Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Return as a Digital Marketing Manager
Transcript
- Lucas: So we get a lot of questions from listeners who spent years at home with kids and now want to re-enter marketing. It's one of those fields where people assume the tools change so fast that a five-year gap is basically career suicide. Luna: Yeah, there's this fear that if you don't know the latest platform or the newest ad manager interface, you're already obsolete. Lucas: Right. But today we're talking about Sarah Chen. She was a marketing coordinator before she had twins, took six years off, and came back as a Digital Marketing Manager at a B2B SaaS company. And her story is a really useful playbook. Luna: Six years. That's not a short gap. How did she even get interviews? Lucas: So the first thing she did—about a year before she planned to start applying—she got the Google Analytics Individual Qualification. It's free, it's respected, and it signals that you understand the measurement side of digital marketing. She also did a couple of HubSpot certifications, inbound marketing and email marketing. Luna: And those are things you can do while the kids are napping. I know a lot of parents do that. Lucas: Exactly. But the smartest move she made was a freelance project. A friend ran a small e-commerce store selling baby products, and Sarah offered to manage their Google Ads for three months. She set up conversion tracking, optimized the campaigns, and lowered their cost per acquisition by about 30 percent. Luna: So she had a real result to point to. Not just 'I took a course.' Lucas: Right. That project became the centerpiece of her portfolio. When she applied for the Digital Marketing Manager role at a company called WorkFlow—it's a project management SaaS—she led with that case study. She said, 'I took a brand from zero ad structure to a 30 percent lower CPA in three months.' Luna: And the hiring manager cared more about that than about where she worked six years ago. Lucas: Exactly. The other thing she did that I think is really clever—she reframed her gap in the cover letter. She didn't ignore it. She wrote something like, 'During my six-year career break, I stayed current with marketing trends through certifications and a freelance project, and I developed project management and multitasking skills that directly apply to this role.' Luna: So she owned it and connected it to the job. That's very different from just saying 'I took time off to raise kids.' Lucas: Yeah. And the interview itself—she told me she actually used an example from parenting when they asked about handling tight deadlines. She said, 'Coordinating a toddler's nap schedule with a preschool pickup taught me to prioritize and communicate under pressure.' Luna: That's honest and it's relatable. I think a lot of returners undersell those skills. Lucas: They do. Sarah told me that she initially hesitated to mention parenting at all, worried it would seem unprofessional. But the hiring manager later told her that her answer stood out because it was genuine. Luna: So what about the salary negotiation? A six-year gap usually puts you in a weaker bargaining position. Lucas: She did two things. First, she researched the market rate for digital marketing managers in her area—she used Glassdoor and talked to two former colleagues. Second, when they made an offer, she didn't just accept. She said, 'Based on my research and the value I can bring, I was hoping for something closer to X.' And she got a 10 percent bump. Luna: So she went in prepared. That's key. Because a lot of people think they have no leverage after a gap. Lucas: Right. And another thing—she asked for a flexible schedule from the start. She wanted to be able to pick up her kids at 3 PM. The company agreed, and it turned out that flexibility actually made her more productive. She worked from 7 AM to 3 PM and then logged back on after the kids were in bed if needed. Luna: That's the kind of arrangement that can really work if you're clear about it upfront. Lucas: Yeah. So the big takeaways from Sarah's story: one, pick one or two certifications that are actually recognized in the industry. Two, get a real project—even a small one—that gives you a measurable result. Three, own the gap and connect it to the job. And four, negotiate. You have more leverage than you think. Luna: And I'd add that if you're listening and you're in a similar spot, it's okay to start small. You don't have to go straight for a manager title. Sarah actually applied for a coordinator role at first, but the interviewer saw her potential and offered her the manager position instead. Lucas: That's a great point. And honestly, if we've helped you think through a career move or decision, that's exactly why we do this show. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's what keeps us ad-free and able to produce episodes like this one. Luna: Yeah, it's a small group, but it makes a huge difference. We really appreciate it. Lucas: So back to Sarah—she's been in the role for about six months now, and she told me the thing that surprised her most was how much her parenting experience actually helped her manage campaigns. She said, 'I'm used to optimizing on the fly, dealing with unexpected variables, and staying patient when things don't work right away.' Luna: That's a great reframe. The skills you build at home are real skills. Lucas: Absolutely. So if you're considering a return to marketing, or any field really, Sarah's path is a solid blueprint. And we'll link to the certification sites and a sample cover letter framework in the show notes. Luna: Next episode, we're going to talk about returning as a financial analyst after a career break. That's one we haven't covered yet. Lucas: Looking forward to it. Until then, keep building that comeback.