave. If you keep your networks up to date, it makes it easier to both find out about opportunities and to keep connected to your professional sense of identity.

Be confident in taking a break. Career breaks are increasingly the norm, for a wide variety of reasons for many people, at many levels. No-one can take your previous experience away from you and your career break will give you added experiences and perspective. Be reassured that there are more and more routes back to work for you when the time is right.

Similar question, but for the other side of the equation, if you could give 3 pieces of key advice for someone who is currently on a break and wanting to return, what would they be?

Take time to reflect on why you want to go back to work and what you’d like to do next. We see lots of returners that use a career break as an opportunity to change their work life, whether that’s type of role, working patterns or something else. Understanding your drive to work will help you to plan a more successful return that fits in with what you want now at this stage in your career.

Use your resources. Use your network to understand more about current opportunities and to get ideas for different jobs. Use technology to bridge any skills or experience gaps with skills bootcamps, training or volunteering. By using these resources and understanding how to articulate your strengths, skills, and achievements you can showcase what you have to offer and return at an appropriate level. You don’t have to settle for a lower-skilled role just because you have had a break.

Do consider a returner programme that gives you a supported return to work. Our current returner programmes can all be found here.

Could you tell us about any particular success stories that you've seen about a return to work after an extended break, which could inspire someone reading this?

The Women Returners website has a Success Story library of over 100 returners, detailing the stories of people who have successfully returned after all lengths of career breaks including 30+ years. We have stories of people who have gone back to previous roles or sectors, and people who have gone on to something completely different. Whatever the circumstance, you can find a success story to inspire your return!

Finally, what do you see for the future of career breaks, over the next 2-5 years?

We’re going to see more and more people use career breaks as a normal part of a 40-50 year career, without being penalised when they return to work. We’ll see a rise in the recognition of the talent and value that returners have to offer, and as a result we’ll see more routes back to work in more sectors. 

Find this article useful? Check out our other interviews to hear more insights on career changes, or take a look at our Job Board to get some career inspiration.