At Back to Work Connect, we’re committed to supporting individuals navigating career transitions, especially those returning to the workforce after a break. Our recent Skill Finder Workshop, co-led by our founder Gina Oglesby and certified career coach Heather Thompson, was a powerful reminder that career gaps don’t define your value—your skills do.
Shifting the Focus: From Gaps to Growth
The session began with a warm welcome from Gina and an introduction to Heather, who quickly set the tone with her expertise, energy, and empathy. Heather’s message was clear: the skills you’ve developed during your career break—whether through parenting, caregiving, volunteering, study, or personal projects—are valuable, transferable, and employable.
Too often, Returners struggle to frame their experiences in a way that resonates with employers. Heather challenged that head-on, empowering attendees to reflect on their own lives and start identifying the skills hiding in plain sight—like project management, communication, conflict resolution, budgeting, and problem-solving.
Making Your CV Work Harder (So You Don’t Have To)
Heather walked participants through how to strategically showcase these skills on their CVs and in interviews:
👉Create a dedicated skills section highlighting 6–12 core transferable skills.
👉Tailor your CV to match each specific job description—mirroring keywords from the job ad.
👉Use action verbs and quantifiable achievements to bring your experience to life.
👉Craft accomplishment statements using the CAR method (Challenge, Action, Result) to clearly demonstrate your impact.
The workshop wasn’t just talk—it was hands-on. Participants practiced identifying transferable skills through a fictional case study, then applied those lessons to their own stories. The energy in the (virtual) room was electric—collaborative, supportive, and hopeful.
Confidence is the Key Ingredient
One of the most powerful takeaways? The role of confidence in the job search process. Heather reminded us that it’s not enough to have the skills—you must own them. You deserve to talk about your achievements with pride.
Attendees left the workshop with clear, actionable steps:
👉Reflect on recent life experiences to identify your unique skill set.
👉Update your CV to include a tailored skills section.
👉Practice writing CAR-based accomplishment statements.
👉Watch the workshop replay via the Back to Work Connect dashboard for anything they missed.
From Workshop to Workplace
The Skill Finder Workshop was more than just a career session—it was a mindset shift. It reinforced the idea that Returners don’t need to “catch up” to be employable. They already have a rich bank of experience; they just need the tools and support to present it with confidence.
If you’re looking to reignite your career, you’re not alone—and you’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.
Stay tuned for more workshops and resources from Back to Work Connect, where we’re helping midlife workers, career changers, and Returners take their next step forward with purpose and power.
If you would like to join our next community event you can sign up HERE
If you would like to become a community speaker, contact our team at communitycare@backtoworkconnect.ie
Interested in learning more? Book a free, 30 minute discovery call with Heather, The Success Coach, to explore how she can help you create a plan to return to work. Schedule your call here : https://calendly.com/successcoachheather/discovery-call
