Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Land a Returnship
Transcript
- Lucas: Luna, I want to talk about a specific program that I think is still underused by people returning after a career break, and it's the returnship. Luna: Returnship—say more. I've heard the term, but I think a lot of listeners might be fuzzy on what it actually is. Lucas: Right. So a returnship is essentially a structured internship for professionals who have been out of the workforce for a year or more. It's typically paid, lasts anywhere from 12 to 20 weeks, and the goal is a full-time job at the end. Think of it as an on-ramp, not a test. Luna: And it's not just for tech or finance, right? I feel like I've seen them in healthcare and even in nonprofits. Lucas: Absolutely. But today I want to zoom in on a specific case. There's a woman named Jennifer—I'll use her first name only—who was a marketing manager at a midsize consumer goods company before she stepped away for five years to raise twins. When she was ready to go back, she told me she felt like her skills were obsolete. She applied to dozens of jobs, got zero interviews. Luna: That's brutal, but so common. What did she do differently? Lucas: She found a returnship at JPMorgan Chase. Their program is called the ReEntry Program, and it's been around since 2016. She applied for a marketing role within their consumer bank division. The application didn't ask for a traditional resume. Instead, it focused on her experience managing complex projects and her familiarity with digital campaign tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud—tools she'd actually used before her gap, but had updated by taking a Coursera course. Luna: So they're looking for transferable skills, not a perfect chronological resume. That's smart. Lucas: Exactly. The interview process was also different. Instead of the usual behavioral questions—'tell me about a time you led a team'—she was given a case study. She had to build a mock campaign for a new credit card product. They gave her a week to prepare a presentation. That project-based assessment allowed her to demonstrate her thinking without being tripped up by the gap. Luna: And did she get the job? Lucas: She got the returnship. After 16 weeks, she was offered a permanent role as a marketing manager. She's now two years in. But here's the part I find most interesting: she told me the returnship itself was almost more valuable than the job offer. It gave her a safe space to rebuild her confidence, to make mistakes without the fear of being fired. Luna: The confidence piece is huge. I've spoken to returners who said the biggest barrier wasn't skills—it was feeling like an impostor. A returnship kind of gives you permission to be a beginner again. Lucas: That's exactly it. And companies benefit too. They get a pipeline of highly experienced talent that's often more mature, more motivated, and more loyal than a typical new hire. Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Microsoft, and even the federal government have these programs now. Luna: I want to ask about the practical side. How do you actually find these? Is there a central listing? Lucas: There are two great resources. One is Path Forward, a nonprofit that partners with companies to run returnships. They list opportunities from companies like PayPal, Uber, and Intuit. The other is iRelaunch, which has a job board and also runs conferences. But you can also just go directly to the careers page of large companies and search for 'reentry' or 'returnship'. Luna: And timing matters, right? I feel like these programs often have specific application windows. Lucas: Yeah, many are cohort-based. JPMorgan, for example, typically runs two cohorts a year—one in the spring and one in the fall. The fall cohort applications usually open around August or September. So if you're listening and thinking about a return, now—late June—is actually the perfect time to start preparing. Luna: That's a concrete action step. I love that. You know, before we go deeper, I want to acknowledge something. If you're getting value from this conversation, the way we keep this show ad-free is through listener support. If today gave you a useful idea or a specific next step, you can buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. And honestly, even a small gesture helps us keep the episodes focused and practical. Lucas: Yeah, and we mean that. We don't have to interrupt the show with ads because listeners like you make it possible. So thank you to anyone who's ever contributed. Now back to Jennifer's story—there's one more thing she mentioned that I think is worth unpacking. Luna: What's that? Lucas: She said the returnship forced her to confront the 'why' behind her gap. In the application, they asked her to write a brief statement about why she stepped away and why she was ready to come back. That exercise, she said, was therapeutic. It helped her articulate her narrative—not in a defensive way, but in a way that showed self-awareness. Luna: That's a really interesting point. Because I think many returners are afraid to even mention the gap, but here it's centered. It's almost like the gap becomes part of your value proposition. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a mindset shift. The gap isn't a black hole. It's a period where you developed skills like patience, resilience, multitasking—things that are actually highly valuable in the workplace. Companies that run returnships get that. They're not looking for someone with a perfect record; they're looking for someone with potential and a solid foundation. Luna: I'm also curious about the pay. Are returnships paid fairly, or is it a low-ball offer? Lucas: Most are paid at a competitive rate for the role. At JPMorgan, for example, returnship participants are typically paid a prorated salary comparable to a mid-level employee. It's not an internship stipend. And many companies offer benefits during the program. That said, it's not a guarantee of a full-time offer—but the conversion rate is high. I've seen numbers like seventy to eighty percent. Luna: That's reassuring. I think the fear of accepting a returnship and then being left hanging is real. Lucas: It is. But the data suggests companies invest in these programs because they want to retain the talent. It's cheaper and more effective than hiring externally. So it's a win-win. Luna: Let me ask you this: what if someone's gap is longer than five years? Like, ten years. Would a returnship still be an option? Lucas: Absolutely. The programs are designed for gaps of any length. In fact, some companies actually prioritize longer gaps because they see it as a sign of intentionality. I've spoken to a woman who returned after twelve years at home through Amazon's returnship program. She was in her late forties and got a role in project management. The key is to upskill just enough to show you're current—maybe take a certification in your field—but don't overdo it. Luna: That's great. So if you're listening and you've been out for a while, don't count yourself out. The door is wider than you think. Lucas: One last practical tip: when you apply, tailor your resume to highlight project-based work from your gap. Even if you weren't employed, you can frame volunteer roles, home renovation projects, or even managing a family budget as evidence of skills like budgeting, scheduling, and negotiation. Luna: That's a great reframe. I think a lot of parents undervalue the project management involved in running a household. Lucas: Exactly. So to sum up: returnships are a structured, paid pathway back to work. The application process is often more holistic than traditional hiring, and the success rate is high. For anyone listening who's been on the fence, I'd say: start by checking Path Forward and iRelaunch today. You have nothing to lose and a whole new career to gain. Luna: And if you have a returnship story of your own, we'd love to hear it. We might even feature it in a future episode. Lucas: Good idea. Alright, that's it for this one. Thanks for being here.