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.
✅ 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
We are delighted to welcome Jean back to guide and equip ‘returners’ on building resilience through:
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
Read real Returner stories. Sometimes confidence comes from seeing someone who has already walked the same path. Explore inspiring stories from people who successfully returned after career breaks.
Read some inspiring real Returner stories Read Returner Stories
Watch back Creating a Back To Work Mindset
Creating a Back to Work Mindset with Monica Haughey
For Creating a Back To Work Mindset we are joined by Monica Haughey, an experienced Psychotherapist and Conscious Coach, who will explore the practical and psychological issues that often surface when midlife Returners are considering returning to work.
Monica will address key questions such as:
- How do I rebuild my confidence?
- Am I really ready?
- How will things work at home if I return to work?
✅ 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
Recognise your transferable skills
You probably have far more valuable experience than you realise.
Take our Transferable Skills Checker and discover the skills employers are looking for.
Download Discover My Skills Workbook
✅ Step 5
Prepare for your next step
When you’re feeling more confident…
Watch back From Overlooked to In Demand
From Overlooked to In-Demand with Anna Cieslowska
In this session, Anna will cover:
- What is a professional presence and why it’s important.
- Common thoughts & mind blocks and how to address them.
- Re-framing gaps & challenging aspects.
- Understanding your own career path.
- Value-packed CV: Tips & essentials.
- LinkedIn must-haves & common mistakes.
- Interviewing for success.
- Action planning.
✅ Step 6
Start exploring opportunities
Confidence grows through action.
When you’re ready…
Browse our Returner-Friendly Jobs Board.
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?