After giving herself an intentional career break to travel the world, Falan Rose-Jones, wanted to re-enter the engineering industry.
Equipped with a degree in Physics with Astrophysics she expected the process of gaining employment to be somewhat straight forward. Little did she know it would be an uphill challenge to return to her roots.
“I had a planned period of time away to explore several different parts of the world,” she said. “I travelled throughout Australia for the majority of my break and tutored Physics and Maths whilst I was away, so I kept myself familiar with the subject and what was happening across the sector.”
“As a young female, I have previously experienced some difficulty in trying to join the engineering industry. I have found that a small number of companies may focus more on hiring someone such as myself to simply increase the diversity statistics of the company and are lacking consideration of my actual skillset and experience. It wasn’t until STEM Returners introduced me to the vacancy at BAE Systems in 2019 and encouraged me to apply that I was able to progress in the industry – equipped with the knowledge and confidence that BAE was an inclusive and diverse company of which I would be welcomed into.”
STEM Returners supported Falan throughout the whole process, from completing the applications and providing guidance and support throughout the interview to navigating the security clearance processes.
Happily, she completed the STEM Returners scheme with BAE Air in Warton and was made a permanent member of the team.
She added:
“I’ve been part of the (EW) – Air Service team for almost two years now. I have always had a passion for aviation, space science and physics and this role is perfect for me. The role is challenging and diverse with a wide range of opportunities and I am very grateful for the team at STEM Returners for encouraging me to apply. It’s a brilliant initiative which allows people such as myself to return to a career after a break – whether it be long or short.”
Speaking about the advice she would give to other returners, Falan said: “I would definitely encourage anyone considering returning to work after a career break to do so or to start looking into appropriate opportunities at the earliest chance. Returning to a career or industry after time away can be daunting but if it is a career, you are passionate about, given time, it will come back to you as though you never left.”