Finding work after a career break

Whether you’ve just been made redundant or have taken a few years’ career break, looking for a new job can be a complicated business these days since the whole landscape has changed with the advent of social media. There’s much more emphasis on self promotion and taking a proactive, creative approach. But well before all Continue reading..

Don't feel guilty

Working mums’ guilt gets a lot of airplay these days. There is no denying that you are pulled in different directions as a working parent – although, interestingly, dads are rarely asked about guilt, the assumption being that it is a female thing.  There are definitely certain crunch times when you may feel particularly torn. Continue reading..

Work + Family: the show

“I have been offered a full-time job which will require five day full-time work plus evening and weekend work at a management level. I want to negotiate two days a week working from home. I have been working in a similar role as a home-based consultant for the past 12 months so they know I Continue reading..

Elder care moves up the work agenda in 2014

It’s the new year and there’s been a lot in the news about how the elderly are coping through the winter. Many of them are reliant on their families looking after them and elder care is likely to be a growing issue in the UK over the next decades as the population ages. Since many Continue reading..

Leaning in works both ways

According to Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, equal parenting – or something close to it – is crucial for women’s career progression. She says: “As women must be more empowered at work, men must be more empowered at home…We all need to encourage men to lean in to their families.” It’s a theme which Continue reading..

Pulling women up the career ladder

Vanessa Vallely has made it to the top of her profession and is among a growing number of women who are, as Labour’s Yvette Cooper put it, ‘leaning out’ to paraphrase the popular book by Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. These are women who know first hand the barriers and challenges faced by women during their working Continue reading..

How retraining can change your life

Emma King wanted to progress up the career ladder, but as a young mother she didn’t want to time out of work to study. So she found the perfect solution. She started an apprenticeship in accounting while continuing to do her job at SRC Taxation Consultancy. Emma is a mum of two and had her son Joshua just Continue reading..

Home working: The future of employment?

Homeworking is becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons – cutting down on unnecessary commuting, being on hand for emergencies, being able to create the working conditions that suit you best… The Workingmums.co.uk annual survey shows that homeworking is the form of flexible working which would most encourage women to work full time after Continue reading..

Working mum guilt

Do you plead guilty to being a working mum? The issue of working mum guilt is the subject of many a survey or article in the media. Not a week passes when some celebrity or other does not ‘confess’ to feeling guilty that she works. Just recently it was Victoria Beckham’s turn… again. You wonder Continue reading..

Retail: working on the shop floor

Department stores, supermarkets, online boutiques: the retail industry has never been so diverse. Accounting for around 10% of all UK employment, it’s a major part of our economy and, despite recessions, looks set to continue to thrive. When it comes to career paths in the retail industry, options are manifold. From apprenticeships to graduate programmes, Continue reading..