Getting a perfect work-life balance
ANYoNe aiming to get back to work after a break could benefit from a ‘returnship’ — a higher-level paid internship offered by firms to professionals.
Clare mcIntosh, a strategic project manager at o2, says: ‘I took voluntary redundancy from a senior marketing role when I became pregnant. When my twins were born, I discovered Joshie had Down’s syndrome.
‘I realised I’d need a longer career break than I expected to support him because he needed special care and he had up to six hospital appointments a week.
‘I wondered if it would ever be feasible to work while meeting those responsibilities.’
Clare, from Reading, berks, researched her options and discovered o2’s Career Returners programme.
‘It meant I could take advantage of o2’s flexible working culture, which it would enable me to manage my working life around my family.’
At the end of the programme, Clare was offered a job in o2’s Network Futures team.
‘the programme made it possible for me to get back to work. I still meet fellow returnship programme members regularly. I really value this crucial support network.’
Ann Pickering, hR director at o2, says: ‘We want to attract more female talent. that’s why we launched our Career Returners programme earlier this year, to help us seek out and support the untapped pool of talent standing at the school gates.
‘this forms part of our wider effort to encourage more women into the world of Stem — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — and retain them.’
the 11-week scheme is open to women and men. the participants get experience in various roles plus training and mentoring. eight secured senior jobs at o2 and two chose to take jobs elsewhere.
the organisation Women Returners offers help to professionals seeking to return to work. Its site women returners.com lists companies with ‘returnship’ programmes and those that recruit returners.