Why did you apply for a Returners opportunity at Nomura?

I decided to return to work when my younger daughter started secondary school. Unfortunately, this was just when COVID hit so I ended up waiting an extra 2 years to begin looking.

I wanted to find a job that would be challenging and allow me to use some of my previous skills and experience. I also wanted to work 4 days a week with a balance of time in the office and time working from home.

Nomura offered exactly what I was looking for.

I was impressed that they focused on my skills and experience as opposed to the length of my career break!

What is your career background?

After a short period at a technology consultancy after University, I then spent 14 years at an Investment Bank in a wide variety of roles from a junior developer through to running the Sales and CRM systems for the bank which involved moving to NY for two years. I also took on a non-traditional role of running the project to look at how we resourced technology projects and where the resources were located. This involved helping to establish a technology development center in Houston which was a great experience.

I decided not to return to work after having my second daughter in 2008 and spent the following 14 years at home punctuated with a short 8-month contract project managing a client project for a cinema software firm.

What is your role and what does it entail?

I am a program manager working in the strategic and regulatory change function currently managing a program of work to implement new trading controls across all of the main trading systems in the firm.

My role involves interpreting the business requirements and then working with the technology teams across the different business areas to determine how to implement the requirements. I am responsible for agreeing how long projects will take, tracking the projects and identifying risks and issues ensuring that they are managed effectively to prevent the deliverables being delayed.

No two days are ever the same.

What skills would you say are most important for the area that you work in?

The main skills that are important for my role are:-

• An understanding of both technology and the business with the ability to communicate requirements between the two.
• The ability to step back and identify risks and issues that may prevent the project from succeeding.
• Lateral thinking skills to help resolve issues by coming up with solutions that may not initially be obvious.

What do you like most about working at Nomura?

The people at Nomura make the company special. Without exception everyone has been friendly and welcoming and always willing to help.

What advice would you give someone who was considering returning to their career after a break?

Don’t hesitate. I wondered if I would still be able to remember how to do the job after 14 years away but within the space of a week it felt like I had never had a career break!

Why did you apply for a Returners opportunity at Nomura?

I had a career break and the idea of a 3 month return to work and progress review really appealed to me. The programme of support, coaching and training really accelerated my return to the workplace.

What is your career background

Technology & team leadership in a growing organisation

What is your role and what does it entail

Leading a global team for Real Estate technology. This role involves team leadership, project management, stakeholder engagement & the ability to juggle many priorities simultaneously.

The Real Estate application portfolio consists of over 40 applications. When joining the team many were obsolete or on legacy technologies/infrastructure. The team are also responsible for CTB & RTB so moving projects forward at times is challenging.

I manage a mix of new applications and technology lead obsolescence projects, feature requests from stakeholders to day to day issues that arise. I enjoy engaging with the variety of stakeholders globally. Also setting the team strategy, the goal of which is to ensure a consistent view of applications globally, standardise where possible and provide a better service to stakeholders and reduce support. I am currently setting a global governance structure for this purpose having previously established regional structures.

What skills would you say are most important for the area you work in?

Stakeholder engagement, team motivation, knowledge of many technologies and organisational skills to drive multiple projects to completion

What do you like most about working at Nomura

The community and conduct of everyone I have met.

What advice would you give someone who was considering returning to their career after a break?

Embrace it!  Especially on a returners programmes. The support given enables you to thrive and reengage with your career. The camaraderie gives a strength to all involved and the whole package enables you to hit the ground running.

Why did you apply for a Returners opportunity at Nomura?

I joined Nomura’s EMEA IT Security Team in 2019 as an experienced hire via Nomura’s first European Technology Career Break Returner Programme. I have spent most of my career in client facing roles working away from home. I decided to embark on a career break to travel, upskill and decide on the next steps in my career. It was also important to me to find more balance and work friendly hours so that I could also have time to volunteer and serve in my community. When I made the decision on next steps, Nomura and Inclusivity offered a wonderful opportunity to me, plus support through a tailored 13 week returner programme involving mentorship, self-development training, coaching from an executive coach and peer support.

What is your career background?

I have worked as a security professional for over 17 years, working across industry verticals such as retail banking, insurance, retail, charities, education, telecoms and government. I have worked for several specialist security consultancies conducting security assessments in the UK and globally.

What is your role and what does it entail?

My primary focus in the Global Cyber Architecture team is to challenge, consult and advise on the cyber security risks associated with proposed business changes across all business lines.

What skills would you say are most important for the area that you work in?

Given the complex and ever changing cyber threat landscape, I am required to keep my technical and security knowledge up to date, and evidence this through continuing professional education. Communication, empathy and problem solving skills are essential to my role with colleagues in Nomura and external third parties.

What do you like most about working at Nomura?

Three key things for me; 1)The people. 2) The opportunities to learn, grow and help others. 3) The focus and support for colleagues on health and wellbeing.

What advice would you give someone who was considering returning to their career after a break? :

It’s absolutely natural to feel discomfort after having a break from the workplace. Trust in yourself that you are capable and you will bounce back better than ever. Don’t be afraid to fail, find your passion and follow it. Build your network and connect to people working in the same field. Embrace change and push through that discomfort, it is all part of our learning journey.

Why did you apply for a Returners opportunity at Nomura?

I had taken 5 years out of work to look after my children. Prior to that, I had always worked and I wanted to fill this career gap. During this gap, I started a business that did quite well but entrepreneurship can be a very lonely journey with little children. I ended up looking for a returner program that gave me a form of work life balance as well as professional growth.

I couldn’t believe my luck when I was called in for an interview at Nomura, It’s a real relief being in the right place. Today, I work in a busy environment that I thrive in, I work with an amazing team of colleagues where we share ideas and find solutions, the learning structure is great and they encourage formal training while having hands on experience.

What is your career background?

I have worked in Education, Banking, Asset Management, NHS and Hospitality

Educational Background – Masters in IT, BSc Hons in Mathematics with IT

What is your role and what does it entail?

I work in Project Management/Business Analysis- mainly in Data. 

A typical day depending on the project would entail gathering requirements from stakeholders, communicating with various development/user groups to see what can be built starting from MVP, drawing out plans and finding solutions through collaborations and iterative improvements.

What skills would you say are most important for the area that you work in?

Keen eye for detail, problem solving, communication and adding value. Looking through existing processes or communication methods to help deliver value incrementally in a collaborative way.

What do you like most about working at Nomura?

The variety and complexity of some projects, you are spinning a number of plates at the same time which means you end up learning different skills quickly. Also the leadership team are happy to help you learn/mentor and give you the best opportunity to shine at your core skills while still challenging you.

What advice would you give someone who was considering returning to their career after a break?

Just do it! This opportunity is rare. Nomura presents an environment to grow in and have a team of people vouch for you.