Securing A Leadership Role After a Career Break

People take career breaks for all kinds of reasons. Some people take time out to start and raise a family or to care for a sick or elderly relative. Some people need career breaks due to illness, health issues, or burnout. Others take a break to re-train, travel, or explore new opportunities.

Whatever the reason for the break, it can feel daunting returning to the workplace, especially when trying to secure a leadership role.

Fortunately, there are plenty of forward-thinking companies and networks that recognise the value of diverse leadership journeys.

If you’re considering a return to leadership after a break, there are things you can do to increase your chances of securing a role. 

Make time for your return to work journey

Finding work after a career break can feel like a job in itself. You’ll need to do some research, speak to recruiters, search for jobs, update your CV, complete job applications and attend interviews. You may even need to upskill or re-train. This can be hard to fit into an already busy life.

You may be used to putting everyone else’s needs ahead of your own (especially if your career break involved caring for others or raising children) but you’ll need to start making yourself more of a priority.  

Set aside a regular time in the day for your job search, rather than trying to find time to squeeze it in when you can.

Identify activities you can stop doing, delegate, or make alternative arrangements for. This will not only help you to make time to find a new role, but it will also help you when you start your new job.

Decide what you’re looking for

Set your expectations. Are you looking for a full-time role or would part-time be more suitable? Do you need a job that offers flexibility, compressed working hours, or work from home options? What are your salary expectations (do some research into market rates)?

Are you looking to step straight back into a leadership role in the same industry as before, or do you want a new challenge? Are you prepared to travel or relocate for the right role or is that not a viable option?  

Do you feel comfortable stepping straight back into leadership or would you prefer something with training?

You’ll need to be realistic when deciding what you want from a role, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept unsuitable roles or settle for less than you are worth.  

Don’t let self-doubt hold you back

One of the challenges of returning to work after a career break is overcoming self-doubt and finding your confidence again. It’s easy to feel as though you’ve fallen behind in your professional development but try to focus on the value you would add to a company.

View your career break as part of your leadership journey. What did you gain from your break? Are you returning with greater emotional intelligence, project management experience from volunteer work, or adaptability and resilience after navigating challenging life transitions. Perhaps you’ve had a period of reflection, growth, or recalibration that will enable you to approach a leadership role with fresh perspective and renewed motivation.

Don’t be afraid to share your story (or as much of it as you feel comfortable sharing). Taking a career break is not uncommon and many people gain a lot of new strengths, experiences, and skills from their time away. 

Refresh your CV and reconnect with your network

Update your CV (and LinkedIn profile if you have one) to include recent learning, freelance projects, or volunteering experience. Position yourself as an experienced leader with renewed perspective and consider adding a “Career Break” section that outlines key experiences and skills gained.

Join leadership forums, networking events, and online communities. This will help you build your confidence and understand any skills or knowledge gaps you need to address.

Reconnect with former colleagues, mentors, and industry peers. Let people know you are looking for a new role and ask if they know of any job opportunities that might be a good fit. Ask them to recommend you.

Explore re-entry programmes and return-to-work resources

Many companies now offer structured return-to-work programmes designed to help professionals re-enter at senior levels. These can include mentorship, training, and transitional roles that often lead to permanent leadership positions.

Some companies offer ‘returnships’, which are essentially high-level internships. These typically involve a paid placement with a high likelihood of being offered a permanent role at the end of the placement.

Returner programmes and returnships are tailored to rebuild confidence and bridge the gap between past experience and current industry demands.

There are also platforms such as ivee (recently featured on Dragon’s Den) that are dedicated to helping people return to work after a career break. They offer tools, resources, networking opportunities and community support.

The GOV.UK’s Return to Work Toolkit also offers guidance for re-entering the workforce.

Assess your skills gaps and invest in yourself

With the rate at which technology advances, even a short career break can leave people feeling left behind, but don’t let a skills gap knock your confidence. There are plenty of resources and courses both online and off, free and paid, that can help you get up to date.

Take some time to assess where the gaps are in your knowledge, experience, or skills and look for opportunities to fill these gaps.

Professional leadership coaching could help you clarify your leadership style, rebuild confidence, and set strategic goals. You might even decide you’d like to get a formal leadership qualification before applying for roles.

Developing Your Skills With Alternative Partnership

Alternative Partnership offers a range of leadership and management coaching and training services, including ILM-accredited Leadership and Management training programmes to support you in gaining formal, nationally recognised qualifications.

Getting formal leadership and management training will not only help you build your leadership skills, it will also help you grow in confidence, and increase your chances of career progression

Find out more about our current ILM courses here or get in touch to discuss how our coaching and training services could benefit you.

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