Can’t find a return to work job

FeckedInFrance · 2025-09-16T13:18:09+00:00

Simply that really. Had a “high profile” job in the media, left to live abroad for DH’s career and raise DCs. Managed a few part time roles along the way, nothing in my industry, PA, teaching English etc just to keep my brain ticking over rather than more money. But now I’m in a position where DH has been made redundant and I need to go back to work for money. Only I cannot secure a job. I am applying for everything. Just been refused for a job as a dinner lady, grateful to receive an actual reply as I have applied to so many positions and received nothing more than an automated ‘thanks for applying’ response. We’re London based, I’m almost 50. I have no more energy to cry. Any help or support is welcome.

TutTutTutSigh · 16/09/2025 22:22

Have you tried recruitment agencies? I job hunted earlier this year, sent loads of applications on indeed, one was advertised through an agency and they called me, set up 3 interviews within a week and I got 2 offers. Good luck, it's tough out there.

Sixtimesnow · 16/09/2025 22:37

Jobs I know have been hard to fill recently are anything to do with social work or child services at the council. Often there are admin roles or trainee roles for family support type things. Also back to work coaches at the job centre. The civil service has a lot of jobs advertised.

Becausemymumtoldmeso · 16/09/2025 22:40

Have you tried applying for 111 call handling- great rates of pay, flexible hours, paid training and often the chance to work hybrid after 6 months! There are a lot of social enterprises that come under 111 call handling so may appear as a business name when searching on indeed etc

Ownyourchoices · 17/09/2025 02:59

If you are talking 15 years or so out of your industry then yes you need to look elsewhere but I would go back to the basic skills that landed you there - communication, written and oral. Dealing with people, multi-tasking.Can you look up old colleagues for opportunities? Is your husband looking just as hard as you?

TheGreatWesternShrew · 17/09/2025 03:01

Yeah the media is a bit shot right now. We’re leaving it in droves… hundreds redundant last year, a few hundred more redundancies coming in the next few months. Stagnant pay, freelance drying up.
Lots of journos are retraining elsewhere.

Lafufufu · 17/09/2025 03:14

I dont know if this helps or not but even for people who have stayed in work the market is pretty brutal. I last interviewed in 2019 and was unpleasantly shocked!!!

Media and advertising is tough right now there are jobs but huge competition you need to be a fairly perfect match to land roles.

You are also an an age demo that is discriminated against / disliked. Very very crudely you're viewed as expensive but out of touch. (Recruiters have directly said this - its their words not mine)

Your dh has a much better chance of getting an equivalent role so should be applying aggressively. He needs to be at it morning noon and night and he should use AI to check his ATS score vs the Job descriptions before applying and optimising his CV (sensibly). Any expectation by either of you that you'll walk back into a job paying X after over a decade as a trailing spouse is unfair and unrealistic.

Back to you....
In your shoes I'd be having coffees with people I used to work with as peers or a subordinate and seeing if I can get hired in under them as part of their team. Eg Someone newish (under 18m) in role as global head of blah will want "trusted people" they've worked with before in the team not just 25 "strangers". You might be able to make yourself useful.

You wont get anywhere with cold applications of your cv imo, the market is too competitive right now so id be "leveraging my network" I know it feels cringe but you just have to lean into it.

Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:26

Becausemymumtoldmeso · 16/09/2025 22:40

Have you tried applying for 111 call handling- great rates of pay, flexible hours, paid training and often the chance to work hybrid after 6 months! There are a lot of social enterprises that come under 111 call handling so may appear as a business name when searching on indeed etc

Thank you for this. According to NHS site no opportunity right now but I’ll keep checking

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Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:27

TutTutTutSigh · 16/09/2025 22:22

Have you tried recruitment agencies? I job hunted earlier this year, sent loads of applications on indeed, one was advertised through an agency and they called me, set up 3 interviews within a week and I got 2 offers. Good luck, it's tough out there.

I’ve tried recruiting agencies in the media but nothing comes up. Not tried a general recruiting agency yet.

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Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:29

Sixtimesnow · 16/09/2025 22:37

Jobs I know have been hard to fill recently are anything to do with social work or child services at the council. Often there are admin roles or trainee roles for family support type things. Also back to work coaches at the job centre. The civil service has a lot of jobs advertised.

Thanks. Yes I am on the council and gov recruitment pages and applied for several jobs but heard nothing back. Their applications are extensive so no hear backs are frustrating when I’ve spent several hours on an application. But still trying

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Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:32

Ownyourchoices · 17/09/2025 02:59

If you are talking 15 years or so out of your industry then yes you need to look elsewhere but I would go back to the basic skills that landed you there - communication, written and oral. Dealing with people, multi-tasking.Can you look up old colleagues for opportunities? Is your husband looking just as hard as you?

DH is trying very hard. Been to the final stages of several positions but his industry is struggling so he hasn’t been successful with a job because the company has curtailed their plans rather than decided DH isn’t quite right. On top of that he is 50, so been rejected outright a few times.

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Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:35

Ownyourchoices · 17/09/2025 02:59

If you are talking 15 years or so out of your industry then yes you need to look elsewhere but I would go back to the basic skills that landed you there - communication, written and oral. Dealing with people, multi-tasking.Can you look up old colleagues for opportunities? Is your husband looking just as hard as you?

Thanks for the tips. You’re right about my skills; communication, patience, multitasking…I thought these would translate to general office positions, still hope…

OP posts:

Sitdowny · 17/09/2025 07:37

Childcare agency

Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:42

Lafufufu · 17/09/2025 03:14

I dont know if this helps or not but even for people who have stayed in work the market is pretty brutal. I last interviewed in 2019 and was unpleasantly shocked!!!

Media and advertising is tough right now there are jobs but huge competition you need to be a fairly perfect match to land roles.

