After a career break, one of the hurdles that many returning mums face is a lack of confidence. This could be down to several factors; uncertainty, fear, being out of employment for a number of years, or as is the case with many, a feeling of irrelevance and being out of date. Certainly, with my own experience, I felt out of my depth in a few different areas, and this made me very apprehensive about returning to the workplace.

When you have been away from a working environment for a long time, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by advances that have been made, especially with regards to technology and social media. It does seem the case that everything around us has become digital, but don’t let your lack of self-assurance in this area dissuade you.  There are many things you can do to build your confidence and get yourself back into the workplace.

• Firstly, figure out what you want to do. Do you want to return to the same field you were in before, or do you want to do something different?
• Tell people what you plan to do. By putting it out there, you are more likely to follow through.
• Make a list of things you want to achieve. By writing goals down, you will feel an immense sense of achievement as you start to tick those objectives off.
• Find people in the same boat as yourself. This is a great way to bounce off others and will be a source of encouragement and support.
• Create a digital presence, i.e. Instagram, LinkedIn etc. As you start to grow your network, these platforms will become useful especially for the amplification effect, whereby people give you a shout out or a recommendation.
• Look at relevant courses that pertain to your skill set and can help you get up to date with the latest technology in that area.

Many women, (myself included) lose their mojo a little when they take a career break. However, there is help at hand. Women@Work runs various events and workshops that cover relevant topics, from career pathways to CV writing skills. So check out their events, get involved and let them provide the stepping stones necessary for your journey back into the world of work. I know I did, and I’ve never looked back.

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The article was written by Louisa Manson, Marketing Support of Women@Work