Hi and welcome to Her Next Chapter's podcast. I'm your host, Christina Kohl. I'm a mom of three and soon to be an empty nester. I'm also a certified HR pro who restarted my career after being a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. I created this podcast to connect with moms who have an empty nest on the horizon and are wanting to redefine their identity outside of motherhood, which might include a job search. On this show, we'll have raw conversations about our ever-changing roles as moms. We'll hear from women who restarted their careers and share tips for a job search after a career break. So if that's you, you're in the right place. Friend, let's get started.
Christina Kohl:
Hi, friends, welcome to part two of my conversation with Gabrielle Ferguson regarding returner programs and how to be successful. Part one aired on March 27th, so if you're listening today and you haven't heard that one, I highly encourage you to go back and listen to part one, where we really can do a deep dive about what are returner programs and how to excel in your application and interviews. And today we're going to be focused more on what to expect. You've gotten the job offer, what's next and how you're supported in these types of programs. All right with that. Let's next and how you're supported in these types of programs. All right with that, let's get started.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
We would start their kind of virtual onboarding. So sending them information, a welcome email from the hiring manager, etc. And part of my role running the program was again a bit of training and coaching with the managers on. Okay, okay, this is how your returners first week should go. These are the key things we need to cover off. By the end of, let's say, week two, we should be doing things like this. By the end of week four, we should be doing things like this please schedule the right thing, book them onto the right training, assign them their buddy, you know, make sure you've got time with them on their first day a couple of times in their first week, etc. So it was just a really nice, smooth, considered entry for those first couple of weeks that are make and break. Make or break for anybody starting a new role, but particularly for a returner. We all know you never have a second opportunity at someone's first day, so we've got to make it good from our side as well.
Christina Kohl:
Definitely, and that was where you've already answered the question for me. I was going to ask what that onboarding and structure looks like, and it sounds like you've kind of mapped it out with the expectations for the managers. Were there opportunities, since you had a group of women you know from four to 12 women going through this together? Did they come back together and meet throughout the program?
Gabrielle Ferguson:
Yes, we did. The partner that we worked with are a great organization called Women Returners. As part of working with them the candidates had access to I believe it was four sort of group coaching half day workshops throughout the programme. So their first one was on their first day. They spent the afternoon together with the you know head coach. From that from that partnership organisation would come in in person. Obviously we could do it virtually if we needed to.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
I believe the next one was sort of after the sort of four to six week mark, so they're starting to settle in, and then one at the halfway point of the program and then one just before they finish the program. And the point of that dedicated time was to really cover off the key issues and concerns that will pop up at those stages of the program. So first day we've got all the first day nerves and all of that kind of getting yourself off to a really good start and expectations. After four to six weeks the imposter syndrome might be starting to creep in. So they would have a dedicated group coaching workshop around that, amongst other things.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
But a chance to come together and really speak honestly in a room where everybody's in the same boat about. This is what I'm struggling with, this is what I'm really enjoying, you know, and a chance to chew those things over together. So that was really important and all of the participants across three years loved that. That was part of the programme. And then I myself, as the lead, ran regular sort of drop-in sessions where it would just be a Friday morning every couple of weeks, let's say between 10 and 10 45, I'll be online and open, bring a coffee and it's a chance to ask any questions. Just connect two things over celebrate, commiserate, you know, help.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
And then it just kept me sort of close, close to close to them and able to iron out any issues, because inevitably you know there'll be things access to this or things like that so we could just get those things sorted and not let them drag on. But help me stay close to the candidates as well, yeah.
Christina Kohl:
Nice. That sounds ideal, sounds perfect. I wish there was more and more of these to help people transition back. So I know in the US that there's. I just want to give people resources. If they're listening it's like, well, where do I find these programs? But even though they're limited, the ones, the places that I'm aware of where you can find them, are through iRelaunch. The places that I'm aware of where you can find them are through iRelaunch. That's iRelaunch. Path Forward is another one Apre and Reach Higher. As in reach higher, it's R-E-A-C-H-I-R-E. And what about in the UK? You mentioned the Women's Returners. I think it was.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
Women Returners is the one that I know best as an organization. They are fantastic. They have a podcast. Oh, I've just had a quick look. It looks like they may have transitioned their name to Career Returners now. So that's interesting. More inclusive, so, um, they are the return to work specialists in the uk and if you look them up and you see a nice green logo, that's them. So they have, um, among other things, you know, webinars, master classes, they've got a podcast with really great information and they have have all of the programs that they are involved in on a sort of running tally list of who's open for applications and so on, and there's a newsletter that you can join so you can be kept informed when different programs are opening, closing, et cetera. So I would highly recommend, if you're based in the UK, to check out Women Returners.
