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Writer's pictureWomenCareer&Life
Sep 1, 20218 min read

Ep 3: Return to work after a break : Resources

Updated: Jul 22, 2023




EPISODE SUMMARY


Hello, This is Sirisha, welcome to my podcast! Returning to work after a career break can be challenging and very lonely if all your friends and peers are in full-time jobs! The good news is that today’s employers and workplaces are working hard to be more inclusive and are trying to make it easier for job seekers to make their way back after a break. There is still a long way to go and some careers may be harder than others but there is a lot of hope. We have curated several resources/organizations from our own research and personal experience to help chart your own path and return to work successfully. Each podcast has a few takeaways and resources at the end. Check them out and leave me your feedback!!


Come, let's #paintlifetogether!


Follow us on Instagram @womencareerandlife and don't forget to listen & subscribe to the podcast here!


Below is a transcript of the episode, slightly modified for reading.


PODCAST TRANSCRIPT OVERVIEW


[00:52] - Intro & Resources Discussion [Jump to section]

[02:12] - iRelaunch [Jump to section]

[03:13] - Power to Fly [Jump to section]

[04:29] - Path Forward [Jump to section]

[05:39] - Freelancers & Entrepreneurs [Jump to section]

Food for thought. Episode takeaways [Jump to section]


PODCAST DETAILED TRANSCRIPT


Intro & Resources Discussion [00:52]

Sirisha: Today, I'm excited to have my good friend Usha, who's also a career woman and mom co-hosting the podcast. Thank you for joining me today.


Usha: I'm so excited to join today's conversation on returning to work. When you brought up this topic, so many thoughts came to my mind as I relived my experiences. I'm really looking forward to sharing some of the stories and also talking to other guests on this podcast.


Sirisha: Welcome back to return to work series. If you're joining us for the first time, we are talking about the many resources that are available out there for anybody returning to work after a career break. We have talked about it for the last few weeks. It can be a very lonely process if all your friends and peers are in full-time jobs. So Usha, what are we going to talk about today?


Usha: Yeah, in today's episode, we're going to focus on some of the amazing organizations and resources that anybody returning to work after break can take advantage of. I think there's still a long way to go and some careers may be harder than others but I think there is still a lot of hope there. One important note to our listeners before I get started, we have no sponsorships or partnerships with the organizations we talk about today. So everything we discussed today is based on what Siri and I have looked at and our own perspective. So Siri, why don't you get started with the first resource of the day.


iRelaunch [02:12]


Sirisha: Today, I'm going to talk about iRelaunch. It's a great community that actually has jobs, internship programs, virtual job fairs. It actually services not just women, but also men, including veterans who are returning to work, people who are on expat assignments or people who are taking a personal break. It's got these resources and what I really love about it is, it's got a podcast that features women from very many different careers.


iRelaunch is a great community that has jobs, internship programs, virtual job fairs and conferences. It serves women and also men, including veterans and expats who are returning to work after a break. It's also got a podcast that features women from different careers.

Usha: I love that their podcasts have so many professions. I've listened to women returning to work in the garment, scientific research. I've listened to women coming back and becoming electricians and even physicians. So when we talked about our story to other women, one thing we heard again and again is that my career is different. I'm really not sure how it would be to get back in my line of work and iRelaunch has this great coverage of stories from different walks of life. I think it's much needed.


Sirisha: Absolutely. And I think that's what resonated with me. So Usha, who are we going to feature next?


Power to Fly [03:13]


Usha: Our next resource is an organization called Power to Fly. They are a platform that connects women with companies that are looking to be more inclusive and increase diversity in their workforce. Diversity not just in terms of gender, but also in terms of building a global workforce that's not tied to a specific location. What I liked about them is that they're not just a directory of jobs that you go and look and apply for. They have a lot of events and resources that focus on preparing you for the job market. I actually signed up with them back in 2015, when I was trying to return to work after a break and the experience was fantastic. I created a profile, built a portfolio of my work and attended several of their events to get tips on preparing for the job market. These resources gave me so much confidence that it was possible for me to return to work in a part-time remote setting. Overall, they're a great resource and they also walk the talk. Their entire team is women-led and they have a remote team that works across the globe.


Power to Fly is a platform that connects women with companies that are looking to be more inclusive and increase diversity in their workforce. Diversity not just in terms of gender, but also in terms of building a global workforce that 's not tied to a specific location. Their entire team is women led and they have a remote team that works across the globe.

Sirisha: I think it's fantastic that you've had your own personal experience with it. We are so excited that Lauren Haggerty, the director of marketing and community will be joining us for the upcoming guest episode.


