Build Your Confidence
You don’t need to feel 100% confident before taking your next step.
Taking time away from paid employment can change how you see yourself, but it doesn’t erase your experience, skills or potential.
Confidence rarely appears overnight. It grows with each small action you take.
That’s exactly what this roadmap is designed to help you do.
Estimated time: Work through at your own pace (around 1–2 weeks)
Before You Begin
A reminder…
If you’re returning to work after a career break, it’s completely normal to question yourself.
Many Returners tell us they worry about:
- Whether employers will value their experience
- Explaining their career break
- Feeling “out of practice”
- Competing with younger candidates
- Knowing where to start
The important thing to remember is this:
A career break changes your CV. It doesn’t erase your value.
On a scale of 1–10, how confident do you feel about returning to work today?
○ 1 ○ 2 ○ 3 ○ 4 ○ 5 ○ 6 ○ 7 ○ 8 ○ 9 ○ 10
Write down your number. Come back to this question when you’ve completed the roadmap.
✅ Step 1
Reconnect with your strengths
Before worrying about interviews or applications, take time to recognise what you already bring.
Complete our:
25 Day Back to Work Challenge: A simple step-by-step journey designed to help Returners reconnect with their strengths, rebuild confidence, and take practical steps back towards the world of work. Not through pressure, not through perfection, but through small, manageable actions. One small confidence-building action each day.
Start the Challenge: 25 Days Back to Work Challenge
Watch back Returning with Confidence
Returning with Confidence with Alana Kirk
In this engaging session, Alana will explore:
- Why confidence often takes a knock after a career break.
- How to recognise and value the transferable skills you’ve developed through life and work.
- Practical strategies to overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome.
- How to reframe your career break as a strength, not a setback.
- Why your next career chapter could be your most rewarding yet.
✅ Step 2
Build Your Resilience
Confidence isn’t about never experiencing setbacks—it’s about learning how to keep moving forward when you do.
Job searching can bring rejection, uncertainty and moments of self-doubt, but resilience helps you stay focused on your goal and bounce back stronger.
Watch our Building Resilience on Your Returner Journey webinar to learn practical strategies for managing setbacks, maintaining motivation and protecting your wellbeing throughout your return-to-work journey.
Watch back Building Resilience on Your Returner Journey
Building Resilience on Your Returner Journey with Jean O’Neill
An adaption framework to handle rejection and keep momentum going so that you can lead with an adaptive and growth mindset
Alleviate lack of direction and structure – benefit from time management hacks to optimise your return to work process
Overcome a sense of unpreparedness rejoining the workforce – discover 15 Emotional Intelligence Skills that are highly learnable and another way of being smart enabling your personal and professional success
Or consider watching back Creating a Back To Work Mindset
✅ Step 3
Join our Community
Returning to work can feel lonely, but it doesn’t have to.
Join one of our online Community Events and connect with people who understand exactly where you are.
All our community events are free of charge, but booking is essential View Upcoming Events
✅ Step 4
Remind Yourself What You Bring
Confidence grows when we stop focusing only on what we think we’ve lost and start recognising what we already have.
Take five minutes and write down:
- Three things you’re good at
- One challenge you’ve overcome
- One achievement you’re proud of
- One thing someone else values about you
You’ll explore your strengths in much more detail in your next roadmap: Discover My Skills.
✅ Step 5
Take One Small Action
Confidence grows through action.
Choose one thing you can do this week:
☐ Update one section of your LinkedIn profile
☐ Attend a BTWC Community Event
☐ Talk to someone about your return-to-work plans
☐ Spend 15 minutes exploring jobs
☐ Complete one day of the 25 Day Challenge
☐ Move on to your Discover My Skills Roadmap
Before You Finish…
How confident do you feel about returning to work now?
○ 1 ○ 2 ○ 3 ○ 4 ○ 5 ○ 6 ○ 7 ○ 8 ○ 9 ○ 10
If your number has moved even slightly, that’s progress.
Community Support
Need a little encouragement?
Our Community Care Team is here to help.
Whether you have a question, need help deciding what to do next, or simply want someone to point you in the right direction, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact Community Care on email at communitycare@backtoworkconnect.ie or mobile 0894057839
Sign up for our weekly Returner Friendly Job Alert HERE
Remember you’re already making progress, the fact that you’re here tells us you’ve already taken one important step.
Keep going.
Have you completed this roadmap?