The 2025 Guide to Landing a Returnship After a Career Break

Has your career path taken a detour? Whether you stepped away to raise children, care for a family member, pursue education, travel, or simply needed a mental health break, getting back into the professional world can feel daunting. But here’s the good news: returnships are opening doors for career returners in unprecedented ways in 2025.

A returnship—a paid, professional program designed specifically for individuals with significant work experience who have taken a career break—could be your ideal pathway back into the workforce. Unlike traditional internships aimed at students or recent graduates, returnships recognize your professional experience while giving you the opportunity to refresh your skills, rebuild your confidence, and restart your career.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about landing a returnship in 2025: which companies offer them, how to position yourself as an ideal candidate, what to expect during the application process, and how to leverage your returnship into a permanent role. By the end, you’ll have a clear roadmap to relaunch your career successfully.

What is a Returnship and Why It Matters in 2025

A returnship is a professional reentry program specifically designed for mid-career professionals who have taken an extended break from the workforce. The term was first coined by Goldman Sachs in 2008, but returnships have since expanded across industries as businesses recognize the untapped talent pool of experienced professionals looking to return to work.

Typically structured as paid programs lasting from a few weeks to a year, returnships offer a combination of meaningful work assignments, training to refresh skills, mentoring, and networking opportunities. They serve as a bridge back to professional life, allowing returners to update their skills and employers to evaluate potential permanent hires.

In 2025, returnships have become increasingly mainstream, with more companies launching programs across diverse sectors. This growth has been fueled by several factors:

1. Recognition of the business value of diverse perspectives
2. Post-pandemic normalization of career breaks
3. Tight labor markets requiring creative talent acquisition strategies
4. Greater awareness of the challenges faced by those returning to work

Why returnships matter: Career breaks no longer carry the stigma they once did. Companies have recognized that hiring experienced professionals who took career breaks brings valuable diversity of thought, life experience, and problem-solving approaches to their teams. For returners, these programs offer a supportive on-ramp back to professional life, addressing concerns about outdated skills and employment gaps.

When planning your return to work, it’s essential to identify which skills need refreshing to remain competitive in today’s job market. Our article on 30+ Best Skills to Put on a Resume can help you identify the most valuable skills for your industry in 2025.

Who Qualifies for a Returnship?

While requirements vary by program, most returnships share some common eligibility criteria:

• Professional experience: Typically 2-10+ years of work experience before your career break
• Length of career break: Usually a minimum of 1-2 years away from the workforce
• Education: Most require a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Career stage: Generally aimed at mid-career professionals rather than entry-level or executive positions

Common reasons for career breaks that returnships are designed to address include:

• Caregiving responsibilities (children, aging parents, or family members)
• Personal health challenges
• Further education or retraining
• Relocation or accompanying a spouse on an international assignment
• Volunteer work or pursuit of personal projects

Industries with active returnship programs include:

• Financial services
• Technology
• Engineering and manufacturing
• Professional services (consulting, accounting, legal)
• Healthcare and pharmaceuticals

Are you a good candidate for a returnship? Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you have significant professional experience before your career break?
• Has your break lasted at least one year?
• Are you looking to return to a similar field or leverage transferable skills in a new direction?
• Could you benefit from a structured program to reintegrate into the workforce?
• Are you able to commit to a full-time or part-time program for several months?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, a returnship could be an ideal path for your career relaunch.

Top Returnship Programs in 2025

The returnship landscape has expanded significantly, with programs available across various industries and regions. Here’s a snapshot of leading returnship programs in 2025:

Financial Services Returnships:

• Goldman Sachs Returnship: The original returnship program continues to lead the way with its 12-week paid program for professionals with 2+ years of career breaks.
• J.P. Morgan ReEntry Program: This 15-week fellowship runs from April to July, targeting professionals with at least two years away from the workforce.

Technology Returnships:

• Amazon’s Returnship Program: Amazon’s program focuses on helping professionals return to tech roles through their 16-week returnship.
• IBM Tech Re-Entry Program: IBM’s program helps tech professionals who have taken career breaks of 12+ months reboot their skills with current technologies.

Manufacturing and Engineering:

• General Motors Take 2 Program: A 12-week program focused on engineering, manufacturing operations, finance, and IT roles.
• Eaton ReSurge Returnship: A 12-month paid program developed in partnership with the Society of Women Engineers and iRelaunch.

