The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry

The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry

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The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry episodes

  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Return via a Professional Fellowship

    In Episode 71 of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how professional fellowships can serve as a structured on-ramp for parents returning after a career gap. They focus on the specific example of the 'Path Forward Return to Work Fellowship,' a program launched by the nonprofit Path Forward in partnership with companies like Amazon, Walmart, and PayPal. Lucas explains how the fellowship model differs from a returnship: it's a 16-week paid program with mentorship, cohort support, and no guarantee of full-time employment — but a high conversion rate. Luna shares data from a 2025 Path Forward report showing that 78 percent of participants received a full-time offer upon completion, with the majority in tech and finance roles. They discuss how to find these programs, what the application process looks like, and why companies are motivated to sponsor them. The episode includes a brief, natural donation segment and closes with a reflection on the psychological benefit of a cohort-based return over a solo job search.

    #CareerGap #CareerComeback #Returnship #ProfessionalFellowship #PathForward #StayAtHomeParent #CareerReEntry #Mentorship #CohortLearning #TechReturnship #FinanceCareers #Amazon #Walmart #PayPal #WomenInTech #CareerPivot #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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    10 min
  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Return as a Data Analyst

    In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a stay-at-home parent leveraged free online courses, a portfolio project, and a returnship to land a data analyst role at a mid-size healthcare firm. They walk through the specific steps: choosing a learning path (Google Data Analytics Certificate), building a project using public hospital data, networking into a returnship program, and negotiating a flexible schedule. The episode focuses on one parent's journey from a five-year gap to a full-time offer, including the salary bump from $55,000 to $72,000 after the returnship. Practical advice for anyone considering a pivot into data analytics after a career break.

    #CareerGap #StayAtHomeParent #DataAnalyst #Returnship #GoogleDataAnalyticsCertificate #PortfolioProject #HealthcareData #SalaryNegotiation #FlexibleWork #OnlineLearning #Coursera #SQL #Tableau #Python #Networking #InterviewTips #FexingoBusiness #Careers

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    10 min
  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Start a Consulting Firm

    After a six-year career gap, Sarah Chen, a former marketing director, launched her own consulting firm specializing in retail analytics. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how she used her gap to identify a niche, build a client base through volunteering, and structure a firm that accommodates her family life. They discuss the specific steps she took, from conducting informal market research with local businesses to pricing her first contract. Sarah's story offers a concrete blueprint for parents considering consulting as a re-entry path, emphasizing the importance of starting small and leveraging personal networks.

    #CareerGap #StayAtHomeParent #ConsultingFirm #Entrepreneurship #RetailAnalytics #SarahChen #BusinessStrategy #ClientDevelopment #PricingStrategy #VolunteerToConsulting #WorkLifeBalance #ReEntry #Careers #BusinessPodcast #FexingoBusiness #TheComebackCareer #ParentEntrepreneur #SmallBusiness

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    9 min
  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Land a Contract Role

    Lucas and Luna explore how a career gap can be a strategic advantage in landing contract or project-based work. They break down the case of a former marketing manager who took a three-year break to care for her kids and returned through a six-month contract at a SaaS company, eventually converting to full-time. They discuss why companies are increasingly open to hiring returning parents on a contract basis, how to position your gap as an asset in interviews, and the specific steps to find these roles — including networking tactics, resume tweaks, and platforms like LinkedIn and Upwork. If you're a parent re-entering the workforce, this episode offers a concrete roadmap to turn your gap into a contract opportunity.

