A career break is a person’s absence from the workplace for a pre-agreed period of time ranging between 3 months and several years. While the most obvious reason for a career break is absence due to parental leave, there are numerous other occasions for a person to step out of the workplace routine in search of something different.
The most common reasons
In addition to caring for a child, a person may need a break to care for a sick or elderly relative. Prioritizing one’s own health is also an important reason for such a decision. With burnout and complete exhaustion, it may take months for a person to fully recover.
Other reasons for a career break include the end of a long period in which one has worked abroad. Expats need time to consider their next move, so they are increasingly taking a career break.
It’s not just those who have worked abroad who sometimes need time to reflect on their next steps. People who feel unfulfilled in their current job and leave to decide what is the thing that will make them happy also take such steps.
Next steps
Some people use the career break to develop their own skills. Upgrading their professional qualifications or volunteering for a meaningful cause are some possible moves during a career break. Others use this time to pursue a project they have long dreamed of, such as writing a book, improving language or sports skills, or moving to another country and traveling the world.
Stigma
A big concern for people taking a career break is how this will be perceived by a potential new employer. There is a stigma against people taking a career break for more than a year and a half. Their confidence in themselves diminishes as they worry about how to explain the pause. They also feel insecure in their skills after such an absence from the labour market. They also have doubts about how they will cope with their new responsibilities.
Rewriting history
Any concerns that people have after a career break, while valid, are often exaggerated. Knowledge and skills recover quickly after starting a new job. Catching up with new terminology and developments in the industry also helps. Confidence can return when one recalls past achievements.
When it comes to talking to a new potential employer, the career break can be presented in a “sandwich” model. One should start with one’s past accomplishments, then mention the career break, and end with what one wants to do now. It is a personal choice whether to give the reason for the career break and in how much detail to tell about it. If the person has been doing something that is relevant to the new job, for example building up their personal skills, then it is fine to share this.
As this is becoming more common, and the career path is becoming non-linear, telling with confidence rather than hesitation is the key to a successful interview after a career break.