Path Forward [4:29]


Usha: We've looked at some organizations so far. So Sirisha, why don't you talk a little bit about employer-based returnship programs?


Sirisha: Definitely, the one we want to talk about today is Path Forward.org. So this one is a different program, it's employer-based, and they call it as returnships. It's really a more formalized internship for people returning to work after a break, they do have some requirements around how long you have had some professional experience and how long your break is. So I suggest you check out this site. What I liked about it is, it's a program where for about 16 weeks, so depending on the employer, you work like a regular job, and you get work experience and you get to make sure that your skills are up to date and you scope the employer out and the employer gets that same opportunity with you as well. Looking at their site, they do have opportunities across the globe. I saw opportunities in the US and Canada and India, so that featured gamut is pretty extensive. I wish I had this program when I was returning to work and I actually know somebody who has onboarded through this.


Path Forward is a employed based returnship program, its a formalized internship for people returning to work after a break. Its for about 16 weeks, you work a regular job, get work experience and make sure your skills are up to date. You scope the employer out and the employer gets the opportunity to scope you out as well.

Usha: It's wonderful how much the landscape has changed in just a few years. There's a lot of hope and optimism.


Freelancers & Entrepreneurs [05:39]


Sirisha: So far, we've talked about jobs Usha, what about freelancers and entrepreneurs?


Usha: Yeah, and entrepreneurship and freelancing is such wonderful option to try out after a break. We don't think about it as much when we're in a job. One of my acquaintances is returning to work after more than 15 years, and getting a realtor license was the best way for her to do it. She had such a great network of people and family she had built in the 15 years when she was a stay-at-home mom, she was able to leverage that right off the bat and get going. I don't know that she'll be a realtor forever, she may transition into a job and do this as a side hustle at some point, but it was just such a great way for her to get back to work quickly. Realtor is one example, but there are many freelancing gigs you can post through some of the popular freelancing sites. So let me list a couple of the sites here, Upwork.com is one that supports many specializations, Fiverr is another for marketing and building content, 99 designs is one for graphic designers. Then there's TaskRabbit, which is for all these housework-related jobs and then there's Care.com, SitterCity for caregiver jobs. So there are many sites out there to freelance in different professions. All of these are a great way to build your portfolio while you look for work and demonstrate that you're a self-starter.


Entrepreneurship and freelancing are wonderful options to try out after a break. They are a great way to build your portfolio, while you look for work and demonstrate that you're a self starter.

Sirisha: Absolutely agree. I think what we've touched upon really on this return to work series and this freelance section really highlights is that if we continue to build our contacts, reach out to our old contacts and continue to meet new people because you never know where your next returnship or your relaunch will happen. In addition to reaching out to people, go ahead and check out the resources we talked about today on our blog. We had a lot of fun researching this and going through the personal experiences. We'll have a guest episode with Lauren Hagerty from Power to fly. She's such a joy to interview, and she's so easygoing and full of energy.


Continue to build your contacts, reach out to your old contacts and continue to meet new people, because you never know where your next returnship or your relaunch will happen.


Food for thought. Episode takeaways

Here is today's food for thought,


  • iRelaunch is a great community that has jobs, internship programs, virtual job fairs and conferences. It serves women and also men, including veterans and expats who are returning to work after a break. It's also got a podcast that features women from different careers.

  • Power to Fly is a platform that connects women with companies that are looking to be more inclusive and increase diversity in their workforce. Diversity not just in terms of gender, but also in terms of building a global workforce that's not tied to a specific location. Their entire team is women-led and they have a remote team that works across the globe.

  • Path Forward is an employed-based returnship program, it's a formalized internship for people returning to work after a break. It's for about 16 weeks, you work a regular job, get work experience and make sure your skills are up to date. You scope the employer out and the employer gets the opportunity to scope you out as well.

  • Entrepreneurship and freelancing are wonderful options to try out after a break. They are a great way to build your portfolio, while you look for work and demonstrate that you're a self-starter.

  • Continue to build your contacts, reach out to your old contacts and continue to meet new people, because you never know where your next returnship or your relaunch will happen.


Resources Mentioned:

Similar Podcast Transcripts: Return to Work Season

Guest Host: Usha

Host: Sirisha

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I love to hear from my readers & listeners! Do you have a question or a story to share. Let me know what has resonated with you. If there is a podcast topic or a guest you would like me to feature, drop me a note by clicking here. I am here to listen, root for you, embrace change and celebrate together. ​


Follow me on Instagram @womencareerandlife and don't forget to listen & subscribe to the podcast here!


# paintlifetogether #womencareerandlife


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