Christina Kohl:
I will include all of these resources in the show notes so anyone listening I'll include the links to the website so you can go check those sources out. I think we've kind of covered the whole basis of returnships and returner programs, any advice that you could offer the women that you saw be most successful in the programs, what was different about them or what made them stand out. I guess what I'm asking for is advice for someone who's been a long-term stay-at-home mom who is looking to restart her career.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
What's going to help her be successful. Number one be unafraid, go for it, just apply, even if you're not sure, because it's a step in the right direction. Um, and I would say I think you picked up on this earlier but even if you apply and are interviewed but then are not successful on that occasion, you still will have grown in confidence. You would have got used to applying, you would have spruced up your CV and updated it. You know, it's almost like sometimes the hardest interview is that first one back, but you'll learn so much, and then you also get an opportunity for feedback as well, which we provided if people requested it. So I think all of those things combined, it's absolutely worth applying, even if you're not 100% sure. I would say don't wait for confidence. Lean on courage. If we wait for confidence, you know, till we feel confident enough, we might be waiting a long time. Sometimes what you need is just a little bit of courage to go for it. I would definitely recommend that.
Christina Kohl:
Right. You can probably see me that I'm writing it down. It's going to be like up on my wall or something. Don't wait for confidence. Lean on courage and that is excellent advice throughout all facets of our lives.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
I think it's something I hear so much. In my practice I know you do, christina, and yours is everybody's waiting to feel confident enough to do X, and our lives are passing us by while we're waiting. That actually most things it's just to to go for it and put yourself out there, learn something along the way that we can then feed into the next one. But you've already moved yourself forward. You know light years by giving it a go, so don't underestimate that. Yeah, and then lastly, the people who are really successful. They were ready, they were ready to come back and they were ready to learn. So there's really something to be said around being a sponge and maximizing all of the opportunities available. So you know it's a return of program. We know that you've had a break. That's fine. We know you need a grace period to get yourself up to speed. That's all good. That's been accounted for and allocated for.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
Those first couple of weeks will be focused on training and also connecting with people. These programs are at least in my own experience were welcomed by people. Your colleagues will be excited to meet you. They will be curious, so expect questions. You know and that comes from a very natural place of curiosity you will be tired in those first couple of weeks. It might be a shock to the system. You might have a migraine or two or a headache or two as you're taking in so much information, but really be a sponge um, because six months goes pretty quickly and although in those first few weeks you might feel out of your depth and overwhelmed, by the midway point you won't even recognize yourself and by the time you're six months in, you know we'll have plugged the gaps in knowledge and skills and confidence and you'll be looking at okay, so when am I going to get promoted? You know, and you won't recognize the version of you that applied for the program when you get to the end of it.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
So it's absolutely worth doing, and it's really the other word I would use to describe the returner programs, the people that were very successful. It's an acceleration. So you might start in those first couple of days and think, oh, my goodness, it's been so long and so much has changed. But you accelerate your learning and I, so much has changed. But you accelerate your learning, accelerates your confidence, accelerates your skills, accelerate over those six months. So, yeah, that's, that's in a nutshell. That's what I would say. I saw in the women that I supported on the program and they are continuing to accelerate today. You know even the ones that joined a couple of years ago. Um, it's incredible to see and it's, I guess, from the internal, behind the scenes side. It's one of the most rewarding and most fulfilling things that I worked on is to see that program and see it come to life.
Christina Kohl:
So, yeah, it's just, it's just positive that program and see it come to life. So, yeah, it's just, it's just positive. Yeah Well, congratulations to you on running that program and starting it from zero and building it up, as well as congratulations to those women. It's life changing. Thank you so much for your time today and coming on the podcast again. Loved having you on the podcast, but thank you for coming in and talking in depth about these returnship programs. I think they are just so impactful and I love getting the word out and hopefully they'll continue to grow and create these opportunities for people to come back to their careers.
Gabrielle Ferguson:
Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
Christina Kohl:
All right. Well, that's it for this week. Everyone, have a great week and we will Thank you so much. Thank you for having me All right. Well, that's it for this week. Everyone, have a great week, and we will chat with you next time. Thank you so much for listening today. I hope this episode hit home for you and, if it didn't well go easy on me I'm still figuring this all out and if you haven't already, be sure to connect with me on LinkedIn and say hello so I can personally thank you for listening. Until next time, remember your story is uniquely your own, and your next chapters are ready to begin.