Julianne Miles
Co-Founder, Career Returners and Author of Return Journey
Deciding on a career path after a career break — whether for caring, health or relocation — is complex and can feel overwhelming.
Do you want to re-establish yourself in your previous career or pivot to something new? Should you look for a lower-stress local job or reignite your ambition? With so many options, it’s easy to get stuck. In psychology, we call this the ‘Paradox of Choice.’
Reflect, reset, move forward
This may well be the first time in years — perhaps even since leaving school — that you’ve had the space to reflect on what you truly want from your working life. It’s a perfect moment to step back, take stock and then move forward with renewed motivation and clarity about your next chapter.
Five tips to return with confidence
In my returner guidebook, ‘Return Journey: How to get back to work and thrive after a career break,’ I share a step-by-step roadmap for returning to work. Here are five top tips to help you move forward with confidence.
- Clarify your motivations
Identify your ‘why’ – the reasons you’re returning. These are the areas where you don’t want to compromise.
- Make job fulfilment your magnetic north
Rather than chasing happiness, searching for your passion or starting with flexibility, prioritise fulfilment. Look for roles that align with your strengths, values and interests, then consider how to make them work within your practical constraints.
- Develop your decision criteria
Build your internal ‘career compass’ — a framework of ‘must-haves’ and ‘nice-to-haves.’ Consider your intuitive responses alongside a more analytical approach.
- Test and learn
Once you’ve a shortlist of options, explore them actively before firing off job applications. Reality testing helps refine your direction.
- Value your career break
Don’t let low confidence (experienced by 90% of returners) make you aim too low. Your maturity, fresh perspective, motivation and depth of experience are fantastic assets that set you apart.
View your return journey as not just about going back; it’s about moving forward purposefully, with a renewed sense of who you are and what you want from work.
