The best laid plans didn’t fare so well last time Back in March, everyone I spoke to was fairly stoic about the looming lockdown. Many had grand plans. They would seize the opportunity to use isolation to do a good clear out of the house, learn a new language, finally get round to reading The […]
I know, I know. Only a few days ago I was writing about how WFH isn’t necessarily good for women’s careers. And I stand by what I wrote; there are risks. At the same time, the seismic changes that are affecting the whole world, do present opportunities. Any crisis brings with it opportunities The thing […]
Are you asking yourself this very question? “What does a middle aged woman have to offer that a 20-something doesn’t?” It’s a question many of the women I meet ask. Sometimes, it’s a question going on in their own heads, holding them back from pursuing new opportunities. I’m too old, surely? Who would want me? […]
Thelma Ainsworth was one of the participants in the third Reignite Academy Programme, which kicked off in January 2020. Less than three months later, the pandemic struck and we went into lockdown. Cue heavy hearts and lots of worries about what the future might hold. Thelma is a mum of two young boys and has […]
In our first ever Annual Impact report, we were proud to report that 35% of our successful candidates were from black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds. We never set out with a target, we certainly had never signed a pledge. Nevertheless, we were very please with this result. How did you go about attracting […]
Helen had over nine years of post-qualification experience in insolvency and restructuring at firms including Clifford Chance and Sidley Austin before taking a career break in 2012. With three young children, Helen decided to move out of London to Surrey. There, she took a course in social media and set up a business to support […]
The realisation that you need your career back It was woman’s hour that did it for me. Not so much that I was bored with it, more the pain of listening to the “Power list”, realising there was no way I’d ever be on it, and wondering why I’d sacrificed my degree and twenty years […]
Never let a good crisis go to waste A famous phrase, often attributed to Winston Churchill. Whether he did or didn’t utter those words, they definitely resonate right now. At the Reignite Academy, the pandemic stopped us in our tracks. For a while it felt as though we may have no future. However, stepping back […]
How do you return to work as a lawyer after a 12 year break? Kristin originally trained at Herbert Smith and was one of the cohort of our pilot programme. She returned to work through the Reignite Academy and is now working in Tax at CMS Cameron McKenna. Why did you take a career break? […]
The Reignite Academy launched a year ago, with one simple aim: to enable lawyers to get their City careers back on track after a career hiatus. We chose the name “Reignite” because our aim was not simply to help people return after a complete career break. We also wanted to provide opportunities for people who […]