When I first contacted RSP as a perspective candidate, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I wasn't going to be one of the usual run-of-the-mill candidates; rather, I was one of the thousands of professionals returning to work after a prolonged absence.

This was, in itself, indicative of the uncertainty I felt as I spoke to RSP for the first time. I was a qualified solicitor with 22 years of experience, but I felt like I was a graduate again, searching for her first training contract.

Furthermore, I questioned whether RSP would even value me as a candidate, unlike many of those agencies I had already spoken to. Surely, I thought, they would have candidates actually in work who they had a greater chance of placing?

As a "return-to-worker," would there even be a place for me in the market?

All of you who have spoken to me recently or have read my online bio or have seen the social media posts will know that I took a break away from the law.

This was now my second career break, which I had not planned.  The first, which was planned, was to raise my family and having returned to work successfully after 12 years, despite the challenges. The second was due to a resignation by myself to move on for career progression but then Covid happened. No one could have planned that!

Having been thrown into lockdown, home schooling, major school exams support structure for the kids, becoming the IT support desk, head chef, facilities manager and go-to for all things operational, I was now in my second career break.

Since this was going on and whilst the world was returning to a new kind of normal, it was apparent that the job market was turbulent, so for good measure I decided to start a home building and renovations project which was a long overdue project and which I knew I would never be able to do whilst working.  So instead of my lawyering I took on the role as project manager.

It was about 6 months ago that my thoughts turned to my future. I knew that I wanted to get back into work, to again use those skills and qualifications that I spent so long in acquiring. But, with all honesty, I didn't quite anticipate just how great a challenge returning to work would be once again.

All the questions and cliches went round in my head; what did I want to do with my life? Was I being sensible not to utilise my training, my experience, my professional qualifications, my passion? What would it be like to go back into work? Would I be apprehensive, unwilling to potentially take directions from someone my junior in age? Would I succeed? Did I have to do it?

I know that I sound like I was overdoing the thoughts, but it is very easy to fall into this trap. It happened once before and it was happening again.  And this leads to what is at the heart of this issue. Looking back to when I was first a returner and more recently, what I needed was coaching and a consultant who understood the issues I faced.

By coaching, I don't mean some intensive course lasting months, at the end of which I would receive some shiny certificate, instead of a meaningful job opportunity. What I needed was a sympathetic ear, who could understand my aspirations but temper my concerns by treating me as a professional. Thankfully, I spoke to Ian at RSP.

Ian invested in the time with me, he listened to what I wanted out of life, he coached me in my LinkedIn profile and improved my CV. Crucially, he wrote neither for me, but instead asked a number of searching questions for me to answer, answers which formed the basis of my new CV, which ensured that it is my voice which perspective interviewers would hear, rather than a generic passage of self-publicising; or even worse, a long passage of legal achievements long on legalese but short on personality. Ian also worked with me to carry out psychometric testing, something I found extremely valuable and an experience I wish I had done many years ago.

As well as showing that I had something to give, Ian was able to explain the numerous opportunities that were available, and just as importantly, where these opportunities are and how I could go about getting them.

Maturity, experience and knowledge of life outside of work. A greater understanding of what is affecting the markets, professions, industries and the law. Explaining to interviewers that time-off doesn't need to be spent poorly; connect with people, expand horizons, improve your understanding and knowledge.

You can return to work re-energised and refocussed, ready to proof yourself to your colleagues, old and new. The competitive nature in all of us comes out; paradoxically, you feel that you want to proof yourself, to say, "I can contribute this to my new company, it and I can succeed together," but you realise afterwards that you have nothing to proof to yourself; you've gone back to work not so much out of necessity but rather because you want to.

In retrospect, there was only one question that I didn't ask myself, am I the only one in this position?

RSP who assured me that I wasn't alone, that there are many professionals just like me in exactly the same position, with the same fears.

Every year, thousands of workers take a break from employment. The reasons are varied, but are usually connected to a core list of reasons:

• Health considerations, increasingly to do with mental health
• Caring for a sick, elderly or vulnerable relative
• A bad experience at work, such as bullying or harassment
• Maternity leave and childcare
• A sabbatical in order to fulfil the dream of a second gap year in a rainforest

My apologies to all you fathers out there; I appreciate that many of you take paternity leave, but in my experience, it is still the mothers who do most of the childcare over a prolonged period and who inevitably find themselves having a career break for all sorts of reasons.

