Returning after parental leave. You have more skills than you think.

Many people who want to return to work after parental leave talk about that time like a gap they have to explain. I see it completely differently, and I'm not saying that to be nice, but because that's what I see in practice.

Anyone who accompanies a child through the first years of life trains skills on the side that companies otherwise book expensive workshops for: prioritising under time pressure, de-escalating conflict, multitasking at a level no office job demands, and a resilience nobody would choose but which is real.

The mistake many make when returning: they apologise for the break instead of putting it in context. A CV with the bare gap 'parental leave 2023 to 2025' reads differently than one that briefly describes the responsibility and organisation handled in that time.

In the interview it helps to be concrete: an example where you had to prioritise under pressure. An example where you got up to speed on a new topic quickly, even if it was infant nutrition or a new childcare model. Those are transferable competencies, you just have to name them.

You're not coming back with a gap. You're coming back with an update few applicants bring. Present it as it is: as a strength.