Most returnship programs follow a similar structure:

• Duration: Typically 12-16 weeks, though some extend to 6-12 months
• Compensation: Most are paid positions with competitive salaries
• Format: Combination of real work assignments, training, and mentorship
• Outcomes: Many programs boast conversion rates of 50-80% to permanent positions

When researching programs, pay attention to application timelines. Many returnships have specific application windows that open only once or twice a year, so planning ahead is crucial.

Preparing Your Application for a Returnship

A strong returnship application addresses the elephant in the room—your career gap—while highlighting your relevant experience and enthusiastic readiness to return. Here’s how to prepare application materials that will stand out:

Updating your resume after a career break:

1. Choose the right format: Consider a functional or hybrid resume format that emphasizes skills over chronological work history.
2. Address the gap directly: Include your career break in your employment history with a brief, positive explanation. Example: Career Break (2020-2024) Dedicated time to family caregiving while maintaining industry knowledge through online courses and volunteer consulting for local non-profits.
3. Highlight recent learning: Include any courses, certifications, or volunteer work that kept your skills fresh.
4. Showcase transferable skills: Emphasize skills gained during your break, such as project management, budgeting, or communication skills developed through volunteer work.
5. Quantify past achievements: Remind employers of your professional accomplishments with concrete metrics from your pre-break experience.

Creating an optimized resume is easier than ever with AI tools. Our guide on 25 ChatGPT Resume Prompts provides specific prompts that can help you craft compelling resume content, particularly for addressing career gaps strategically.

Cover letter strategies:

Your cover letter is the perfect place to tell your career narrative, including why you took a break and why you’re passionate about returning now.

• Be confident: Frame your career break as a purposeful chapter in your professional story, not an apology.
• Connect past to present: Draw clear lines between your previous professional experience and the returnship role.
• Express enthusiasm: Convey genuine excitement about the specific returnship program and company.
• Address concerns proactively: Briefly mention how you’ve kept your skills current.

Interview Guys Tip: When explaining your career gap, keep the explanation brief and positive, then pivot quickly to your enthusiasm for returning to work and the value you bring.

The Returnship Interview Process

Returnship interviews often differ from traditional job interviews because employers are specifically looking for returners and understand the challenges of career breaks. However, you’ll still need to address concerns about your readiness to return.

Common returnship interview questions:

• “Tell me about your career path, including your break.”
• “What have you done to keep your skills current during your time away?”
• “How has your perspective changed since your career break?”
• “What challenges do you anticipate in returning to work?”
• “Why are you interested in our returnship program specifically?”
• “How will you manage the transition back to work?”

Addressing concerns about outdated skills:

• Focus on foundational skills and knowledge that remain relevant
• Highlight recent training or self-education efforts
• Emphasize your ability to quickly learn new technologies or methodologies
• Showcase examples of adaptability from your pre-break experience

Demonstrating commitment:

Employers investing in returners want to ensure you’re committed to restarting your career. Show your commitment by:

• Researching the company thoroughly
• Connecting the returnship to your long-term career goals
• Discussing specific arrangements you’ve made to facilitate your return to work
• Expressing enthusiasm for the field and recent developments

Interview Guys Tip: Practice your “career break explanation” until it’s concise, positive, and natural. This builds confidence and ensures you don’t get flustered when discussing your time away from the workforce.

Building Your Skills Before Applying

The time before you apply for returnships is valuable for refreshing your knowledge and rebuilding professional connections. Here’s how to prepare effectively:

Technical skill refreshment:

• Identify industry-specific platforms or tools that have emerged during your break
• Complete relevant online courses through platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or edX
• Earn certifications that demonstrate current knowledge
• Practice with free or trial versions of industry software

Networking for returners:

• Reconnect with former colleagues and managers
• Join industry-specific groups on LinkedIn and participate in discussions
• Attend virtual or in-person industry events
• Connect with alumni networks from your educational institutions

Professional organizations supporting returners:

• iRelaunch
• Path Forward
• Women Back to Work
• Society of Women Engineers’ STEM Re-entry Task Force

Demonstrating continued engagement:

• Volunteer for projects utilizing your professional skills
• Contribute to open-source projects (for tech roles)
• Write articles on industry topics
• Participate in relevant community or professional organizations

Understanding how your existing skills transfer to current roles is crucial. Our Career Change Resume Skills Transferability Matrix can help you identify and articulate how your previous experience applies to today’s workplace, even after a career break.

