It's never too late for a career comeback ... here's what you need to know

(READER WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SWEEPING GENERALISATIONS AND GENDER STEREOTYPES WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE/ ANNOYING. READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL)

There's only one story this week. ABBA.

40 years, two divorces, several solo projects, a couple of complete career breaks, a bit of retraining, four children, two stepchildren, six international relocations, one attempt to become a recluse and ..... they're back.

They've been around forever. They were my Auntie's favourite band. She had every single album, for which I was very grateful since my parents were a lot more snooty about what they'd have in the house. They were more into Fleetwood Mac and Carol King.

I went to see ABBA the movie twice, and have lost count of the number of nights out I've had yelling out the words to Dancing Queen on the top of a pub table in Barnsley, Rotherham or -if were feeling very adventurous - Doncaster.

I completely LOVED both movies, even the one with the problematic Lily James in it (problematic in that she seems to just play Lily James, in the way that Nicole Kidman plays Nicole Kidman, but with less versatility in the hair style department). And I cried BUCKETS during that song Meryl Streep sings the night before her daughter's wedding.

Here it is. Useful link for anyone who, like me, is sending a son or daughter off to University, with or without collapsable colander in the next few weeks.

Comebacks are not Just for Pop Stars

Here's the thing. Whilst I applaud Benny, Agnetha et al for getting their show back on the road, you don't have to be famous to be able to make a career comeback. With all of us living til we're 90 and none of us having saved anywhere nearly enough for retirement, it's something we will all need to get used to.

And having worked in this field for a few years now, I've learnt a thing or two about why women, in particular, need to take this whole thing seriously and how to do it.

Women's Careers Rarely Follow Straight Lines

As Avivah Wittenberg Cox points out in her BRILLIANT book the 4 Phases of Women's careers, this version of "success" often doesn't work for women.

(I suspect we will increasingly find that it doesn't work for men either but that's another story).

Instead, having spent their 20s moving along at just the same pace as their male peers, women often get a bit of a shock in their 30s or early 40s.

It's not always about children, but often there is a time in their late thirties when careers stall or women make different choices.

And like ABBA, after a while, they find they still have some creative ambitions left to fulfil. They have renewed energy, a sense of purpose, a drive to get their careers back on track.

Don't Write Us Off

The problem, though, is that 99% of the recruitment industry is inherently and, sometimes unconsciously, biased. Recruiters are incentivised by a measure called "time to fill vacancy" and so CVs that have weird gaps on them and seem to belong to women old enough to be their mothers are not particularly appealing.

Which is daft, when you think about it, because anyone whose managed to navigate a career, children, international relocations, bit of a career gap, divorce, some retraining etc should be admired rather than sniffed at. Even if they haven't got a back catalogue like Abba's.

What I've Learned

• The length of the career break bears NO CORRELATION to someone's ability to return to their professional career.
• Skills, knowledge, training, experience all come flooding back. The ABBA women can still sing, albeit their voices are a little lower and, perhaps grainier, more mellow, with more life experience behind them. The men haven't forgotten how to write a tune and knock up some words to match. Others are no different.

The people who can make most difference are the ones with the jobs. So if you're an employer looking to fill a vacancy, follow ABBA's advice. Take a chance ...

(If, on the other hand, you're the one wanting to make a comeback, give me a shout. Or check out Inclusivity and the Reignite Academy where that's our bread and butter).

Also Making a Comeback

The sun. Summer. For four days. Catch it while you can. Timed perfectly to coincide with kids going back to school.

Tax. We knew we' have to pay for it sometime. They will call it "National Insurance" because people tend to associate this with paying for the NHS, which is actually ridiculous since it all goes into one big pot. It's tax.

Missing in Action

The opposition. Apart from Lisa Nandy, who has actually provided an opinion and an alternative course of action. Here's our regular quiz. See if you can name the opposition leader and their point of view on the following:

• Chancellor
• Education
• Defence
• Home Secretary

Fast Disappearing - Women's Rights

I'm not talking about Afghanistan (population 38 million), though learning that they will have rights "the Sharia law" way is clearly very concerning.

No, I'm talking about Texas (population 29 million so not far behind) where abortion has, effectively become illegal. And where they are trying to implement a law paying out a bounty of up to $10,000 for anyone who helps bring anyone involved to "justice".

Unbelievable. And all the more frightening as this move seems to be following a trend in the US rather than being an outlier.

On that happy note, I'm off to crack open what could be the last bottle of rose of the Summer (I moaned about rose earlier in the year but someone reminded me that Whispering Angel is actually quite palatable an I agree. Didn't bother in August as a hot toddy seemed more appropriate).

I'm watching: The Chair. I'm not convinced but I'm sticking with it for a while because I love Sandra Oh. Also watching Vigil which is also unconvincing but there's very little else on.

I'm reading: The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Read her debut novel The Dry last summer. She's Australian. Really enjoyed it.

I'm listening to: Radio 6 mostly. The channel that got us through lockdown.

Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.