A career break, or “sabbatical”, refers to a pre-arranged long absence from work. It is a time when a person deliberately leaves the routine of the workplace in search of something different. The hiatus can last several months, even a year. While this may sound like an odd thing to do, it is increasingly common.
The reasons for such a decision
The reasons a person takes a career break vary. Studies show that 2/3 make this decision set by the need to work on a long-dreamed project or the desire to master a new skill. These are the people who take a career break to write a book, to improve language or sports skills, or move to another country and travel the world. Most often, this period coincides with life turning points such as an impending jubilee or readiness for change, for example, one’s desire to have children.
The remaining 1/3 take a career break out of necessity. Circumstances in their life have changed and they have to deal with a certain challenge that requires pausig their career. It may be burnout or a serious illness in the family that requires continuous care. A change in professional circumstances may also lead to the need for a career break. Such may be a deterioration in team relationships or redundancy of positions. At such a time, one is forced to review the current situation and, through a career break, takes the necessary time to do so.
Concerns about how it will be perceived
There are often hidden concerns in people who are considering taking a career break about how this will be perceived by their employer and by colleagues and others. The expectation is that career prospects diminish for the person after a long absence from the workplace. Contrary to these expectations, however, it has been shown that after a career break people return refreshed, recharged and enriched with new knowledge. They are positive and ready to contribute new ideas and participate in more work projects.
Experts advise not to see a career break as a ‘hole’ in a CV, but as a moment of self-discovery and transformation. Even LinkedIn offers the option to add “sabbatical” for certain reasons to users’ resumes.
It’s good practice not to omit it in a conversation about work accomplishments, but also not to go overboard in talking about the reasons that led to it. The focus should shift to what one wants to achieve from here on with the new knowledge and skills acquired during the career break.
