I took a two-year career break after being laid off in early 2024 to focus on my mental and physical health. I’ve worked hard to get my life back on track and feel ready to return to tech. But the job market has me wondering if I’ve hurt my career by stepping away for so long. As a woman in tech, the anxiety is getting to me. I know I don’t want to be a housewife—I want to get back to work and rebuild my career. Did I mess up my future, or can I still make a comeback?

likesmarthelpful
Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Honest truth: hearing about your personal health journey sounds great over after work drinks. Hearing about it in any context during hiring is a stack of red flags. Employers want to know you're stable, reliable, and qualified. Take some time now to re-cert or cert in related subjects. Do the same for the current LoB.

"I stepped away from employment to focus on other responsibilities while continuing personal growth and career training with the plan to return to the field. During that hiatus I stayed up on industry standard LoB such as ABC, and certified in XYZ. Through the course of which I am more than qualified to return to [offered position] for the right company fit. I'd love to hear how your company can be that fit and how I can put my skills to use with your team."

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Especially the part about focusing on "mental health", that will surely send employers running the other way. They want stable people in the right frame of mind and they're not going to take chances on those with self-proclaimed mental health issues. No offense intended, this is real world talk.

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You can’t go back, so you might as well just focus on moving forward. Good luck!

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Good for you for taking care of yourself! More people need to do this!

You didn’t mess up your future and you absolutely can make a comeback. Just by putting this out there you have already started that process. The market is tough right now for lot of reasons, some of which are more obvious than others, but there is no time like the present to just get out there and jump right in. You will likely go through a lot of iterations on your LI profile and resume/CV. You may also find yourself rethinking what it is that you want or need exactly.

Full disclosure, I‘m in a similar boat as you, but this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve stepped out of the theatre to grab a breath of fresh air. What these times have taught me is that I have as much power as any company and that a lot of the hiring process is about timing, relationships (your network), and plain old luck. I know this from both sides of the hiring table, as well. Sometimes it is just a matter of feeling like a person would be someone you would want to work with and don‘t forget this goes both ways.

I highly recommend joining a job search council (Look up “Never Search Alone”) for support and a bit of networking. These are free and you can find the book at the library.

You got this! The good people out there are rooting for you!

In solidarity,

Fellow Worker

likeuplifting

I stepped away when I was laid off in the early 2000s when the market was brutal. I ran my own non-tech business for 15 years but then sold it and came back to tech. You can do it because I did it.

The gender bias can be a challenge. That’s probably where your network can give you support because they can vouch for you and keep you going.

For me, I definitely used my network. But I also picked up a certification in my target field and then started studying for another one. I think the process helped to remind me that I *deserve* to be here. I’m laid off again and the job search is just as difficult, but the market in the US seems to be improving. Good luck!

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Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I’m determined to move forward and find something. I have realistic expectations that it might be a challenge, might have to take a lower role, lower pay and job search might be longer, but I will keep trying. I have one follow up question, should I list planned sabbatical on my resume? I have already taken a few certifications that I can list there. Or should I just not say anything about Sabattical on my resume? The reason I was leaning towards specifically calling out sabbatical so they don’t think that I’ve been actively looking and failed to get a job in the past two years.

likeuplifting

Personally, I don't see why taking a break or struggling to land a job should be looked at negatively. Imagine a world where everyone had a sabbatical to take care of themselves and their family.

As I understand it, any break in the timeline creates a question mark for the recruiter or the employer. So if you don’t mention the break, your application goes to the back of the line.

Take a breath. Then list the sabbatical as another role in the timeline. Put it in a good light with a title like "Professional Development Sabbatical (2024–2025)” and drop the certificates underneath the headline where it makes sense.

Question mark gone.

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You won't know if it hurt you until you start applying. I know people that never stopped looking for a job and it took them months. Some just retired.

I agree with he person that said just go forward. you can't undo the past. The important thing is your mental health.

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The odds of a comeback are not looking good in this market I'm afraid. Thousands upon thousands of highly experienced laid-off tech workers are struggling to find work - having a two year gap is going to put you at the back of the line.

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SSE1 absolutely now how it works. OP should update her resume to show she took time off for personal and health reasons. Even if someone was continuously working till yesterday doesnt mean their skills shine most than someone who took a break 2 years back. With AI some of the skillsets are becoming less relevant so the field gets levelled more. OPs skills could be relevant in the current market, maybe there is an employer who likes her experience. Unless she makes an attempt she would never know.

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Even if I have had 15+ yrs of experience prior to the break?

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Your story really resonates with me. I took time off as well to navigate loss, caregiving, and my own well-being—it wasn’t the right moment for a full-time role, but I used that time to sharpen my skills and invest in myself.

What helped most was reconnecting with my network and getting involved in in-person women’s groups for support and perspective. I also found value in exploring part-time and non-traditional opportunities while transitioning back.

And I completely agree—perimenopause is a significant and often underestimated life shift. While challenging, it’s ultimately made me stronger and more grounded in my work.

Wishing you the very best—there’s a strong community out there, and you’re not alone! Thank you for sharing.

likeuplifting

You may want to talk to a good recruiter that does contract to hire and direct hire - one that will help you and not dismiss you because you don’t have a job and/or they don’t have a current position to match with you. If they take time to know your story and find a that fits you.

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Comeback, strong…,

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Never EVER listen to the the negative posters here. First Psalm 139:14 (Hebrew "pala") says that you are uniquely made and second, Psalm 27:1 says, "you never know what a day will bring". How many times have I been a whistleblower? Norfolk Southern, Smithsonian, World Bank, (asked for a raise at IMF and fired), employee hit my car and HR conspired and was fired at defense contractor, fired at another defense contractor because they had no server or legal copy of windows (reported to DOD), fired at USDA because of b***** woman who harassed me and called my contractor to get me fired. I went to the USDA DC police 7 am and was PERP walked out at 11 am, stripped of clearance and put on a blacklist to the building. I had to call the local police on Senator Tim Kaine June 5 because his staff would not let me in his office to discuss my case with him (year old)......and you ask about "come back". I'm nearly finished writing a book on the flaws of AI and I'm living in a hotel. Tune your resume. Rewrite it. Apply to 10 jobs per day. Expand your search terms and stay away from AI to do ANY work for you. It's a total fraud and I have the goods. (freaking book is nearly writing itself with the altman/huang lies and problems people are finding.) Ignore these clowns. Get really good at SQL and ServiceNow. Analysis will be critical in the near future.

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There's a job for everybody to use their skill set and struggles to be able to find employment opportunities and thrive no matter what are difficult life situations and they throw at us don't give up

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It's probably nothing to do with you. The job market in IT really is a drag lately. Things may be improving a bit - time will tell.

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