Is a career break the right move for you?

You are not the only professional considering a career break right now. Every year, thousands of professionals in the US leave the workforce due to diverse reasons.

Why do professionals take career breaks?

There are many reasons behind career breaks in the US. However, the most common reasons for a career break are:

• Due to caregiving responsibilities
• For pursuing professional development
• To deal with mental health issues

Who takes career breaks more?

Most of the professionals who take a career break are those in parenting roles, especially women. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the number of women out of the workforce currently is significantly larger than that of men. The reason behind this is the burden of family care often falling disproportionately on women than men.

A career break is different from a sabbatical

Career breaks are sometimes referred to as the adult gap year. A career break is an unpaid, purposeful time taken out of the workforce. Today, career breaks are very common as professionals try to establish better work-life balance. A career break can be anything between two months to one year. A sabbatical is a paid or unpaid leave from work. You must agree to be back to work on a specific date to be granted a sabbatical. Sabbaticals are taken usually when professionals want to focus on professional development or academic growth.

The pros and cons of taking a career break

A few months away from the stress of work may sound like a luxury to you. However, we need to consider both sides of the coin before making a decision about a career break.

Pros of taking a career break:

• You get time to focus on your mental and physical health
• You get better chances to expand your network
• You can learn new job-related skills
• You can pursue a hobby, passion, or your own business
• You get to have some time to rejuvenate yourself

Cons of taking a career break:

• You may end up halting your career progress for longer than you anticipated
• You can lose touch with people in the industry
• You may have trouble catching up with the latest tech in the industry after a while
• There will be some trouble finding a job when you re-enter the workforce
• You won’t have a steady income during your career break

Why should you consider taking a career break?

Now that we have covered many questions you may have about taking a career break, let’s dive into the reasons why you should consider taking one:

Learn new skills – If you are planning to quit your 9 to 5 for a few months, you will be left with 8+ hours of free time a day that you can invest in learning a new skill valuable for your career growth.

Go back to school – Have you found it hard to juggle school and a career? With the freedom you gain from a career break, you can consider pursuing higher education.

Spend time with family – Taking care of a young or old family member is one of the biggest reasons for people to take a career break. This will be beneficial for a better work-life balance.