In February 2023, STEM Returners in partnership with Women Returners and funded by the UK Government Equality Hub, launched STEM ReCharge, an initiative to support parents and carers in the Midlands and the North of England trying to return to STEM industries after a career break.
The programme provides free-of-charge return to work career coaching, job skills training and sector-specific upskilling and mentoring to 100 returners with tech or engineering experience who have taken career breaks over a year or more.
After a 9 year career break, Deepa joined the first STEM ReCharge Cohort in May 2023. Read Deepa’s experience of the STEM ReCharge Return to Work Support Programme here:
What did you do in your pre-break career? Tell us a bit about your qualifications and work experience, including locations.
I am professional Civil Engineer graduated from ANNA university, Chennai, India on 2007.
I started my career as a Planning Engineer in Sobha Developers Ltd Bangalore India, there I expertise in developing Baseline programmes and tracking actual progress against approved master schedule in primavera and planning resources through ERP. I worked in multi storey residential buildings estimated value of £18 million.
After 2 years of experience in residential , my passion to work infrastructure works pushed me to find a job in DIAL, Delhi India. I upgraded my skills as a Planning Engineer in Airports Structural Glazing and Cladding works department. I was fascinated to witness the massive construction of 5.4million sqft Terminal building(handling 34 million passengers per annum), 4.43km long runway (longest in Asia) built at the cost of £1.2 billion which is the 8th largest Airport in the world.
With acquired skills in structural glazing and cladding work , I got promoted from Planning to Bid writing department where I could get expertise in skills involved in competitive bid writing. Being technically sound and smart in work, my innovative ideas had always added value to the projects in terms of quotation & negotiation with suppliers around the world.
What were your reasons for taking a career break?
Child care . My initiation into motherhood was not easy, it made me look life in a different perspective.
How long has your career break been?
9 years
Is there anything you’d like to mention about what you have done during your career break?
I get a thrill out of facing challenges and providing unique perspectives and innovative solutions for them.
- Being a mother of two kids, I am always there to understand and share their feelings. I am proud of bringing up my kids who they are today as honest, caring and resilient smart ones.
- I take great pleasure in teaching young minds, mentored 11+ and GCSE kids with their studies during covid time. And also I taught regional language (Tamil) reading and writing to kids in the neighbourhood and also through virtual.
- Volunteering with 2015 Chennai floods in South India which was triggered by Northeast monsoon coupled with development factors, it was one of the deadliest floods that occurred in the country. City recorded its highest rainfall of 100 cm overnight and the reservoir was receiving around 35000 cusec of water.
- Freelance Estimation service and Baseline drawings for small scale projects.
- Freelance hand writer.
- Solo entrepreneur of producing and selling idli dosa batter in small scale business.
- Part time work in a fast and busy production environment.
- Learned testing of software in Agile Environment, web designing and coding skills, Freelance Tester in uTest.
- Researched and presented a pitch deck for potential funding corporate partners – Virtual Internship with city to sea (not for profit) organization .
- Voluntary support to local community ladies throughout their pregnancies and transferring my knowledge & experience of how to take care of themselves and their newborn. I was a moral pillar of support for them during their difficult times.
- Learning new software’s used in the project management industry – Asta powerproject, Synchro and Planswift .
What motivated you to start considering a return to work?
To achieve my highest ambitions and reach my full potential. Having raised my family successfully and enjoying their progress, I am now looking for job opportunities so my personal and professional qualities and skills can be used effectively.
What area are you looking to get back into now?
Design, Planning and Bid writing in massive infrastructure construction.
What have your experiences been so far in trying to get back to work? When did you start trying to get back? Have you found it difficult?
I started trying to get back work from 2019, it was like sending job application into black hole. STEM Returners Director, Natalie, said that COVID hit hard the job market. I struggled to find clear direction to steer myself toward. Tweaking and tailoring my CV by recollecting complex, difficult works I have done and the works I have been proud of. Widening my LinkedIn network. The preparation process itself helped me to know that I am heading in right direction.
What did you gain from the STEM ReCharge Career Coaching and Job Skills workshops, the STEM ReFresh week sessions and the mentoring? How has it helped you to prepare to return to work? How has it helped your confidence?
Valuable experiences and networks.
Recharge Career coaching and Job skill workshop helped me to tailoring my CV to its best for job applications and personal skills for interviews. Coaching session given was very informative and really helped me to building career objectives and strengthening my personal branding, identifying my weakness and my reflections & actions towards it.
Refresh week gave wide & different range opportunities to look into and the presentation given by host companies Binnies, Safran Seats, OWC, AWE and DfE were very thorough with lots of information and upgrades with the industries. It did definitely enriched our knowledge in different Engineering disciplines. Awestruck by the fact that how organisations are growing into more sustainable way with a view to handing over to next generation and protect the environment.
When defining your goals in the mentoring process with so many efficient tools like SWOT, G Star, SMART it will be like personal learning of yourself. With the expertise Mentor, I’ve gained lots of impartial advice and alternative perspective for challenges. My Mentor suggested I highlight the things I did during my career break professionally. I did a small scale food business which I didn’t mention earlier in my achievements later I highlighted that achievement as Solo Entrepreneur and added some more in the line.
Throughout the process , I value the fact that somebody was looking out for me. The STEM returner programme helped me to re construct my confidence, identify and use my strengths.
Are you already looking for a job? Have you received any interviews (or even job offers) yet?
Yes, I’m already looking for job and have applied for some wonderful opportunities through STEM returners placements.
How would you describe the programme to other returners?
Great opportunity to refresh your skills, improve your self confidence and build-up your perfect CV, LinkedIn profile & widen your network and quite possibly end-up with you in your dream job.
What advice would you have for others on a career break who are considering returning to work?
Every learning process you are going through now is stepping stones for your future endeavours.