    #CareerGap #StayAtHomeReEntry #ReturnToWork #ContractWork #ProjectBasedWork #SaaS #MarketingManager #Parenting #WorkLifeBalance #LinkedIn #Upwork #Networking #ResumeTips #InterviewTips #Freelance #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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    10 min
  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Land a Returnship

    In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the power of returnships—structured re-entry programs for professionals after a career break. They focus on the case of Jennifer, a former marketing manager who took a five-year gap to raise twins and landed a returnship at JPMorgan Chase that led to a full-time role. The hosts break down what returnships are, why companies like Goldman Sachs, Amazon, and Microsoft offer them, and how to position yourself as a candidate. They also discuss the hidden advantage: returnships often skip the traditional interview gauntlet, leaning on project-based assessment instead. Luna shares her own observation about the confidence boost these programs provide. The episode closes with a practical step: finding returnship listings on platforms like Path Forward or iRelaunch before the fall hiring cycle. If you're returning after a gap and feel rusty, this episode hands you a concrete roadmap—not just inspiration.

    #Returnship #CareerGap #StayAtHomeReEntry #JPMorganChase #PathForward #iRelaunch #GoldmanSachs #Amazon #Microsoft #ParentReturn #ReEntryProgram #ConfidenceGap #ProjectBasedHiring #WorkLifeBalance #Careers #ComebackCareer #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast

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    9 min
  • How a Career Gap Helps You Build a Skills Portfolio

    Episode 66 of The Comeback Career Podcast explores how parents returning after a career gap can systematically document and present their skills using a skills portfolio. Lucas and Luna walk through the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who spent six years at home and landed a senior role at a mid-sized tech firm by building a portfolio that connected her volunteer work, freelance projects, and personal learning. They break down the specific sections of a skills portfolio — from a skills matrix to project summaries — and explain why employers value this approach over a traditional resume. Listeners get a concrete template they can adapt. No fluff, just a practical framework for re-entry.

    #SkillsPortfolio #CareerGap #StayAtHomeReEntry #ReturningToWork #JobSearch #ResumeTips #Marketing #TechCareers #CareerPivot #PortfolioCareer #VolunteerWork #Freelance #ProfessionalDevelopment #ParentingAndCareer #CareerAdvice #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ComebackCareer

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    8 min
  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Build a Financial Literacy App

    Lucas and Luna talk to Sarah Chen, a former marketing manager who took five years off to raise twins and returned by building FinLit, a financial literacy app now used in 200+ high schools. They dig into how a career gap can become a launchpad for entrepreneurship when you leverage the time for deep learning instead of worrying about resume gaps. Sarah shares how she taught herself to code using free online resources, validated her idea through local library focus groups, and pitched her app to school districts without a traditional tech background. The hosts also discuss why staying-at-home parents often develop project management and resilience skills that employers overlook. If you're considering a career gap or returning from one, this episode offers a concrete roadmap for turning a break into a business.

    #CareerGap #StayAtHomeParent #FinancialLiteracy #EdTech #Entrepreneurship #FinLit #SarahChen #CodingFromScratch #LibraryFocusGroups #SchoolDistrictSales #ResumeGap #ProjectManagement #Resilience #Careers #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #TheComebackCareer

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    8 min
  • How a Career Gap Can Help You Build a Board Portfolio

    Episode 64 of The Comeback Career Podcast: Lucas and Luna explore how parents returning after a career gap can leverage their unique experience to serve on nonprofit and corporate boards. They spotlight the story of a former marketing director who, after a five-year gap raising twins, landed a seat on a local arts council board and later a publicly traded company's ESG committee. The hosts break down the three-step process: identifying your 'boardable' skills, targeting the right organizations, and positioning your gap as an asset. They also share data from a 2025 BoardReady survey showing that 38% of board directors now consider non-traditional career paths a strength. Practical advice for listeners who want to build a board portfolio without a traditional executive resume.

