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 Brand Strategist
Transcript
- Lucas: When Sarah Chen left her job as a marketing manager at a midsize CPG company in 2018, she fully expected to be back in eighteen months. Her twins were born, she had a solid plan — childcare lined up, part-time nanny, the works. Luna: And then the plan fell apart. Lucas: Exactly. Childcare fell through, then the pandemic hit, and suddenly it wasn't eighteen months — it was seven years. By the time she was ready to return, she'd been out since 2018. That's a full career gap by any standard. Luna: What's interesting is that she didn't go back into an entry-level role. She landed as a senior brand strategist at a well-regarded agency. How did she bridge that gap? Lucas: She did something really deliberate. She kept a toehold in the industry through a part-time consulting project for a local nonprofit. It was maybe five hours a week, but it gave her a current case study to talk about. And she built a portfolio of pro-bono brand strategy work for three small businesses in her community. Luna: So she had something to show, not just a resume with dates. Lucas: Right. When she started applying in late 2024, she had four recent projects she could walk into an interview and discuss — the strategy, the research, the results. She wasn't just talking about what she did in 2017. She was talking about what she did last quarter. Luna: I think that's the real barrier for a lot of parents returning — they feel like their skills have atrophied. But Sarah's approach proves you can keep them sharp without a full-time job. Lucas: Exactly. And she did something I found really clever — she created what she called a 'brand strategy refresh' framework for herself. Every quarter, she'd pick one major brand, do a full competitive audit, write up a three-page strategic memo, and share it on LinkedIn. Not as a job application — just as a way to keep her thinking current. Luna: That's a great habit. And it also served as a public portfolio. Recruiters could see her thinking. Lucas: And that's exactly how she got noticed. A recruiter at a boutique agency saw one of her memos, reached out, and she ended up in their interview pipeline. But here's the critical part — she didn't undersell herself. She negotiated for a senior title, not a mid-level one. Luna: Which is scary for a lot of people after a gap. You worry you're lucky to be considered at all. Lucas: Absolutely. But Sarah had a clear argument: 'I bring seven years of life management experience, plus strategic thinking that never stopped. I'm not a junior. I'm a senior who took a break.' And she had the work to back it up. Luna: What did her interview preparation look like? Did she have to relearn any tools? Lucas: She spent about a month refreshing her skills. Took a LinkedIn Learning course on the latest version of a key analytics tool, read two recent books on brand positioning, and practiced articulating her gap narrative. She said the hardest part was actually believing her own story — that her time away wasn't a liability but a different kind of asset. Luna: And the agency agreed with her. They hired her at senior level, and she's been there since February of this year. I read her LinkedIn post about the whole journey. Lucas: And if anything, her strategic instincts are sharper now. She told me that managing a household with twins forces you to prioritize ruthlessly, negotiate constantly, and think systemically — all skills that translate directly to brand strategy. Luna: I think that's a point that often gets lost in the conversation about career gaps. The experience you gain as a parent — project management, conflict resolution, financial planning — it's real professional development. But it doesn't show up on a traditional resume. Lucas: Exactly. And Sarah's story is a template for how to bridge that. Keep doing strategic work, even if it's pro bono. Build a visible portfolio. And then frame your gap honestly and confidently. You've got to own it. Luna: We talk a lot on this show about concrete tools people use to return. Sarah's 'brand strategy refresh' framework is one of the most specific I've heard. I think a lot of listeners could adapt that to their own field. Lucas: Absolutely. And look, this show exists because people like Sarah share their stories, and because a small community of listeners chips in to keep it going. If you've found value in episodes like this, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's what keeps us ad-free and focused on real, actionable stories. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing that adds up. We're grateful to everyone who does. Lucas: So back to Sarah — one thing she emphasized is that your network doesn't disappear when you take a gap. She reached out to former colleagues, attended two industry events virtually, and reconnected with a mentor who gave her critical advice on positioning. Luna: And that mentor told her to stop apologizing for the gap. That's a huge psychological hurdle. Lucas: It is. The moment she stopped leading with 'I've been out for seven years' and started leading with 'here's the strategic problem I solved last month,' the conversation shifted. She was no longer a candidate with a gap — she was a strategist with relevant, current work. Luna: What about the actual interview process? Any specific tactics she used? Lucas: She prepared a one-page document — not a resume, but a case study summary of her pro-bono projects. She brought copies to the interview. And she prepared answers to the gap question that were direct and forward-looking. Something like: 'I took time to focus on my family, and during that time I kept my skills current through consulting projects. I'm now fully ready to return, and I'm excited about the work you're doing in X area.' Luna: Short, honest, and turns the page. I like that. Lucas: Exactly. And she didn't over-explain. One or two sentences, then back to the substance. She said the best interview she had was one where the hiring manager said, 'I honestly forgot you had a gap after the first five minutes.' Luna: That's the goal — get them focused on your abilities, not your timeline. Lucas: So if you're listening and you're a marketer or a strategist thinking about returning, Sarah's playbook is: one, stay connected to the work in some way, even if it's small. Two, build a visible portfolio of current thinking. Three, reframe your gap as a period of growth, not absence. And four, negotiate for the level you deserve. Luna: And don't be afraid to ask for the senior title. The worst they can say is no. Lucas: Right. And if they say no, you can still take the job and prove yourself. But Sarah's case shows it's possible to come back at a higher level than you left — if you do the prep work. Luna: I think her story is especially relevant for creative fields where your portfolio matters more than your resume. The gap is almost invisible if you have great recent work. Lucas: Absolutely. And that's true beyond creative roles too. Any field where you can demonstrate current thinking — through writing, projects, speaking — you can bridge a gap. Sarah's approach is adaptable. Luna: So final thought — what's the one thing you'd want a listener to take away? Lucas: That a career gap doesn't have to be a reset button. With intentional maintenance and a confident narrative, you can return at a level that reflects your actual experience — not just the date on your resume. Luna: And that building a small habit like a quarterly brand audit can be the thing that keeps the door open. Lucas: Exactly. Thanks for listening, and we'll be back with another return story soon.