Helping Professionals Rise After a Career Break | CV Pilots
Helping Professionals Rise: How I Turned Reinvention into a Career Support Ecosystem
A decade ago, I sat on the edge of my bed with my laptop open, staring at a blank CV - and a future that felt just as uncertain. After years living abroad, raising my children, I was ready to return to work. But nothing about that return was easy.
My qualifications were outdated. My network had moved on. I couldn’t find a way to articulate what I had to offer and every job application seemed to disappear into a black hole. I knew I could do the work, but I didn’t know how to position myself. And I certainly didn’t know how to compete in a hiring system that felt like it had moved on without me.
That moment of professional invisibility was the beginning of everything.
A Personal Struggle Sparked a Mission
What started as frustration soon became curiosity. I wanted to understand why so many capable professionals, especially women, struggled to re-enter or rise within the workplace. Why so many of us, after career breaks or pivots, found ourselves overlooked or underestimated.
So, I threw myself into learning. Not just about business and success, but also writing CVs and career storytelling. I was intrigued about personal branding and the invisible algorithms that now decide whether a CV gets seen at all. I began helping others, friends returning from maternity leave, professionals facing redundancy, ambitious individuals unsure how to step up. I wrote CVs, prepared interview presentations, coached people through transitions.
And then I noticed something important: I had quietly built a reputation for helping people be seen again. For helping them find their voice. I wasn’t just rewriting CVs, I was reframing identities. And people were getting results.
From a Blank CV to a Bold Business Move
Fast forward to 2025, and I made a bold decision: to acquire CV Pilots, a boutique executive CV writing firm with an outstanding reputation. But this wasn’t just a business acquisition. It felt as much like a calling as it did good business sense. I knew firsthand how powerful it was to feel invisible, and how transformative it is when someone finally sees your potential and helps you communicate it clearly.
My vision is to turn CV Pilots into something more than a CV writing service. I wanted to create an ecosystem that empowered professionals at every stage of their leadership journey. One that didn’t just help people get in the door, but also helped them own their story once inside.
What We’ve Built at CV Pilots
Since taking the helm at CV Pilots, I’ve expanded our services to reflect the real challenges professionals face today, especially those navigating pivotal career moments.
Yes, we still craft powerful, premium CVs. But now we also offer:
- Interview coaching for candidates who are getting close but can’t quite land the offer
- Career coaching for those at a crossroads or unsure what their next move should be
- LinkedIn and personal brand optimisation, because we know first impressions happen online
- First 100 Days support to help new leaders succeed from day one
Not everyone needs one-to-one services, so we’ve also built a growing library of downloadable CV template bundles tailored to specific career moments such as promotion, redundancy, sector switch, return to work, and more.
Every service we’ve added has been born out of listening, really listening, to what our clients are struggling with. And behind it all is a mission that’s deeply personal to me: to help brilliant people rise.
Why This Matters - Especially for Women
Too many professionals fall through the cracks because they’ve never been taught how to talk about their achievements. They’ve been told to “stay humble,” or they worry about coming across as arrogant. They get caught between modesty and marketability, and as a result, get overlooked.
Women, in particular, tend to underplay their success. I’ve seen it time and again: C-suite candidates who don’t feel “ready,” experienced managers who apologise for career breaks, brilliant strategists who hesitate to call themselves leaders.
That’s what CV Pilots is here to change. We’re not just writers. We’re advocates. We help our clients uncover the story they’ve lived, but haven’t quite known how to tell.
Lessons From My Journey
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that reinvention isn’t a sign of failure - it’s a sign of strength. The years I spent struggling to find my place again weren’t wasted. They gave me the empathy, the insight, and the fire to build something that could support others.
Here’s what I want others to know:
- You are not behind. Career journeys are rarely linear, and that’s OK.
- Your story has power. You just need the tools to tell it well.
- It’s never too late to rise. Whether you’re returning after a break, aiming higher, or changing direction entirely, it starts with one clear decision: to back yourself.
At CV Pilots, we help people do just that.
If you’re ready to take the guesswork out of job applications and give yourself a genuine competitive edge, our CV Reviews and CV Template Bundles are designed to help you stand out in even the toughest hiring markets.
CV Reviews – Save £60
If you’re not sure your CV is truly working for you, our Professional CV Review Service provides in-depth, recruiter-level feedback on content, structure, and ATS compatibility. You’ll receive a personalised action plan showing exactly what’s holding you back and how to fix it, so you can apply with confidence. Use discount code PCVR60 at checkout to save £60 and give your next application the competitive edge it deserves.
CV Template Bundles – Save £40
Prefer to write your own CV but want a proven framework? Our CV Template Bundles include an ATS-friendly, recruiter-approved template, plus our storytelling framework, metrics tracker, CV checklist, and scorecard - everything you need to create a document that sells your skills and achievements. Use discount code CVTB40 to get £40 off and start building a CV that gets noticed for all the right reasons.
These tools pull back the curtain on the hiring process, cutting through the smoke and mirrors so you understand exactly what employers and ATS systems are really looking for
Ready to step into your next chapter?
We’re here to help you tell your story – with power, with professionalism and with purpose.
Visit cvpilots.co.uk or resumepilots.com to learn more, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
When one professional rises, we all rise. And your rise should start today.
