was very fortunate to be in a position where I was able to take a 4 year parental career break to spend with my mini super heroes. There is an 18 month age gap between my boys Joshua (4) & Olly (2), however there were times where having a baby and a toddler was pretty exhausting! I absolutely loved it and felt really privileged that I was able spend so much time with them.
However after 4 years off from work, I decided it was time to go back. The prospect of returning to work was a daunting one and I had a number of concerns; Would I be far too exhausted to work a full working week? Could I remember the basics of turning on a computer! Not to mention the Interviews!!! Luckily for me my timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I came across a “Return-ship programme” run by Adopt An Intern (AAI), they ran sessions on CV building; workshops on communication; interview preparations etc. They also worked closely with the BAME community to promote inclusion in the workplace.
Diageo (also keen on having an inclusive working environment and encouraging Returnship) happened to be one of their clients. Much to my amazement I was offered an interview and was able to secure a 3 month’s internship!
We agreed on a 25 hours working week which left me with time to meet my family needs and also gave me a great “Re-introduction“ to the office environment. Shortly after my internship concluded, I was able to secure a 1 year FTC with Diageo working full-time hours! Yay!
Fortunately, my current role has flexible working arrangements to allow me to continue to support my family which was a big selling point when I accepted the role. For me it is so important that a company both recognises and supports employees with flexible working arrangements. #balanceforbetter.
