Job-hunting after an extended career break can knock the stuffing out of even the most self-assured professionals.

Many would-be returnees convince themselves that the long period away has somehow magically erased their skills.

One of the main reasons I handed in my notice 12 years ago and set up as an interim can be summed up in one word – flexibility.  I didn’t have children so had no right to request flexible working.   I don’t think it would be overly critical to say the legal sector I worked in at the time was not as progressive as it could have been in this area.  It was a key consideration in making the move.    

We have been working ‘together’ as a successful job share partnership for 10 years.  As we look back over this time, we feel proud of achieving this milestone, but never for a second thought the journey together would last quite so long.

OK - a hand grenade of a question but it’s one that’s often thrown about. I think the more interesting question, if it is true (and for me personally it was), is why?

This is the first of three linked blogs discussing the key steps to getting a flexible job. Since everything starts with your CV today’s blog considers how you can make yours a winning one.

Everyone has them – the golden tips they pass on to friends and colleagues – and I mean everyone for it’s not just parents. Everyone is juggling something and we can all learn from each other. I’m betting as you read you’re already thinking about yours.

Since they have traditionally shouldered the burden of caring responsibilities the quest for work-life balance has been seen as a women’s issue. Increasingly, however, as the expectations of younger fathers change, men are also facing challenges in balancing work and family life.

Research released at the end of last month reignited the debate about the place of emails in our working lives. According to Dr Juliet Jain more than half the 5,000 commuters she spoke to were using their train’s wifi to deal with work emails; and others were using their own mobile phone connections to do the same.

We know that access to flexible working can be a way to reduce pay gaps and help women progress. Legislation exists allowing qualifying employees to ask for flexible working and most organisations have relevant policies. However, negotiating flexibility can still be challenging – particularly as you move up the career ladder.

The health of employees is a growing concern for HR, or it should be, due to the obvious impact that health has on sickness levels, productivity and ultimately on attrition. Interestingly, recent research in social psychology has identified causal links between mental health issues and the flexibility of people’s work schedules.