??? I’m not sure where this article suggested telling your boss where you’re going. You have no reason to do so, and, as stated in the article, you will almost always be asked to leave immediately so a 2-week notice is pointless.

Thanks, Brian! Really helpful tips.

I would give some type of more concrete reason for your absence – just say you were taking time off to study for an exam like the CFA while attending to “family issues,” and also learning Skills X and Y on the side. And then you also had the opportunity to do “free work” for Corporate Finance Boutique X (yes, definitely take that offer – just don’t spend a ton of time on it).

Thanks, Nicole. I got a few leads through personal contacts and I could probably make LinkedIn work better for me.

How do I go about justifying an absence from the industry for over a year now? Some recruiters have pointed out that I’ve been out for “quite a while now”.

Incidentally I have the option to do some “free” work for a corporate finance boutique just to boost my resume, kind of like an internship until I land a paying job. I have not taken that offer up as I worry it would sidetrack me from the job search and am not sure it would add much value to my resume as it would be mostly pitch-preparation and no actual deal work.

I’d make sure you have a decent LinkedIn profile and connect with people via LinkedIn. I’d also reach out to your previous connections and see if they can refer you to others who are hiring. Cold emailing may also help in your case.

I was planning to change my company in the future anyway, but it so happened that my immediate boss left while I was out on maternity leave and I was offered a handsome redundancy package (the alternative being to return and work for a not-so-handsome different boss). No bridges burnt, clean exit and enough money to live off for a while yet.

Well, I’ve been out for about a year and it’s proving exceptionally hard to get interviews, let alone offers! How do I tackle the “new-mum” stigma? I’m almost toying with the idea of hiding the fact that I had a child, just to get a foot in the door with an interview… Any tips greatly appreciated (and please no “are you sure you want back” comments – I know what I’m signing up for)

If the role requires notice then I’d give them notice. I’d still give them as much notice as you can possible can so they can be prepared. The key is to keep the connection/not burn bridges.

Yes, if they know you’re leaving, they may not be incentivised to pay you a big bonus if this is what you’re asking. It does depend on the team. Kudos on you for being honest though!