There is a plethora of reasons why people may leave the traditional workforce, be it sickness, childbirth, travel, a career change, or simply, boredom. Whatever the reason, you’ll find that many of them struggle to restart their careers when they do decide to come back.
Enter: returnships.
What are Returnships?
Modern employers understand that modern employees don’t like to stick to the same job for their entire careers. And the good news is that they’re actually helping such employees when they decide to come back!
Returnships are the hot new trend in the corporate world. They are basically back-to-work programs that aim to help people re-enter the workforce without being subjected to a serious demotion. Returnship programs give employees who are returning to the workforce to decide whether this is the right choice for them.
These programs can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Employees will be provided with mentorship and guidance that helps them reacquaint themselves with their roles. At the same time, they will be given the chance to upskill and catch up to changes that have been made during their time away. They can also adjust their lives to gear up to go back to work full-time.
As for companies, this opens up a whole new pool of candidates that are ripe for the picking. They will have a wider choice of candidates from different backgrounds, with different experiences.
Here are some of the most prominent benefits of returnship programs:
Time to Catch Up
One of the biggest issues faced by people trying to re-enter the workforce is that they aren’t able to keep up with the changes that have occurred over the years that they’ve been away. For instance, even a few years can make a huge change in the way companies operate, be it procedures, company policies, workplace culture, communication, or the biggest one – the ever-evolving technology. These are areas that you can reacquaint yourself with through a returnship program.
Upskill
Technology is advancing at a speed faster than most people can keep up, and even those who’ve been working continuously may find it difficult to grasp. Therefore, it’s highly likely that your roles may require new skills and knowledge – even if it is the same role you held before. Returnship programs provide you with the ideal opportunity to learn new skills and get yourself up to speed!
Networking
Networking is a very important part of building a successful career, and chances are that you’ve been slipping up in this aspect during your break. There’s no better way to create a new professional network than through a returnship program. Most back-to-work programs come with a mentor who will help you navigate returning to the workforce. You can also form connections with other employees who work at the company or fellow returnship participants. Your new connections could even help you land a full-time position by the time your returnship is over!
Evaluate Your Decisions
Just because you worked in a certain position before, it does not mean you have hit the resume button once you come back. You may choose to browse through your options before hitting play on what interests you at this stage of your life.
Returnships can help you do that. They can be a way to take on different roles and work in different parts of the company without committing to anything. This allows you to try your hand in several areas before picking what you like best. Or you may choose to hit cancel on everything and try out a different field or industry entirely!
Get Feedback
The entire point of a returnship program is to help you get accustomed to the traditional workforce again, therefore you are expected to stumble and make mistakes. The best part about returnships is that any such misstep won’t be held against you! You can use them as an opportunity to gain feedback on how to better yourself and ways to do things better.
The Transition
Going back to working full-time after a break from the traditional workforce won’t be easy. The circumstances of your life may be different now, and this may require you to adjust certain aspects of your life before restarting that 9 to 5 hustle.
Start out slow, taking on fewer responsibilities and using the majority of your time to learn new skills and get used to the working culture. Once you are more confident with your work, you can request more advanced jobs or take on bigger commitments. This is why returnships are the best way to ease back into working a traditional job.
