Relaunching and Reframing Your Career After a Long Break: an interview with Mindy Berkower of iRelaunch

Mindy Berkower is the Chief Client Officer and General Counsel of iRelaunch which is the pioneer and leader in career reentry, bringing progressive employers together with “career relaunchers”. Currently, Mindy leads iRelaunch’s legal function, develops and manages key corporate client relationships, and advises on strategy and company practices.Mindy shared that her mother was a strong role model for her and her siblings. Her mom went back to school after a career break to raise her children, and was an energetic, committed, can-do type of person. Mindy had a dream of being a performer, a singer, but considered it impractical and did not pursue it after college. Instead, she went to law school and took a job with a corporate law firm in New York. The position was a good way to make money and to pay off her student loans, but she did not find it a sustainable way to live. She left the firm a month before her oldest son was born, and ended up taking a career break of 18 years!“You can come back with a lot of strength and purpose, perhaps even more direction then you had coming out of college and going down a sort of pre-programmed predictable path. Whereas coming back from a career break, so many avenues and possibilities are open to you.” - Mindy BerkowerKey takeaways:- When leading a group, make sure you understand the motivation of the other team members, and stress how the solution you’re presenting serves their goals. Mindy shared how possessing a certain level of diplomacy, clear communication skills and attention to detail served her well in the PTA as well as the corporate arena.- Make an effort to find community, which played an important role in Mindy’s transition back to work. When she was exploring reentering the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 18 years, Mindy attended an iRelaunch conference in New York City. She kept in touch with people she met there, and joined the iRelaunch email list, which is how she found out about her first job.- Keep networking. As we’ve heard from other guests, networking was very important as Mindy explored her next move. She let other people know she was interested in going back to work, believing that you never know who is going to be the bridge to the next opportunity for you. She shared a story of a friend of hers who was getting a pedicure, and was sitting next to someone who was the source of her next job opportunity.About the guest:Mindy Berkower is Chief Client Officer and General Counsel of iRelaunch. Founded in 2007, iRelaunch is the pioneer and leader in career reentry, bringing progressive employers together with “career relaunchers”: educated, experienced professionals returning to work after a career break. Since joining iRelaunch in 2013 after her own family-related career break, Mindy has held multiple cross-functional roles. Currently, Mindy leads iRelaunch’s legal function, develops and manages key corporate client relationships, and advises on strategy and company practices. Before her career break, Mindy practiced corporate and securities law in major NYC law firms. Mindy received her JD from NYU School of Law and her BA in Political Science from SUNY Binghamton.Linkedin:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindysberkower/Website:-  https://www.irelaunch.com/ Interested in booking a free consultation? Schedule a call.Stay connected:Connect with Laura on LinkedIn@Rotters5 on TwitterConnect with Laura on FacebookSubscribe to my YouTube channelSubscribe to my newsletterGet your free copy of Unlock Your Money Blocks Workbook : Your step-by-step guide to unlocking your blocks to financial freedom.Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment or financial advice. It’s for informational purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.