Back to Your Future Annual Conference 2023
Are you a professional woman wanting to kick-start or accelerate your return to work after a long career break? Our flagship Back to Your Future Conference on 10 and 11 May 2023 is what you need! It’s a fully interactive online event packed with the advice, inspiration, tools and connections you need to get you back to a rewarding role.
Early Bird Tickets are only £10 – Book at our lowest price here!
The virtual format makes the Conference accessible from wherever you are located, ends at 2:30 if you have a school run, and is very flexible if you can’t make the full days. Speaker, panel and main stage workshop sessions will be available on recording for ticket holders for 30 days after the event.
For the first time this year, we’re excited to be holding a follow-on in-person networking event in London (17 May, 10am-12pm), Leeds (23 May, 10am-12pm) and Edinburgh (25 May, 10am-12pm) to give you the opportunity to meet up with other returner attendees and employers in person, to continue your conversations from the Conference. Places at these events are limited, and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so book early to secure your place!
“Great conference, confidence-boosting and uber-practical … would highly recommend it!” 2022 Attendee
“This morning I felt ‘unemployable’ – I now feel so encouraged.” 2022 Attendee
- Get advice and information from a wide range of Return-to-Work Expert Workshops: find your career compass, boost your professional confidence, refine your professional intro, take the fear out of networking, create your return-to-work CV and create your Returner LinkedIn profile
- Connect with other like-minded women returners through 1-2-1 video conversations and in sector-based small group video chat rooms
- Be encouraged by the stories of a Returner Panel of women who have successfully returned to work in a variety of different fields, hosted by Jane Garvey
- Learn more about return to work opportunities and organisations via Employers Live sessions in their Booths with leading Returner Employers including FDM Group, J.P. Morgan, Lloyds Banking Group, Moody’s and Workday
- Meet in small-group video chat rooms for informal conversations and Q&A with these employers
- Understand more about what returner employers are looking for from an Employer Panel, hosted by Upasna Bhadhal
- Ask your questions live to our Women Returners coaches
See the outline Conference Agenda here
Enter Hopin, our virtual Conference Venue, and you’ll have a truly interactive experience, just like at an in-person Conference. You can watch content on the Main Stage and ask questions to panellists and workshop leaders; interact and talk informally in small groups with employers; and video chat to other returners individually.
The Conference will be relevant to you whether your background is in finance, tech, engineering, law, marketing, HR or any other professional area; whether your career break has been 2, 5 or 15+ years; and whether you are at the first stage of your return-to-work journey or actively applying for roles.
Many thanks to our Sponsor Partners – Meet them at the Conference!
What will you get from the Conference?
Expert Return to Work Workshops
- Find your Career Compass (with Karen Danker, Head of Coaching, Women Returners)
- Become more focused in your ‘What Next?’ career choices
- Get a road map to clarify your aims, develop decision criteria and move to action
- Boost your Professional Confidence (with Stephanie Rix, Lead Coach, Women Returners)
- Get a renewed sense of ‘what is great about me?’
- Increase your self-belief with practical tips and techniques
- Improve your self marketing and craft your career story
- Create your Return-to-Work CV and Returner LinkedIn Profile (with Victoria McLean, CEO of City CV)
- Improve your return-to-work CV
- Create a LinkedIn profile to impress employers
- Develop your Professional Intro
- Develop a confident and authentic way to present yourself and your career story; encompassing your skills, strengths, and experiences built over your career and career break
- Take the Fear out of Networking (with Rachel Halsall, Executive Coach)
- Develop strategies for in-person and virtual networking
- Conversation starters & exit lines
- Top tips to boost your confidence
Connect with leading Returner Employers including FDM Group, J.P. Morgan, Lloyds Banking Group, Moody’s and Workday
- Ask your questions informally in small groups to employers in video chat rooms
- Learn about returner opportunities from our returner employer sponsors during the Employers Live! sessions in their Booths
Returner Panel (Hosted by Jane Garvey, Broadcaster and Journalist)
- Learn from the experiences and advice of other successful returners on a Returner Panel of women from a variety of different fields
Employer Panel (Hosted by Upasna Bhadal, Founder of Career Collective)
- Find out from our panel of leading employers the reasons why employers run returner programmes and what you can do as a candidate to stand out
Connect with other Returners
- Meet and talk virtually 1:1 with other like-minded women returners in randomly-allocated video chats
- Meet and talk in small groups with other returners from your sector in video chat rooms
Ask Any Questions
- Get valuable advice and insights from a live Q&A with our Coaches
Who is the Conference aimed at?
The event is for women with a professional/managerial background who have taken a long career break (over a year) and who want to return to work using their professional skills and experience.
- Your career break could be for 18 months or 18 years, for childcare, eldercare, health, relocation or other reasons
- You may have not done any paid work for a number of years, or have been running your own business or doing lower-level work around other commitments
- You could be any age
- Your background may be in finance, law, tech, engineering, marketing, retail, HR or any other professional area
- You could be at the first exploratory stage of your return-to-work journey; you may have been trying to get back for a while and are feeling stuck; or you might be actively engaging in interviews
- You are welcome to join us from anywhere in the world
IMPORTANT NOTE: This event is not targeted at employers, recruitment agencies or coaches. Please do not book a ticket unless you are a woman returner. If you are an employer interested in sponsoring the Conference and/or returner programmes, contact info@womenreturners.com
Where, When and How?
When? Wednesday 10 May and Thursday 11 May (9am – 2.30pm UK time) with in-person networking events on 17 May (London), 23, May (Leeds) and 25 May (Edinburgh)
Where? For the main conference, online from the comfort of your own home. For the follow-on events, at city offices.
How? The content will be a mixture of live speaker sessions, panels and workshops, and interactive e-meetings for employer and peer conversations. Selected speaker/workshop sessions will be available on recording for ticket holders for 30 days after the event. Conference materials will be provided in advance, including speaker biographies and employer profiles.
How do you book?
£10 Early Bird Tickets are available now – Book Here
If you have any questions, email us on info@womenreturners.com
Returner Employer Network Event: Returner Programmes during the Pandemic
24 June 2020