It could not have come at a better time. During the first year of the pandemic, 54 million women all around the globe dropped out of the workplace as an effect of the pandemic. (LinkedIn, 2022) However, while career breaks become more „popular“ some hiring managers are still hesitant to include women with career breaks into their portfolios. „…indeed, one in five hiring managers say they outright reject such candidates.“ (Linkedin, 2022). So it is about time to normalize career breaks and have an open discussion about it. While employers and recruiters have to open up about welcoming career breakers into their world, also employees have to own their narrative. This new function allows us to be bold about the past (or the present) and own the career gap with all its beauty and with all its consequences. 

I can’t repeat enough how we still shape or work capital while not actually working. „Over half (56%) of employees say they acquired new skills or improved existing ones — such as problem-solving, communication, and budgeting — during their career break. And over half (54%) of women say they are better at their job than they were before. 

During a five-year career break dedicated to raising a family, LinkedIn member Kristan Gross never stopped improving her skills — learning how to better lead people, manage budgets, and plan strategically. She says she also grew in emotional intelligence. “All the things I would be doing in a managerial position,” says Kristan, now the executive director of the Vision Impact Institute, “I was doing while managing three very different personalities — all of whom were under the age of 4. Don’t ever diminish the value of resume gaps; life is often the very best teacher.”

So it is essential to own our narrative and make career breaks visible. According to LinkedIn, “51% of hirers say they are more likely to contact a candidate that provides context about their career break.”