Wal Mart Stores : An Easier Path Forward to Re-enter the Workforce

For many women like me, who take a career pause to focus on family and caregiving, returning to the workforce can be daunting, having to justify your prior experience at every turn.

And, also the self-doubt that comes along with it. Do I have the right skills? Is my experience still relevant? Who will hire me? Can I even juggle it all? These are just a few of the questions I faced when I decided to restart my career after a six-year hiatus to raise my two daughters. I shouldn't have had to though, because I was qualified and my experience was relevant. Experience doesn't just disappear.

When I decided to return to the workforce, I suddenly had a lack of confidence - I thought, 'no one is going to hire me.' Despite nearly four years of working in the financial industry and three years as a senior HR manager at the world's largest fashion goods retailer, I felt I had to start all over. To get my foot back in the door, I accepted an administrative role in the payments technology industry.

It took several years of working my way through the ranks just to reach the same level of responsibility I had enjoyed at my previous job, and another several years to reach a position of greater authority. It also took important mentorships and people seeing something in me - that sometimes I didn't see in myself anymore - to not only get back to where I was, but to find the confidence in myself again. Slowly but surely, my confidence came back. I'm very proud of my accomplishments there, but can't help but wonder where my career would have taken me, or how much faster I would have advanced, if I hadn't felt the need to start over.

About three years ago I started working at Walmart and I was greeted with an amazing culture based on a people-first value system.

Shortly after joining the team, Walmart recognized my potential and I was quickly promoted to positions of greater responsibility within Walmart's global e-commerce and technology group. I now serve as Walmart Labs' Vice President of People and am part of a team whose job is to create opportunities for employees to thrive in the workplace and at home. Our team wants to give everyone opportunities to succeed without sacrificing family or career. That's why I'm pleased to announce a new partnership between Walmart and Path Forward, a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower people to restart their careers after time away for caregiving.

Beginning this fall, Walmart's tech division, Walmart Labs, and Path Forward will offer a return-to-work program in our Sunnyvale and San Bruno offices. The program places an emphasis on learning and development and the gaining (and retraining) of skills, such as software engineering, product development and more. It will be open to women and men who have at least five years of professional experience and who took a career pause of at least two years for caregiving. In addition to dedicated professional development workshops, participants will have access to networking opportunities across the Walmart and Path Forward communities. After completing the four-month program, qualified candidates will be considered for conversion to full-time opportunities at Walmart.

The Path Forward program is a win-win for everyone on so many levels. Helping people restart their careers after caregiving is great for individuals and their families, great for the economy and a great opportunity for Walmart to tap highly-skilled, educated and motivated associates. With programs like Path Forward, caregivers will no longer feel like their career or opportunity for future prosperity has passed them by. In fact, their best years may be ahead of them yet.

If you are interested in applying to our Path Forward program, please head here.