The Truth About Career Breaks: A Guide to Planning Your Time Off and What to Know Before You Leave
A career break is when you leave your industry or the workforce for a certain period. Often, it’s a chance to pursue other interests or responsibilities. Although taking a career break is becoming more mainstream and common, people still often face criticism for prioritising personal growth over professional advancement during this time. This situation is both unfortunate and misguided
Regardless of your reason, it's up to you to decide whether taking a career break makes sense for you.
Hiring professionals often overlook that career breaks aren't signs of being outdated-they actually provide rejuvenation. Contrary to common misconceptions, these breaks are not just extended vacations.
Instead, they may involve:
Caring for a loved one.
Recovering from a toxic work environment.
Acquiring new skills & searching for new opportunities
Coping with grief or relationship changes
Pursuing a lifelong goal like trekking the Himalayas
Taking time to contemplate your career to date and connecting with your passion
You might want a career break for any number of reasons.
How do you know it's the right time to take a break from work? It's a deeply personal decision - and it's an easier choice for some than others.
But extended time away from work can cause us anxiety. We may fear losing the skills, knowledge and relationships that we've carefully built up. Or, we may worry about how a gap on our résume might appear to potential employers.
Here's what you can do to maximise your days:
1. Gain a new outlook on life
Taking a career break can help you see life from a different perspective and provide you with some much-needed detachment from your work life.
Time away from your career can give you a new perspective on it. Make time for journaling, meditation, and other types of self-reflection.
For instance, many of us can go for years without changing lines of work or companies, when, in fact, change can be a good thing. After a few months to think, you may find that you want to change your career direction, apply for senior roles, take some more time out of work or even return to your old company - either way, that's fine.
2. Expand your skillset
Acquire new skills. From volunteer work to online courses, there are countless small ways you can learn new skills during your time off.
Going back to school can be a great way to learn new skills, raise your salary, and/or transition careers - all important things for your career development or a career change. Many professional university degrees offer night courses, so you won't have to interrupt your workday to attend.
3. Take a break from toxic work environments. Focus on your mental health and wellbeing instead.
Working in a toxic environment can be draining and it takes some time to recover from. Our professional life can take its toll on our mental wellbeing, leading to stress, burnout, sleeping problems and more serious issues.
Taking a career break gives you time to rest and recuperate before returning to work in a new, positive environment. It's important to remember that our health should be our top priority over an attractive salary or fancy job title.
4. Set goals & Reevaluate your career plans
Use this as an opportunity to reevaluate your priorities. Reflect on your beliefs and values and set career goals accordingly. Then you can plan for a happier, brighter future.
Decide where you want to be in the future and how to get there. This way, you can look back in 10 years' time and feel accomplished and satisfied with your career choices.
5. Spend quality time with family OR Get involved in a passion project
A good work-life balance includes nurturing family relationships. While quality family time often happens during leave, extending this break can be invaluable as families grow quickly. This also applies to caring for elderly parents.
Alternatively, a career break gives you the chance to dive into a passion project that brings you joy-whether it's starting a podcast, writing a novel, or volunteering. Focusing on your interests during this time can provide a sense of fulfillment.
6. Plan your return to work
Although you shouldn't spend your career break purely thinking about work. If possible, use some of your break to plan for a smooth return to the workforce. Determine whether you aim to resume a similar role, explore a career change, or venture into entrepreneurship. Include specific steps in your plan, and have this ready for when you begin your return to work.
Returning to work will require some adjustment, no matter how productively you've used your time away, and the key to success is preparation.
PART 2 of this series will provide practical advice and insights to help you navigate the re-entry process smoothly. Follow us for more tips & tricks!