With both her boys at school, Yvonne had more time to find a new job. Find out how she landed her ideal role, with a little help from Successful Mums..

“Before having children, I worked at the Metropolitan Police Service in various roles including Witness Care Officer and Press Office based at New Scotland Yard. Since having our boys, I worked as a freelance first aid trainer, teaching over 800 people each year with lifesaving skills. I also volunteer as an instructor with the Army Cadet Force working with 12–18-year-olds to inspire them to achieve.

With both my boys in school I decided to find a job outside of my first aid teaching.  My attempts to find work since the pandemic were unsuccessful and I found it difficult to locate roles that were part-time and term-time only, which I needed as childcare options have been complicated and expensive.

I received a Successful Mums e-newsletter advertising their Back to Work and Digital Skills Course. It included tips for writing CVs, learning new digital skills and refreshing interview techniques. It sounded just like the help I needed and decided to register.

The course was enjoyable, inspiring and challenging, it was well worth the effort. I have made some great friends and learnt a lot about chairing virtual meetings and using online collaboration tools such as Padlet. The support and advice from the trainers and the mums on the course was fantastic.

I gained the confidence to apply for roles, even if I did not meet all of the essential criteria. This was a game changer for me as I then applied for jobs that I would have never considered before. I have learnt to believe in myself again.

I now work for the NHS in the mass vaccination centres in Kent as Admin Support to the vaccinators and pharmacy. I’m loving working in a team again and working towards such an important goal together. There is a real buzz at work that we are a small part of a big difference, making steps towards a brighter future where COVID is less dominant in our lives.

To any mum, looking to start their back to work journey, I would give them the advice that my 8-year-old son gave me, on my first day back to work, “Be Brave”. Those two words have made me step forward and introduce myself in staff briefings and volunteer for new roles that I haven’t tried before, and I’ve even offered to train new administrators. Just remembering to ‘be brave’ has transformed my working life.”