Returning to work
Returning to Work CV example (UK)
A UK CV for returning to work after a career break, maternity leave or caring: how to show the break, refresh your skills and sound ready to start.
Example CV profile
Experienced office administrator returning to work after a [six]-year career break to raise my family. [Eight] years' experience in busy admin and accounts teams, including diary management, purchase ledger and supplier queries. Recently completed [Microsoft 365 / bookkeeping] training and volunteered as treasurer for [school PTA]. Looking for a [part-time / full-time] administration role, available [days or hours].
Key skills to include (if true for you)
- Diary and inbox management
- Purchase ledger and invoice processing
- Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams)
- Handling customer and supplier queries by phone and email
- Budgeting and record keeping
- Organising events and meetings
- Prioritising competing deadlines
- Working with confidential information
Example experience bullet points
- Career break, [Sep 2019 – Aug 2025]: Raised my family. Treasurer for [school PTA] (2022–2025), keeping accounts and reporting to the committee each term.
- Office administrator, [company], [2014 – 2019]: Managed diaries and travel for [three] directors and organised monthly board meetings.
- Processed supplier invoices on [Sage / Xero] and chased missing purchase orders, keeping the ledger up to date for month end.
- First point of contact for customer queries by phone and email, logging and resolving issues or passing them to the right team.
- Trained [two] new starters on the company's filing and invoicing procedures.
- Accounts assistant, [company], [2011 – 2014]: Entered sales invoices, reconciled the petty cash and helped prepare VAT records.
Illustrative only. Replace with your own real roles, dates and results — never copy experience you don't have.
Education & training
- [Microsoft 365 / Excel] online course – [provider], [2025]
- [AAT Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping] – [college], [year] (only if held)
- [A levels / degree] in [subject] – [school / university], [year]
Keywords UK recruiters screen for
administration · diary management · Microsoft 365 · invoice processing · customer service · record keeping · organisation · part-time · career break
Tips for a returning to work CV
- Show the career break in your work history, in date order, with one line on what you did. Don't leave a hole in the dates.
- Say you're returning in your profile, so the reader understands the dates before they get to them.
- Lead with the skills the advert asks for. If your best experience is a few years old, a skills section near the top helps it get noticed.
- Refresh one or two skills before you apply, such as current software or a short course, and list them. It shows you're up to date.
- Use activities from the break if they're relevant: volunteering, a committee role, study, freelance or family business work. Only include what you really did.
- Be clear about the hours you want. If you want part-time or school hours, say so. It saves time for both of you.
- Keep older roles short. One line each for jobs more than ten years ago is usually enough.
Pay depends on the role you're returning to. Check the advert for the rate, the hours and whether part-time or flexible working is offered. Salary checker (ONS data).
Official sources and further reading
- GOV.UK JobHelp: Support to find work
- National Careers Service: CV sections
- GOV.UK: Maternity pay and leave
How to show a career break on your CV
Put the break in your work history in date order, like any other entry, with one line of explanation. Examples you can adapt:
- "Sep 2019 – Aug 2025: Career break to raise my family."
- "Jun 2023 – Apr 2025: Career break to care for a family member. Care arrangements now in place."
Add anything useful you did during the break, but only if it's true and relevant: a committee or PTA role, volunteering, a course, freelance work or helping in a family business. For other reasons, such as health, redundancy, study or travel, the guide to explaining a gap in your CV has copy-ready wording and interview answers.
Choose the right layout
| Your situation | Best layout |
|---|---|
| Break of a year or two, returning to the same kind of job | Standard reverse-chronological CV, with the break as an entry |
| Long break, and your best experience is older | Hybrid CV: key skills with evidence at the top, then full dated history |
| Returning to a different kind of work | Hybrid CV plus a profile that explains the move. See the career change CV guide |
| Returning part-time | Either layout, with your availability clearly in the profile. See the part-time job CV example |
Write a profile that explains the return
Three or four lines: what you did before, that you're returning, what you've done to get ready, and what you're looking for.
- Admin: "Experienced administrator returning after a career break to raise my family. Eight years in busy office teams, recently refreshed my Microsoft 365 skills, and looking for a part-time role."
- Retail: "Retail supervisor with six years' experience returning to work after caring for a family member. Confident running shifts, cashing up and training new starters. Available weekdays."
- Care: "Former care assistant returning to care work after a career break. Care Certificate completed in [year], refresher training booked, and available for days and weekends."
The CV personal statement generator can help you draft yours from your own experience.
Refresh your skills before you apply
A small, recent step shows you're ready and gives you something current to put on your CV:
- A short online course in the software the adverts mention.
- A refresher in your field, such as first aid, food hygiene, safeguarding or a bookkeeping module.
- Volunteering a few hours a week in a similar setting.
- Reading up on what's changed in your industry, so you can talk about it at interview.
Paste a few target adverts into the job ad keyword extractor to see which skills come up most.
Your cover letter and interview
In your cover letter, one forward-looking sentence is enough: "Having taken time out to raise my children, I'm ready to return to accounts work and have refreshed my Excel skills." See the career change cover letter example.
At interview, say what happened in one sentence, what you've done to get ready, and why you want this job. Then move on to your experience. Practise with the interview questions tool.
Returning in your 50s or later?
The over-50s CV example shows how to keep a long career to two pages and focus on recent, relevant experience.
Check it before you send it
Run your CV through the free CV checker to see how an applicant tracking system and a busy employer will read it, with a suggested fix for each issue. No account needed. Starting from scratch? The CV builder is free to use and preview in UK format, and the UK CV format guide covers layout.
FAQs
How do I write a CV after a long career break?
Put a short profile at the top that says you're returning and what you offer, then list the career break in your work history with dates and one line of explanation. Lead with the skills the job needs and show anything you've done recently to refresh them.
Should I use a skills-based CV when returning to work?
If your most relevant experience is several years old, a hybrid CV works well: a key skills section with evidence near the top, then a full work history with dates. Avoid a CV with no dates at all. It raises more questions than it answers.
What do I put on my CV for maternity leave?
If you went back to the same employer, or you're still employed, you don't need a gap. Maternity leave is part of the same job. If you left work to raise children, add a line such as "Career break to raise my family" with the dates.
How far back should my work history go?
Usually the last 10 to 15 years in detail. Older roles can go in one line each, or under a heading such as "Earlier career".
Should I mention my childcare or caring arrangements?
No. You don't need to explain your arrangements on your CV. Just be clear about the hours and days you're available.
Where can I get free help returning to work?
GOV.UK's JobHelp site has free guidance on returning to work, balancing work with childcare or caring, and training. Your local Jobcentre and the National Careers Service can also help.
Related examples
- Administrator CV example
- Part-Time Job CV example
- Receptionist CV example
- Accounts Assistant CV example
- Customer Service Advisor CV example
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