You are also an an age demo that is discriminated against / disliked. Very very crudely you're viewed as expensive but out of touch. (Recruiters have directly said this - its their words not mine)

Your dh has a much better chance of getting an equivalent role so should be applying aggressively. He needs to be at it morning noon and night and he should use AI to check his ATS score vs the Job descriptions before applying and optimising his CV (sensibly). Any expectation by either of you that you'll walk back into a job paying X after over a decade as a trailing spouse is unfair and unrealistic.

Back to you....
In your shoes I'd be having coffees with people I used to work with as peers or a subordinate and seeing if I can get hired in under them as part of their team. Eg Someone newish (under 18m) in role as global head of blah will want "trusted people" they've worked with before in the team not just 25 "strangers". You might be able to make yourself useful.

You wont get anywhere with cold applications of your cv imo, the market is too competitive right now so id be "leveraging my network" I know it feels cringe but you just have to lean into it.

Edited

Thanks for this. I have already tried leveraging my existing contacts but not much has come of it. I worked in quite an international role so most of the colleagues I can still connect with are no longer London based or have had career changes eg. my lovely ex boss runs a yoga studio in Bali now. The industry has been brutal to everyone. Did think to cold email my old HR departments and see whether they can offer anything but I am not expecting a job in that industry at all rather the opportunity to enter a new industry and leverage the glamorous reputation of my old industry to get a foot in a door. Sadly that hasn’t quite worked out yet.

OP posts:

NeedToKnow101 · 17/09/2025 07:44

Look at jobs in FE colleges. Teaching, support work, or admin. There are jobs there.

Lafufufu · 17/09/2025 08:06

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 07:42

Thanks for this. I have already tried leveraging my existing contacts but not much has come of it. I worked in quite an international role so most of the colleagues I can still connect with are no longer London based or have had career changes eg. my lovely ex boss runs a yoga studio in Bali now. The industry has been brutal to everyone. Did think to cold email my old HR departments and see whether they can offer anything but I am not expecting a job in that industry at all rather the opportunity to enter a new industry and leverage the glamorous reputation of my old industry to get a foot in a door. Sadly that hasn’t quite worked out yet.

Show quote history

Erghhh thats shit.

Can you hit up clients? Or any HR people you worked with... ? Or see if anyone in your network can connect you with anyone still in the industry?
Also worth trying headhunter recruiters in your specialism they will likely be able to give you solid advice / direction and give a view on if its realistic to get back in.

Please continue to remind yourself this is a failure in how employment/ recruitment industry is structured - not a shortcoming or lack of effort on your side.

Are there any services you offer on somewhere like Fiverr?
PR/ marketing advice for small businesses, Tutoring, Teaching English ( you have experience?)
Also see about teaching / lecturinflg in colleges/ unis ?

Probably not a first choice but could you / would you do cleaning? (people will pay £25ph for a cleaner in z1 and 2)

SingtotheCat · 17/09/2025 08:06

Have a look at the police staff job pages on your local force website.

GOODCAT · 17/09/2025 08:10

Also try temping agencies as a way in. You might only get a few days work to start with, but if the feedback is good and you are flexible the agency will keep using you and it gets your foot in the door.

wonkymonkey · 17/09/2025 09:46

Morgan Stanley are running a return to work scheme in various departments. Candidates must have had a career break for at least two years. Might be worth having a look at their careers page. Good luck!

Itisabeautifulday · 17/09/2025 10:30

I read that Easyjet is recruiting 1000 air crew; it is not the sane but a job is a job. I will consider it if I can’t get a job in my profession after 6 months,

Teacher Assistant, child minder, dog walker?

Uber driver for your husband? Delivery driver?

I know it is depressing but there seem to be lots of competitions for jobs.

PeanutGallerist · 17/09/2025 10:36

I can suggest two things:

A proper careers service that can help you make the most of your qualifications, skills and experience.
A fresh qualification to plug you into a world of new contacts. Careers advice would help with this.

Itisabeautifulday · 17/09/2025 10:37

Me friend use a website and do temping jobs in a nursery.

Panicmode1 · 17/09/2025 10:51

Huge sympathies - we were in the same boat (still are actually as DH (senior marketing) was made redundant 14 months ago and despite 100s of applications is still looking).

I had given up my professional career to be a SAHM but had done a lot of professionally adjacent part time work and volunteering whilst raising the children, so I signed on with several generalist recruiters and managed to get a PA job quite quickly which surprised me! I've actually just started a new job back in my old profession having researched 'returnships'. There are some organisations that are open minded about recruiting those of us in our early 50s.....good luck!

Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 11:05

SingtotheCat · 17/09/2025 08:06

Have a look at the police staff job pages on your local force website.

Thank you. Hadn’t thought about the Police. There are vacancies so I’m applying!!

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Original poster

FeckedInFrance · 17/09/2025 11:14

Itisabeautifulday · 17/09/2025 10:30

I read that Easyjet is recruiting 1000 air crew; it is not the sane but a job is a job. I will consider it if I can’t get a job in my profession after 6 months,

Teacher Assistant, child minder, dog walker?

Uber driver for your husband? Delivery driver?

I know it is depressing but there seem to be lots of competitions for jobs.

Edited

Already applied to EasyJet and they are recruiting for next summer but not yet active so currently waiting. Also tried BA but nothing at the moment.

I’ve tried dog walking. It was a short lived career, just one week. One trip to A&E and a tetanus vaccination later I decided not to continue.

Thanks for your help, thanks everyone I feel so much better having shared my dilemma. I’ll get there, will keep you posted, Police jobs require loooooooong applications so working on that today

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PeanutGallerist · 17/09/2025 11:18

You may find it useful to browse the Mature Study and Retraining board:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students