Return To Work Conference Participant Experiences

Katherine Buehler, Chicago Conference:

“I am thrilled that I persisted with my search and found this position, which is a great fit with my skills and interests. I have an open-minded boss (the head of our company) who considered my career break an asset because it meant I had a fresh perspective.” Read more here.

Carrie Buchwald, Chicago Conference:

“I had reached a standstill in my career search and registered for the Forum as a way to get a new perspective. One of the key ideas I took away from that day was that I really needed to focus on the culture of the workplace. Once I approached my search with that perspective, I was able to identify employers where I wanted to interview.” Read more here.

Allyson Bakewell, New Jersey Conference:

“The Career Relaunch Forum and The Relaunch Circle were so valuable in helping me frame my thoughts and organize the whole idea into a process. Thank you for creating such unique programs and for all your support.” Read more here.

Amy Beckett, Washington, D.C. Conference:

“I read and re-read the last chapters of Back on the Career Track the night before my interview for added motivation and confidence! This was a long process for me - 17 years out of the fulltime workforce, with the last nine months in active job search mode.” Read more here.

Belinda Nanda, Chicago Conference:

"I attended the Career Relaunch Forum in May 2008 because I was looking to re-enter the workforce in my field of Information Technology after a ten year career break. In addition to the severe slump in the job market, IT is a rapidly changing field, and my skills were almost completely outdated. But I took your advice from the Forum and" Read more here.

From a host sponsor who hired a Return to Work Conference attendee:

"Just wanted to give you an update that we hired Carrie Buchwald, a relauncher who attended the Forum, as an Account Manager in our Corporate Education group. Carrie was previously an Associate VP with Robert Half, and had been completely out of the workforce for 7 years. She attended the session and" Read more here.

“I was enormously impressed by the attendees; their skills sets, energy, and most of all their seasoning. As we brace for an ever shrinking supply of talent, relaunchers must not be missed and it is through forums like this that companies can learn what it will take to lead the way.”
—Trudy Van Zee, US Alumni Development and Career Services Lead, Accenture

“It was one of the best things that I did for myself in a long time. It literally jumpstarted my relaunch. I had been moving far too slowly...because of lack of direction and confidence in deciding what to do.”
—Career Relaunch Forum Participant

"Anyone in launching a job market search would benefit from attending this session. You essentially learn about the tools and resources to take you from where you are to where you want to be and learn about how you are going to get there. It is enforced by success stories and lessons learned. I was amazed at the importance and role of new social media. A 'must attend' for every job searcher."
—Career Relaunch Forum Participant

“Excellent information and very encouraging to hear that other professionals who were out of the workforce went back successfully! Great opportunity to learn about relaunching and speak with other women in the same position with similar worries and problems regarding re-entry. Great Work!”
—Career Relaunch Forum Participant

“We were very pleased with our sponsorship of the Career Relaunch Forum. The event was well run, the caliber of the presentations, panels and workshops was very high and we met several women whom we think will be a great fit for some of our clients' projects. We look forward to continuing our involvement with the Forum.”
—Director, Work/Life Initiatives, Aquent

"For me, the most value was the inclusion of human resource representatives from company at the conference. They really listened to me and my experience, and then suggested jobs that I should apply for based on my experience. These were not my friends or family, but actual employers who believed in me and the skills that I hold. Whether or not they actually translate into a job is irrelevant. It was very motivational to have my experiences validated by someone with the power to hire me."
—Career Relaunch Forum Participant

...And praise for the keynote speakers

"Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your presentation this morning……I thought you did a fabulous job and really spoke to what the women in the audience seemed to be there for."
—Participant, Massachusetts Conference for Women.

“The "Seven Steps to Relaunch Success" was right on target for our audience. The feedback we received from the program's participants was terrific! "
—Director, Learning and Development, MetLife Investments

“Your presentation was both entertaining and practical, as evidenced by the tremendous amount of feedback -- and questions -- from the audience. It was a pleasure working with you -- and I hope we have an opportunity to do it again.”
—Director, Executive Search, Merrill Lynch