An interview with Sarah Jane: Managing the return to work

One of the reasons we love doing what we do is seeing people’s lives change because of their career choices, and the opportunities they have taken.

We recently caught up with Sarah Jane Smith, who returned to work after taking time off to look after her children, and is now thriving in her chosen career path.

Tell us a little bit about your career so far...

When I finished university, I quickly realised I wanted to work in marketing and throughout my 20’s I worked in a number of different marketing and account management roles in financial services, whilst also studying for my Chartered Institute of Marketing qualifications at evening school.

I decided to take some time off when I had my first child, as there wasn’t really a flexible or part-time option that would have worked for me. I then went on to have two more children and whilst raising my young family, I ran an Airbnb from home and had a part time role in an estate agents.

A couple of years later we moved to Asia where I took up a position at my children’s school – this worked really well for me, being a working mum and having them in the same place.

Then COVID hit and everything changed, we moved back to the UK last year and I started working for a fabulous sustainable children’s wear brand, which enables me to balance work and family, as I can work from home and around the children’s school day.

What did the job search process look like for you, moving back to the UK?

At that time my CV looked quite sparse. I’d had a number of different jobs over a number of years rather than follow a traditional consistent career path, which made it quite challenging.

When you don’t have a strong network or career history, you often send out your CV and either do not get to the next stage, or you don’t hear back at all.

The best thing is to be able to speak to people, It's only when you actually have the opportunity to talk to someone that you can explain why you’d be a great fit and the skills you've gained over the years that you can’t always list on a CV. Which is why I think using a recruiter can work really well, because you have someone advocating for you.

Did you feel supported when returning to work?

Things have changed considerably since I tried to return to work after my first child when there was little flexibility available to people like me. There was no flexibility or viable part-time options. Now, however, companies are much more understanding of different circumstances and lifestyles – not just for mums, but for anyone who has other things in their lives which make the 9-5 office requirement difficult to meet. The pandemic really proved you can do your job well, even if it’s from home.

What advice would you give other mums who are considering returning to work?

You have so many life skills from being a parent – you are a great negotiator, multitasker, you are understanding and patient and you are very good at people management, all skills that can help you be successful in your next career.

Make sure to also find the right fit for you, because life is short and knowing you’re doing something you’re interested in makes being away from your children worth it. Even if it means retraining or going in a different direction, you can always learn more and retrain, so believe in yourself and what you truly want to do.

Why would you recommend working with a recruiter?

If you’re a mum returning to work, looking for a job, or restarting your career, it can be a daunting process. You don’t know what might have changed, the skill you might need or what hiring managers are looking for on CVs now.

Recruiters offer the insight and support that you need to comfortably make the transition and find a role that fits you and your lifestyle. You get the inside scoop before stepping into the spotlight in front of a potential employer.

Even if you’re not a returning mum, and just want to switch up your career, the services a recruiter can provide are so helpful and makes what is an already stressful process more manageable.