Guides
The practical questions, answered properly
We do not have all the answers, and we will not pretend to. What we do have is what our users have lived through, our own pivots, and the research actually worth trusting, distilled into a few honest guides. Start here instead of fifty open tabs.
★ Start hereMeet the founders: the questions we would rather not be asked
Julie and Elselien built Pirouette after their own pivots. Here they answer the questions a sceptical reader should ask, including the uncomfortable ones.
Read, 6 minutesfounderswhy we built Pirouettecareer changeour storybehind the scenes
How to explain a career break on your CV
Name the break plainly, date it like any other entry, and keep the explanation to one line. Includes wording you can copy, and what to say when it comes up in interview.
Read, 5 minutescareer breakCV gapemployment gaphow to explain a career gap on a resumecareer gap explanation examplesinterview answersreturning to work
How to change career without taking a pay cut
Most career change pay cuts come from moving function and sector at once, or paying for retraining you did not need. Change one variable at a time and hold your number.
Read, 6 minutessalary negotiationcareer changepay cutcareer change without pay cutmid career transitionpay transparencyjob switching
Moving abroad for love: the career pivot you did not plan
Following a partner across the world reads like a career sacrifice. Handled deliberately, it is the cleanest pivot window you will ever get. How to use it.
Read, 7 minutesmoving abroad for loverelocating partnerrelocating partner career transitiontrailing spouse career optionsexpat careercareer pivot after moving abroadstarting over abroad
How to make a career pivot at 40 with young children
Forty is not a restart, it is a repositioning with twenty years of evidence behind you. How to change direction around small children, a mortgage, and no spare time.
Read, 7 minutescareer pivotcareer change at 40working parentsmidlife career pivotmidlife careercareer transition with family and mortgagetransferable skills
Returning to work after maternity leave: Sophie's story
Sophie came back from maternity leave to a quieter calendar and a smaller job nobody had told her about. What happened next, and what to do if it happens to you.
Read, 8 minutesmaternity leavereturn to workreturning to work after maternity leaveworking mothersquiet demotioncareer break on resumeparental leave rights