For far too long, the labor market has treated career breaks as interruptions. But what if we began to see them as moments of growth, quiet learning, and the development of skills that rarely fit into a traditional résumé?
In Portugal, thousands of women have stepped away from their careers to care for their families. Some paused to raise young children, others to support aging parents or relatives in fragile circumstances. What unites them is a wealth of life experience, remarkable adaptability, deep resilience, and a strong desire to contribute again — with greater maturity, sharper focus, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Invisible Talent ready to be seen
The labor market continues to penalize “gaps” in professional trajectories. Recruitment algorithms filter out résumés with breaks. Hiring managers hesitate. And many women, despite advanced education and solid professional backgrounds, find themselves excluded from a system that values linearity over diversity of experience.
Yet change is underway. Initiatives such as CATÓLICA-LISBON’s Back-to-Market program are reframing career reentry — not as a liability, but as a powerful opportunity.
A new gateway for qualified women
Back-to-Market is a tuition-free program designed for women with training or experience in fields such as Management, Economics, Finance, or Engineering, who have been out of the workforce for at least one year. Over the course of 12 weeks, participants engage in real projects with real companies, guided by faculty and industry experts who help them refresh skills, build confidence, and expand professional networks.
It is not simply training. It is a reconnection — with the professional world, with personal potential, and with new opportunities. It is a space where talent can once again breathe.
Beyond statistics: stories of transformation
The results are significant: approximately 65% of participants under age 50 reenter the workforce after completing the program. Among those over 50, one in three secures new opportunities — whether in companies, the nonprofit sector, or through entrepreneurial projects.
But the true impact is best seen in individual stories. Women who rediscover belief in themselves. The transformation is visible in posture, in confidence, and in the light in their eyes between the first and final sessions. They begin to approach interviews with assurance. They stop apologizing for their career breaks and instead recognize those pauses as integral to their growth. They come to see reentry not as a step backward, but as a leap forward.
Talent waiting to be recognized
In an era marked by talent shortages, where firms compete to attract and retain qualified professionals, overlooking women who have taken career breaks is a strategic error. These women not only possess advanced education and relevant experience, but also bring unique capabilities developed outside corporate settings — emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and systemic thinking. By disregarding this pool of talent, companies waste an opportunity to access professionals who return with maturity, motivation, commitment, and fresh perspective. Recognizing their value is not only a matter of inclusion — it is a sound and forward-looking business decision.
An opportunity for visionary employers
Some companies, even in Portugal, have already introduced their own returnship programs. These firms are discovering a powerful new talent source: professionals with lived experience, honed problem-solving abilities, rare motivation, and loyalty that cannot be bought.
By integrating these women, organizations are not simply promoting diversity. They are strengthening their teams with unique perspectives, advanced interpersonal skills, and renewed energy. They are investing in talent that, though on pause, has never stopped evolving.
What is changing — and what still must change
Portugal continues to show a lower female labor force participation rate compared to men. The primary reason remains family responsibilities. Yet women today are more qualified than ever. Among those aged 25 to 34, nearly half hold a university degree.
The talent exists. What is missing are bridges. Programs like Back-to-Market serve as those bridges — connecting potential with opportunity, pause with return, invisibility with recognition.
Rewriting the professional script
A pause is not the end of the story. It is only a chapter. The next one can be the most impactful yet. Career reentry can be undertaken with greater clarity, purpose, and strength. And the companies that understand this will gain a decisive advantage.
Because talent is never lost. It reinvents itself. And it is ready to shine again.
Rute Xavier, Professor at CATÓLICA-LISBON