Things to consider before taking a career break
Many people think of having a career break for several reasons. Sometimes the job they do can be very stressful or sometimes the job they do will be very boring or sometimes the job they do will not give them the satisfaction they need. The opinions differ from one person to another person and they would want to take a break for multiple reasons. If you are someone thinking about having a carreer break, below are the few questions you should be asking yourself to find out if our decision is good and if it is right to move forward.
How serious are we?
Sometimes we might think about doing something different to what we are currently doing. If the plan is to take a career break and explore our interests, then we have to first understand how serious are we. We have to understand if we would make use of the time and explore our alternative interests. Sometimes people are enthusiastic about leaving their jobs but then get lazy and don't do anything good. If they have a regular source of income or support is already available for their financial needs, then laziness will be very serious.
People might have some hobby in mind that they would like to convert to a full-time job. If it is done that way, the effort they put into it would look more fruitful for them and they won't feel like they are forcing themselves to do something they don't like.
Can we do things alongside our current job?
The next biggest question that should come to our mind is to think and see if we can do this alongside our current job. Let's assume someone would like to take a career break to achieve something in their life. What if it is still possible to do it without taking a break in career but instead allocate some time and still do it? Some people would like to take a break just because they want to travel somewhere and have a long vacation. If tried, some companies also provide unpaid leave to help them achive those goals.
Do we have enough funding to manage our expenses?
If we quit our jobs and focus on something else, the first thing that would stop would be our salary which is one of the biggest thing for every individual. Without having a proper income source many expenses can be difficult. If there are alternative income sources available or if there are other people in the family available to support, then there is a point in taking that risk. Some people even try to take a break after safeguarding the funds for a few months. But even in that case, I would consider it a risk because we cannot predict what can happen after that. A stable risk-free source of income is the right thing to have before making such decisions.
Can I get back to my job?
This is the next question that we have to ask ourselves. What if we planned something and it did not go very well? Are we good to get back to the same job or a similar job to do what we were doing earlier? This is something that everyone should be prepared to think about. We can even say that this is a safety point for someone who would like to try something and if it doesn't work out they get back to what they were doing earlier until they find another interesting thing to do.
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Most of the time, one of the things I noticed why people take career break is because of families
Having enough funds to manage my expenses is what I am presently working on before I engage fully in my career
So I will know that I already have a means of earning money
I think you covered pretty much all major issues apart from one - emotional aspect of the change.
From my own experience, I can say one thing - that feeling that you want to try something different, new in your life - to start a business, start a family or just 'see what it's like on the other side' - it just won't go away. More so - the years will pass and you become more and more bitter.
It's very important to test yourself not only as an employee but as a person aside from what you do - because in this way you not only gain experience much faster, but it is 'tailor-made' just for you.
Another thing is the return to your old job - if, over the years, you have made yourself a valuable asset and not an faceless, average-quality drone who can be easily replaced - the door will always be open to you.
For me - personally - work was too important. Less than two years was enough to finally understand that work is just work. That I shouldn't approach it emotionally, it shouldn't stress me out to the point of running out of breath.
I have gained distance and calmness, and I have also become a better professional because I can 'infect others' with calmness:)
Plus I have had time to develop my own small business on the side. When it grows to the point where I can make a living from it, I will be able to leave my job this time with peace of mind and without stress:)
There is no ideal solutions, so you have to figure this for yourself, but I promise, you will learn out of it more you can possibly imagine.
It takes a good planning though. I wish luck to all 'Changers':)
Thanks for stopping by and providing a very detailed comment.
My pleasure!
We share a very similar state of mind in life Bala. I can correlate with a lot of your posts. I have been having serious thoughts about a sabbatical leave. But wanted to go on a vacation just to make sure if I need a break or am I really serious about a longer break.
Lol yeah the same happens. Whenever I think of fun activities, I always get back to the thought that I badly want the permanent freedom and not the temporary happiness.
It is a fact that when we do one thing continuously our mind becomes very disturbed and stressed so it is a fact that we must take a break for some time. I have been working daily since but I haven't taken such a break yet, I am also trying to visit the northern areas of our country for a few days.
I have also not visited the northern areas of the country yet.
Oh.
Some people actually take a career break when they should not and that is the reason why they get caught away from their dream at the early stage