If you’ve been out of the paid workforce for a few years (or many), confidence can be one of the hardest things to rebuild. Not because you’ve forgotten how to work, but because so much has changed. And the longer the gap, the more common it is to feel disconnected from your last job title.
For caregivers returning to work, remember this: your experience didn’t disappear during your career break. It evolved. Rebuilding confidence is less about becoming someone new and more about reconnecting with who you already are.
Here are some steps you can take to rebuild your professional confidence.
1. Take inventory of your full experience, including the unpaid roles
Caregiving develops skills that employers value, even if they weren’t learned in an office. Think about managing competing priorities with limited time, advocating for others, or making high-stakes decisions under pressure (check out this article for more examples). You don’t need to pretend caregiving is the same as a corporate role. But you can recognize how it strengthened abilities you already had.
2. Don’t wait for the confidence to take action
Confidence doesn’t return all at once. It grows through small, deliberate steps. Each one reminding you that you can still do this. Confidence comes from taking action, not from waiting until you feel ready, so give yourself permission to start where you are. Reach out to a former colleague. Practice talking about your career break. Sign up for the workshop you’ve been considering. One step at a time is enough.
3. Practice telling your story
One of the biggest confidence blockers is uncertainty about how to explain a career break. You don’t owe anyone your full life story, but a clear, concise explanation can go a long way. If you don’t have an elevator pitch yet, start crafting one now (here are some elevator pitch tips). Once you have your story or pitch, practice saying it out loud. Preparation is key to reducing self-doubt.
4. Adjust your expectations
A two-year break and a twenty-year break come with different emotional and practical challenges. If your break was shorter, confidence may return more quickly once you re-engage. If it was longer, rebuilding confidence can take more time, and that’s completely normal. Progress doesn’t need to be fast to be real. What matters is moving forward, not how quickly you get there.
5. Remember that confidence is contextual
Feeling unsure while job searching does not mean you lack confidence overall. It means you are navigating something unfamiliar. The discomfort many accomplished professionals experience when returning to work after a break is normal. It is simply a sign that you are stepping into new territory. Give yourself grace, rely on your experience, and focus on small wins.
So as you make your way back into the paid workforce, remember that you are not starting from zero. You are building on years of experience, skills, and resilience. With time, support, and practice, your confidence will grow again, one step at a time.