At some point, every year many of these workers want to return to work. For some, full-time employment is neither an option (think child-care, health considerations or carer responsibilities) nor what they want.

But they all start with the same questions, how do I get back to work? And, what are the opportunities?

This, for me, is at the heart of the problem I faced as a return-to-worker and was a problem I was not necessarily aware of at the start of my journey many years ago.

I appreciate that this may sound somewhat trite, but for those of you not in this position, ask yourself this question: how would you, after 5 years of not working, suddenly pick up where you left off?

You could start by looking at your CV, but doubt would creep in around your break. Should I hide it? Is it a drawback? Should I be ashamed of it? What did I learn in my time off which would be attractive to an employer, especially when compared to the CV of a candidate still in work?

What about signing onto an agency? But then there are so many agencies that you doubt to what level of service they provide. Frankly, and I don't want to be sounding too harsh on them, considering that many of them appear to be just job boards, so how would my CV compare to candidates already active in the job market?

But by the same logic, why would a consultant be that interested in me either? Surely, they would have equally as strong candidates with more up-to-date experience than I had, who they therefore have a greater chance of placing?

RSP was able to show me other positions which could be of interest to someone returning to work: consultancies, directorships, advisory roles and how to go about applying.

Suddenly, the entire return to work progress became a lot easier and a lot less daunting.

However, something else important happened during this time that I spent with Ian that one major thing occurred simultaneously to both me and the three directors at RSP. Yes, RSP could place me with a client and I could return to work as a contract lawyer. But it would be more fulfilling for me to help others in a position similar to me to find work?

I made the decision to become a recruitment consultant in order to specialise in the return to work market. I could use my experiences to help mitigate the anxiety and concerns other candidates may have, and to pass on the most important lesson I have learned in the last 6 months; ideally, you should start considering you pathway back to work before taking a sabbatical.

I don't want you all to panic; either those of you who didn't do this, or those who are now taking a sabbatical and would now like to discuss options. I can assure you all that help is still very much available.

But, just think of this, how much less stressful would it be if you left work knowing that there was an avenue of work that you could start to work on as soon as you stopped working.

Consider this example.

As a society, we are so much better at understanding mental health considerations than at any point in the past. We know that they are just as debilitating and can force a sabbatical for work, just as much as any physical illness.

However, we also know that the anxiety of not knowing how you can return to work can help accelerate the health considerations. By speaking to a recruitment consultant at the point in which you are leaving work (or considering leaving work), you can create a plan which will enable you to return to work at some point in the future.

What does this plan involve? It doesn't need to be detailed, overbearing or particularly structured beyond a couple of salient points; but knowing that you have this plan can reduce anxiety, reduce your recovery time and speed up the time required to return to full health.

A plan should:

• Reassure you that you have a dedicated consultant by your side to guide you through the process. This is simple but important;
• Encourage you to join webinars, talks, conferences; they are often free, and you can join the ones you want, when you want to; and
• Subscribe to industry newsletters, journals and magazines, so you are aware of market trends and much more importantly, know the recruitment market and where the hiring is taking place (although this is something which your consultant should be able to help you with)

The above example is also very true for all the women lawyers who decide to have a career break to raise their family, and which can be anything from a short to mid-term break similar to what I experienced.

Professional empathy is key; it is about someone on your side who genuinely understands the challenges and pressures you face rather than a superficial utterance of understanding.

This was an important consideration in my decision to join RSP; as a candidate, I experienced their natural ability to understand what was important to me, which separated them from all the agencies that I spoke to. To RSP I was not just another number, I was an individual with lots of potential.

My goal is now to pass on what I have learnt. By embracing the lessons from my own experiences, I can now successfully advise other legal professionals through their own journeys.

Return to work is an untapped market of talent and potential, with some absolutely outstanding candidates.

If you are considering, for whatever reason, a break from work, or you have taken a break and would now like to return, then please get in touch.

I look forward to working with you.