    #BoardPortfolio #CareerGap #NonprofitBoard #CorporateBoard #ESGCommittee #BoardReadySurvey #NonTraditionalCareer #ReturningParent #Careers #BoardService #VolunteerLeadership #StrategicPlanning #Governance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #ComebackCareer #BoardDiversity

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    10 min
  • How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Return as a Corporate Trainer

    In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Maria, a former marketing manager who took a five-year career gap to raise her children and returned as a corporate trainer at a Fortune 500 company. They break down exactly how she leveraged her gap experience—specifically her volunteer work teaching digital literacy at a community center—into a skills-based resume and a training role that paid 15% more than her previous job. The hosts discuss the concept of 'transferable teaching moments,' how to identify training-related responsibilities in any volunteer or caregiving role, and why employers in 2026 are increasingly valuing internal trainers over external consultants. Maria's story offers a concrete roadmap for gap returners considering a pivot to corporate learning and development, with actionable steps like earning a facilitation certificate, building a portfolio of training materials, and networking with L&D professionals. This is episode 63 of The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo.

    #CareerGap #CorporateTrainer #LearningAndDevelopment #ReturnToWork #ParentReEntry #TransferableSkills #DigitalLiteracy #VolunteerToCareer #Facilitation #Fortune500 #MariaStory #SkillsBasedResume #LAndD #CareerPivot #ComebackCareer #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers

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    7 min
  • How a Career Gap Can Help You Build a Volunteer Resume

    In this episode of The Comeback Career Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how returning parents can use volunteer roles to fill resume gaps, build new skills, and land paid work. They break down the story of Maria Santos, a former marketing manager who spent three years as a stay-at-home parent, then volunteered as a social media coordinator for a local food bank. That role led to a paid part-time gig at a nonprofit and eventually a full-time digital marketing job at a mid-sized agency. Lucas shares data from a 2025 LinkedIn survey showing that 67 percent of hiring managers consider volunteer experience as valid as paid work when evaluating candidates with career gaps. They discuss how to frame volunteer work on a resume using action verbs and quantifiable results, and how to choose volunteer roles that align with target industries. Luna pushes back on the idea that any volunteer role will do, arguing that strategic selection matters more than just logging hours. The episode also touches on the 'skills-based volunteering' trend and how platforms like Catchafire and Taproot connect professionals to short-term, high-impact projects. Practical tips include treating volunteer roles like jobs — setting weekly hours, requesting references, and asking for LinkedIn recommendations. A solid playbook for anyone worried that a gap means starting from zero.

    #CareerGap #VolunteerWork #ResumeBuilding #StayAtHomeParent #ReturnToWork #MariaSantos #SkillsBasedVolunteering #Catchafire #TaprootFoundation #LinkedIn #Nonprofit #DigitalMarketing #FoodBank #HiringManagers #CareerPivot #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ComebackCareer

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    8 min

About The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry

From the publisher's feed

After a career break — whether for parenting, caregiving, health, travel, or burnout recovery — re-entering the workforce can feel like navigating a foreign country whose language you once spoke fluently. In this series, Lucas and Luna dissect the practical and psychological mechanics of that return. Each episode centers on one concrete obstacle: how to reframe resume gaps so hiring managers see depth, not absence; which certifications or freelance projects actually accelerate re-entry; how to negotiate salary when you've been out three years and your old peers are two promotions ahead. They examine real cases — a former marketing director who spent four years as a stay-at-home parent and now runs a boutique consultancy, a software engineer who took two years to travel and ended up pivoting into product management. Lucas brings the data: Bureau of Labor Statistics re-entry rates, employer survey data on bias against gaps, and the surprisingly strong retention numbers for returners. Luna pushes back with the emotional reality — the identity shift, the impostor phase, the moment a recruiter asks 'So what did you do?' and you have no tidy answer. Together, they build a toolkit: how to tell your story in interviews without apology, which industries are most gap-friendly, when to lean on your network versus cold applications, and how to protect the boundaries you learned during your break. Every conversation is grounded in named companies (Dell's returnship program, Amazon's 'boomerang' policies), real salary data, and step-by-step scripts. The listener they serve is the professional who stepped away and now wonders if they can step back — and if so, how to do it on their own terms. The episode that stays with you: you'll know exactly which three things to do next Monday, and you'll feel less alone in the doing.