Joanna’s Job hunt goes to plan

There’s nothing Successful Mums loves more than a challenge. So when town planner Joanna told us she was unlikely to find local, flexible work in her chosen career, we set out to prove her wrong! Joanna shares her story here.

“Planning is quite a small field, so not that many jobs are available. I also had a lot of requirements because my children are still small. I wanted part-time hours and I didn’t want to travel too far, so I was looking for something in Bromley or Victoria.

My CV was really out of date and I felt I’d lost my drive. My last job was in Singapore but I’d been at home full-time with my children for about six years. I joined the Successful Mums Back to Work course because I almost needed someone to give me a kickstart! I needed some motivation.

Georgina, my tutor, knew exactly how to help. She’s very passionate about her job and, with her background in HR, she has so much great experience to share. Georgina gave me lots of little tasks to complete each week and then kept checking up on me to see how it was going, which was very useful. She helped me sort out my CV and do things like put together a LinkedIn profile.

When Bromley Council advertised for a part-time planner, the timing couldn’t have been better. My CV was ready, so it was easier to do the application form, and Georgina helped me prepare for the interview during our one-to-one session. We talked in quite a lot of detail about the interview structure and the sort of the questions that might come up, which really helped my confidence.

I got the job! It was my first interview for eight years, so I didn’t really imagine I’d get it – I just went in thinking it would be good experience. It still feels a bit unreal.

I’m enjoying the challenge of being back at work: I’m learning new things, the job is interesting and the money always helps. I’m working two and a half days a week, so it’s perfect for me. I can walk to work, which is brilliant, and my husband shares the school runs and the workload at home. My new colleagues are really helpful and my manager is very supportive, which makes my work-life balance so much easier. I couldn’t ask for more!”

If you’ve had a career break and are looking to return to work this year, Successful Mums can help you get work-ready. Book your place on our fully funded Back to Work course today.