What would you do with your life if you had the opportunity to take a break from your regular day job? Would you travel the world, learn a new skill, spend more time with loved ones, start a new business or do something else? A career break is a GREAT way to take a mental break from the stresses and strains of your 9 to 5 and who knows where it could lead to!

WHAT IS A CAREER BREAK & WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER ONE?

A career break is commonly known as a period of ‘time out’ from employment. It can be used for personal development, professional development or a mixture of both. It might involve taking a break from your current employment and returning to the same job. Or it could involve quitting a job with a view to returning to a different one.

CAN ANYONE HAVE A CAREER BREAK?

Being able to take a career break will be dependent on your own personal circumstances. If you’re working in the public sector (e.g. Civil Service, NHS etc) there’s a good chance that your employer will have a career break policy. Have a look for it, download it and read it thoroughly.

If you work for a private company, they may not have a specific career break policy. However, this doesn’t mean to say that it wouldn’t be a possibility. Remember though that no company has a legal right to offer a career break.

how did you use your career breaks?

The opportunities for what to do with a Career Break are absolutely endless. I’ve had two breaks in my life, both for vey different reasons.

In my early 30’s I quit my full time job, sold my house and bought a round the world ticket. Why? I clearly remember being quite disaffected by being ‘settled’ in work and life. I felt quite despondent about working for another 30 plus years until retirement. I loved travelling and had grown a bit of equity in my house, so after doing some financial calculations I put my house on the market and the rest is history!

In my mid-40s I took a year-long career break from my job when my wife gave birth to our son. Our plan was to go on a European campervan adventure after three months but unfortunately the Covid pandemic delayed our adventures. It was still a brilliant year off though. Having successfully taken two breaks from work, I can highly recommend this as a way to change up your life!

A career break presents wide-ranging opportunities that wouldn’t be available to you if you just stayed in your daily 9 to 5!

When asking for a career break, be prepared and have a plan. You’ll need to schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss your intentions, specific dates, duration that you want off and what you want the career break for. Make a strong case and don’t be afraid to say how your break might benefit the company. You’ll be coming back refreshed, potentially with new ideas, skills and perspectives.

They’ll need some time to consider your request and to evaluate the impact of you leaving the company. Be prepared to negotiate as they might not say yes straight away. Also be prepared for them to say no – it might be a ‘not now’ due to staffing difficulties but don’t be afraid to try again at another time.

WHAT ABOUT THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATION?

When you’re on a career break, your employer will not normally pay you. However, some companies might offer paid sabbaticals; ask if this is something that your employer does. Also, check your career break policy thoroughly to see if its okay for you to do other paid work whilst you’re away from your job. If there’s no policy but just an agreement between you and your employer, be clear about what the terms of your career break are.

Do some thorough financial planning before you even speak to your employer about a career break. Ask yourself what you can afford to do. Can you save up enough money to take a month or two off? Can you take longer off if you’re able to work whilst you’re away from your job? All important things to consider.

want to know more?

If you have any questions about taking a career break, feel free to contact me here or reach out to me on Facebook / TikTok – look forward to hearing from you!

lets work together

If you’re at a time in your life where you’re contemplating some big changes, I can help. Check out the mentoring services that I offer and contact me if you have any questions.