Making the Most of Your Returnship

Once you’ve secured a returnship, maximize this opportunity to rebuild your career by approaching it strategically:

Set clear objectives:

• Define what success looks like for you beyond simply getting hired permanently
• Identify specific skills you want to strengthen
• Set networking goals (number of new connections, informational interviews, etc.)
• Establish metrics to track your progress and achievements

Build relationships strategically:

• Find both formal mentors and informal champions
• Connect with fellow returners for mutual support
• Build relationships across departments to understand the organization better
• Schedule regular check-ins with your manager to discuss progress and get feedback

Create a learning plan:

• Identify knowledge gaps early and develop a plan to address them
• Take advantage of all training resources offered by the program
• Ask for stretch assignments that will demonstrate your capabilities
• Document your learning and accomplishments for future interviews

Conversion strategies:

• Treat every day as part of an extended job interview
• Seek feedback regularly and act on it promptly
• Identify and solve problems beyond your assigned responsibilities
• Express your interest in permanent employment clearly but professionally
• Prepare for conversion interviews as thoroughly as you would for a new position

Interview Guys Tip: Keep a daily journal during your returnship documenting projects, achievements, and new skills. This will be invaluable for conversion interviews or future job applications if you need to move on.

Success Stories: Real Returnship Journeys

Learning from those who have successfully navigated returnships can provide inspiration and practical insights:

Lori Taylor, Goldman Sachs: Lori participated in Goldman Sachs’ Returnship program in 2015 after attending an iRelaunch Return to Work Conference. She had significant experience in banking and financial services before taking a career break. Following her returnship, she advanced quickly, moving from the returnship to a Managing Director role in less than five years. She currently serves as the head of America’s corporate lending and derivatives in Credit Risk at Goldman Sachs. In her own words, the returnship “reopened the door” to her career after a long break.

Richa Vijay, Amazon: After working for more than six years in India’s banking sector, Richa took a nine-year career break following a move to the USA and the birth of her daughter. When she was ready to return to work, she discovered returnship programs through iRelaunch. She applied to Amazon’s Returnship program and was accepted. During her career break, she had upskilled by taking analytics courses to build on her core financial analysis skills. Amazon’s program was particularly appealing because it evaluated her potential and learning rather than focusing on her career gap.

Sherri Ruhl, Trimble: Sherri took a 16-year career break from her role as director of technology at the Houston Symphony when she had her second child. Her break included time for childcare, eldercare, and managing multiple family relocations. When ready to return, she completed a returnship at Trimble and now works full-time as a business analyst. During her returnship, she valued the community formed with her returnship cohort and the opportunity to apply the skills she had maintained during her break.

These success stories share common elements:

• Utilizing support networks and resources (like iRelaunch or Path Forward)
• Upskilling during or before the returnship
• Building relationships during the program
• Approaching the returnship with confidence despite initial uncertainty

Alternatives to Formal Returnship Programs

While formal returnships offer structured support, they’re not the only path back to professional life. Consider these alternatives:

Direct hire opportunities for returners:

• Some companies like Dell and Farmers Insurance offer direct hire programs specifically for career returners
• These programs typically provide additional onboarding and support but place you directly into a permanent role

Freelancing as a transition strategy:

• Platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and industry-specific freelance sites offer opportunities to build recent work samples
• Contract roles can provide flexibility as you readjust to working life
• Success in freelance projects can build confidence and provide recent work examples

Creating your own returnship experience:

• Approach smaller companies that may not have formal programs but could benefit from your experience
• Propose a short-term, project-based role that could evolve into a permanent position
• Clearly articulate the value of your experience and fresh perspective

Entrepreneurship:

• Consider whether skills developed during your career break could translate into a business opportunity
• Entrepreneurship offers flexibility and control as you reintegrate professional responsibilities
• Even if not a long-term solution, entrepreneurial ventures demonstrate initiative to future employers

Conclusion and Next Steps

Returning to work after a career break is challenging, but returnships have created a structured pathway that recognizes both your previous experience and the value of your time away from the workforce. As these programs continue to expand across industries in 2025, they offer an unprecedented opportunity to relaunch your career with support and mentorship.

Your next steps:

1. Research programs in your industry and target location
2. Identify and begin addressing skill gaps
3. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile to reflect both your previous experience and time away
4. Reconnect with your professional network
5. Prepare your career break narrative
6. Apply to programs that align with your goals and timeline

Remember that employers offering returnships are actively seeking professionals like you. They recognize the unique perspectives and mature skills you bring. Approach your return to work with confidence, knowing that your career break is just one chapter in your professional story—not the end of it.

Your experience, combined with the fresh perspective gained during your break, makes you a valuable asset to forward-thinking employers. With preparation, confidence, and the right opportunity, your career relaunch can open doors to professional fulfillment and success that builds on all facets of your experience.

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