You’re a mom, you’ve taken ample time off work to raise a family and you are now ready to return to the workforce. There is one problem: everything you knew about the job search has changed, and your skills need to be updated.

If this resonates with you, I have a solution to help you reenter the workforce with guidance while gaining relevant skills — without starting from ground zero.

At one point, the reality of becoming a mom meant deciding between raising a family and growing in your career. Flexibility for working moms was scarce, and growth opportunities were limited, which drove mothers to become homemakers/stay-at-home moms.

Fast forward to the present. The chance to thrive in both spaces professionally and personally has arrived, and I don’t know why this re-entry approach isn’t being talked about more! What am I talking about? Returnship programs!

Many organizations are realizing the worth of moms, understanding the importance of flexibility and becoming allies and mentors to aid career growth. They are forming new methods to help moms reenter the workforce without punishment for choosing to elevate their personal life over their professional life for an extended amount of time, and there are so many advantages to this trending approach.

Benefits of Returnship Programs

If you are a mom who has been removed from the workforce for 1 year or more, you understand the difficulties faced when deciding to reenter the space. You may battle with imposter syndrome, low confidence, guidance in the new process of connecting with recruiters, skill building, identifying roles with flexibility and much more. To overcome the above difficulties, mothers returning to work are opting into returnship programs to become reacquainted with the navigation of corporate America. By applying and getting accepted into these types of programs, some of the benefits include:

• Skill building – Learning and practicing new and relevant skills, applications, corporate systems and soft skills needed to excel in the workplace.
• Confidence booster – Gaining the confidence to apply your skills and knowledge to solve problems on the job and communicate your value through action-based tasks and results.
• Forming a village – Making connections with leadership, colleagues and mentors to help you navigate the workforce and guide your attention to roles that align with your newly developed skills.
• Identifying a lucrative career path – Understanding your strengths and your work interests so that you are targeting roles aligned with your future growth.

Returnship programs offer many more benefits, and I want you to take advantage of them all, so let’s talk about companies that actively promote and offer these opportunities.

4 companies that offer returnship opportunities?

Here are 4 companies that offer programs for moms to return to work without starting from scratch:

• Goldman Sachs
  • Goldman Sachs’s return-to-work program is known as the Goldman Sachs Americas Returnship. The program is a paid opportunity and will offer six months of hands-on experience in various areas to focus on strengthening technical skills and professional development. This program is available to any professional with at least five years of working experience who has been out of the workforce for two or more years. To learn about the application process and eligibility, please visit Goldman Sachs Americas Returnship.
• Accenture
  • Accenture’s return-to-work program is known as the Technology Returnship Program. This paid opportunity offers a 16-week focus on the newest technologies and methodologies, such as Cloud, AI, DevOps and Agile. This program is available to professionals who have been out of the workforce for at least 18 months. To learn about the application process and eligibility, please visit Accenture’s Technology Returnship Program.
• Hubspot
  • Hubspot’s return-to-work program is known as the HubSpot Returners Program. The company does not mention this being a paid opportunity, but the value and confidence you will receive to reenter the workforce is a great incentive to apply. It is a 20-week program that helps you upgrade your skills, offers meaningful insight into current workforce development and knowledge, and offers an opportunity to join the organization full-time depending on performance and availability. This program is available to professionals who have been out of the workforce for two years or more. To learn about the application process and eligibility, please visit Hubspot’s Returners Program.
• Intuit
  • Intuit’s return-to-work program is known as The Intuit Again returnship program. This program has a technology focus and runs for 16 weeks. This is not a paid opportunity, but you may receive a per-diem. While completing the program, you will receive one-on-one mentorship, career development opportunities with management and leadership professionals, and the opportunity to convert to a full-time employee upon successfully completing the program. This program is available to professionals who have been out of the workforce for two years or more. To learn about the application process and eligibility, please visit The Intuit Again returnship program.

If you’re a mom who has taken a career break for at least 18 months to focus on personal growth and you’re considering returning to the workforce, I would encourage you to start your journey with returnship programs.

These programs are designed to support your skill-building journey, help you gain a career focus and elevate your career to new levels. They have proven to be very successful for moms and have developed a reputation for providing career satisfaction and retention in the workplace. You don’t have to take this journey alone. Support is here to help you gain success, so take advantage of the opportunities presented. Good luck, personally and professionally.

Javonda Harris is an Atlanta-based brand marketer and corporate subject matter expert sharing tips on motherhood, marriage and life motivation.