The Pros and Cons of Taking a Career Break

The COVID-19 pandemic really made people see the world from a different angle when it came to working conditions. Many employees resigned from their respective jobs due to various reasons like low salaries, no promotions, toxic working environment, etc. In the middle of all this, the concept of career breaks also started fermenting among employees.

Career breaks helped employees realize their potential beyond their designated workplace and gave them the opportunity to explore beyond their current role and industry or even pursue personal interests that they were not able to do before due to previous work commitments.

While taking a career break can seem daunting at first, it may be one the best decisions a person can make for their physical and mental well-being. A career break can assist in upskilling, finding renewed motivation or pursuing a new career direction, along with benefits of overall well-being and a renewed sense of self-worth.

What is a Career Break

A career break is an agreed-upon period of time off work that the employee takes to focus on personal pursuits, take care of family, or for any other reason. A typical career break can last anywhere between one month and two years but may be extended according to the circumstances.

A career break may unintentionally be confused with a sabbatical. However, unlike career breaks, a sabbatical is a more formally structured type of period off from employment.

Career breaks have become increasingly popular as people attempt to establish a healthier work-life balance. Career breaks allow you to expand your skill set, learn new skills, pursue a passion, or even travel the world.

Importance of Career Breaks?

Taking a career break can be a good idea and can offer several benefits:

Recharge and Renewal:

A break from work gives an opportunity to leave the daily routine and to recharge, rest, and regain the seriousness and passion for work. It also tends to save a person from burnout and can, as a whole, elevate his or her well-being.

Personal Growth:

A professional break will allow one to focus on personal growth; this can either be exploring a new interest or learning new skills that one wanted to pursue, but could not since they were dedicated to their jobs.

Career Reflection:

A career break allows a person to look back at what they have accomplished and reassess their career route. It also enables people to reassess their goals, values, and aspirations so that they can make better decisions about their future.

Work-Life Balance:

Sometimes, a career break can help people achieve a better work-life balance. It gives time for family commitments, travel, or other life events that might have been difficult to manage while working full-time.

Increased Creativity and Innovation:

Time away from the norm gives new perspectives and improved creativity. When you return to work, you may find that your time away has inspired new ideas.

Skill Diversification:

Taking a professional break to build or strengthen skills can increase an individual's value and versatility in the job market.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Taking a Career Break

Before going on a career break, one should take into consideration all the pros and cons before going ahead with the step. The following points will help in forming considerations for things to keep in mind when going on a career break.

Pros

• Newly Acquired Skills

One can use a career break to acquire new skills or retrain themselves to stay current in the industry. This, in turn, shows the future employer the candidate's willingness to learn new skills and quickly adapt to the work environment when returning to the workforce.

• Rejuvenation

An overdue career break can help the employee rejuvenate their sense and reignite their determination and motivation to work harder and better with renewed vigour.

• Opportunities beyond the workplace

A career break enables the person to gain skills and experience outside of the workplace, such as pursuing a personal project or a hobby or even trying to be an entrepreneur.

Cons

• Potential skill gap in the industry

Even though you can be away learning new skills on your career break, you may lose track of the current industry trends while being away, and it may hinder getting back into the workforce.

• May need some time to re-adjust back into the workplace

Adjusting back to a schedule and regaining sharpness in work efficiency might also take some time. This will also be an obstacle for organizations, as the deadlines and end products might be compromised.

• Financial Problems

If you are returning from a career break, you may be initially be strapped for money for some time after your return. It even maybe harder getting back into the role and paycheck you once had.

• Trouble Finding Jobs

Taking a long career hiatus spanning over the years can make employers reluctant to hire you without valid proof of reasoning. The employers will always prefer to recruit someone who knows the current trends in the industry as they will be updated with the required knowledge. Thus, one must carefully plan their hiatus with this factor in mind.

Conclusion

A career sabbatical requires good planning, self-reflection, and strength. Clear goals must be set, financial implications studied, and a support network maintained. In addition, by learning, volunteering, or involving oneself in personal projects, one remains sharp and relevant during time out of the profession.