The skills come back faster than you think. The confidence takes a little longer — and that is completely normal.
If you are staring at job ads feeling like you have forgotten how to work, you have not. You have been running logistics, budgets, negotiations and crisis management daily. That is work. It just did not come with a payslip.
How to rebuild confidence, practically: - Start before you feel ready. Confidence follows action, not the other way around. - Do one small rep at a time: update one line of your CV, save one job, send one message. - Practise out loud. Run a mock interview with Interview Buddy so the first real one is not the first time you have said the words. - Keep a "wins" note. Every reply, every interview, every small step — write it down. - Talk to other returners. You are not the only one, not by a long way.
You are not starting from zero. You are starting from experience. Take the first small step today — the rest follows.