Women returning to work after a period of time away from the office feel they have more to offer prospective employers than their younger counterparts, according to a survey by Pitman Training.

It found that far from being worried about competing for jobs against younger, fresh out of school candidates, there’s a new breed of women returners who are more confident about their value in the workplace than ever before.

Two thirds of women recognized that they might have more to prove at interviews than the younger candidates with no personal commitments, but they did not see this as a challenge.

It found that only 22% of respondents worried about self image and general chit chat at the water cooler, compared to last year’s 66%.