Even the most ambitious and accomplished of HBS professionals will want, or need, to step back from business commitments to address more personal concerns, such as:

• Childcare and family growth
• Elder care and family commitments
• Unanticipated job loss, one’s own or a partners’
• Planned, yet premature retirement
• Re-examination of commitments, “soul searching”

Whether you anticipate a career break, or wish to position yourself favorably in the event of an unplanned job loss, you can take steps now to make re-entry as pain-free and seamless as possible. Key among these are:

Networking

Taking a break from a job should not mean disappearing from the marketplace. Continue to maintain and expand your network, both virtually (digital communities, like LinkedIn) and in-person.

Resume Maintenance

Make it a habit to document your career experiences and update your resume/CV, both in print and in your online profiles, so that your public persona reflects your personal experiences. Keeping your resume current allows you to remain relevant, regardless of where you are in your life and career path.

If you’re coming to the conclusion of a career break and wish to return to your career (or establish a new one), the following practices can facilitate a smoother transition:

Let others know

Go beyond networking to let everyone in your circles (family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues) know that you are actively looking for work and welcome referrals and recommendations. The more people who know, the greater your chances of finding fresh leads, insights, and ideas.

Conduct informational interviews

Return to your roots and remember to conduct interviews that may not (or probably will not) lead to a job, but can lead to greater understanding of the broader industry and/or specific companies or functions.

Stay current

Address concerns up front about your ability to stay current in both technology and in industry trends and developments. Your up-to-date knowledge and skills not only assure potential employers, but increase your confidence.

Highlight related experiences

Look beyond your career-related experiences to other areas – in family, community, hobbies and interests, and more – that demonstrate your ability to apply valuable business skills, like analytics, operational acumen, and strategic thinking, to multiple challenges and contexts.

Consider “returnship” programs

Search online, or tap your networking community, for more formal programs or coaching engagements that can reinforce your search with outside support and help.

There are many reasons alumni seek flexible or project based work opportunities. You may be looking to scale back, re-enter the workforce, supplement your current role, or take on projects following retirement. We recognize that each situation is unique and encourage you to meet with an HBS career coach in order to take a customized approach to finding the perfect fit.

In addition to meeting with a coach, we have compiled a list of resources for those re-entering the workforce and/or looking for project & flexible work opportunities.

Whether you are looking to scale back or considering re-entering the workforce, there are many reasons alumni seek flexible work opportunities. However, we recognize that it can be difficult to find a perfect fit. We encourage you to meet with an HBS career coach as we recognize that each situation unique and take a customized approach to help alumni with re-entry and flexible work opportunities.

In addition to meeting with a coach, we have also compiled a list of resources to help you in this process. Some of these resources seek to connect you with either part-time consulting roles or full-time positions and others aim to help enhance your skillset as you prepare to make your next move.

The programs below connect alumni from top business schools with flexible work opportunities and consulting projects at a variety of organizations:

• Business Talent Group
• Expert360
• GLG
• Guru
• Catalant
• MBACo
• Werk