Company: Wells Fargo
Role: Lead Infrastructure Engineer
What were you doing prior to your break and what prompted you to return? Before my break, I was working with Oracle and had over 20 years of professional experience. However, due to outsourcing, I was unfortunately laid off. At that time, I decided to take some time to rest and focus on my own self-care. During that time I also stayed focused on the future and explored starting a business. After a break of about four and half years, I decided to return to the workforce due to the instability of self-employment.
How did you prepare for your return to work? After I decided I would return to the workforce, I spent a lot of time learning and researching. I explored the types of databases being used now and how they have evolved since I was last in the workforce. I also took some online classes around cloud program languages, HTML, data structures and algorithms.
What was your experience of returning to work at Wells Fargo like? I spent about six months upskilling before I started applying for jobs. I initially started by applying to full-time roles, but realized quickly that my gap was causing me to be screened out immediately. That is when I decided to apply for returnships and found the Glide program at Wells Fargo. While the application process for the program was straight-forward, mentally, it was tough. I struggled with confidence and doubted myself and ability to return to work. To help overcome this, I tapped into skills I developed earlier in my career. I focused on being welcoming, excited and curious during my customer calls. It was really those soft skills that helped me get my confidence back.
What did you find most helpful about being part of the Glide – Relaunch USA program? The Glide program really helped prepare me to be a leader. It is easy to get lost in a big company, but people I met in Glide taught me how to stay focused, network, and make an impact. It also allowed me to meet and collaborate with people from other lines of business.
What has been the most exciting part of returning to work? It has been great to work in the office a few times a week. When I started my job search, I was strictly focused on remote roles. But with my role at Wells Fargo being hybrid, I was really surprised at how much I enjoy going into the office and interacting with my new colleagues in person.
What advice do you have for future returners? I have a few pieces of advice for anyone thinking about returning to work.
- Keep learning while you are searching so you are the best you can be when you return.
- Remember that there may be setbacks along the way, but you need to stay positive.
- Be aware of negative thoughts so you can stop them and change your internal narrative right away.
- Don’t hesitate to apply. What do you have to lose by applying?