What to know when returning to work after a career break

We’ll be the first ones to tell you how different the job market looks these days. And if it’s been a hot minute between babies and putting together a resume or even opening a jobs board, it’s likely to look VERY different to the last time, and consequently feel a little daunting.

But it’s not all bad news. The market has moved in ways that work in your favour too. Employers and recruiters are more focused on what you can actually do than on an unbroken CV, flexibility is now supported in more organisations than ever before, and there are far more entry point options.

What’s changed since you left

Two shifts matter most. First, more employers are hiring for skills rather than previous role history, which means a career break matters less than it once did if you can show what you bring to the role. Second, most applications now go through screening software before a person reads them, so the way you present your experience needs to work for both a machine and a human.

Neither of these should put you off. They just mean the old advice of “just update your resume and start applying” isn’t quite enough anymore. A bit of preparation goes a long way.

Making your resume work for the screening software

Applicant tracking systems scan for keywords and structure before a person ever looks at your resume. A few adjustments make a real difference:

Use the exact job titles and skills listed in the job ad, not just your own phrasing for them. If the ad says “stakeholder management” and your resume says “client liaison,” the system may not connect the two.

Keep formatting simple. Tables, text boxes, and columns can confuse the parsing software, so stick to a single-column layout with clear headings. Most systems work best reading Word documents over PDF, too.

Finally, put your most recent activity first, even if it’s a course, a volunteer role, or freelance work rather than a job title. A recent date at the top of your resume matters more than people think.

Where to look

Not every employer is equally set up for returners, and that’s worth knowing before you apply rather than after. Larger organisations and government roles often have clearer return-to-work pathways and more structured flexibility policies. Smaller businesses can sometimes offer more informal flexibility, but it’s worth asking directly about how that works in practice rather than assuming.

As working parents and carers ourselves, we know the stories behind career breaks speak volumes about the person behind the resume. And we know that returning to work in an environment that supports your professional growth alongside those responsibilities is just as important. So if you’re looking to return to paid work and would like to be connected with our family friendly employers, get in touch with our team.