The ‘adult gap year’
Why taking a career break was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made
Aside from deciding to quit my last job, the decision to then take a career break was hands down the best decision I’ve made in my career. But understanding it was even a possibility to take such a break without a reason was another matter.
When I made the decision to quit my job, knowing that jumping feet first into another full time gig wasn’t the right thing to do, I considered my options. Naturally curious, I of course did a lot of research. I like to gather all the information, see the case studies before setting upon a course of action. As I navigated the Google searches, travelling beyond the fourth page, what I found was a lot around taking a break from working for a reason that exists beyond the self like caring for children or for travel like the traditional gap year. There were very few stories about those taking the time for themselves, their development or even just to rest. Interestingly the term Career Break has very recently been added to the Cambridge English Dictionary defined as:
“a period of time when you choose not to have a job, for example because you want to travel or take care of your children”
There was also a lot of information around requesting and taking a sabbatical and returning to the same job but nothing around walking away from it all for a period of time. This lack of information at the time made me feel like I wasn’t allowed to have a break without having children, which is ridiculous. Slowly I realised I didn’t need permission I could just do it. Just because no one had done it before that didn’t mean it wasn’t a thing, it just meant it wasn’t a thing…yet.
In making the decision to take a break my biggest barrier was not financial, I had managed to save a lot during the pandemic and have remained relatively frugal for the past year to fund it. It also wasn’t the fear of the unknown, it was my perception of what other people would think. People who had travelled down the traditional path expected of working in a job, usually the same one, until retirement when we can finally live the life we’ve been waiting for. But then I realised absolutely no one is watching the only person who thinks that, is in fact, me.
What a career break does for you is it gives you the time and space to think without commutes, long hours, office politics or worry about work. Without these things you can really ask yourself the important questions. Stepping outside the day to day enables you to observe where you are and where you’ve come from with real reflection.
Over the course of many months I used various personal development courses to help delve into my values, strengths, go back over my past experiences, both life and work and make connections that have helped me discover where it could all lead. It was during this process I remembered that when I was at university I took a paper in museum studies which touched on how to curate an exhibition. I was inspired and with a few class mates we requested funding from the local council for a student art exhibition. We curated artists, found an exhibition space and put on an exhibition that drew in local media and the wider community. I was essentially an entrepreneur, but without doing the exercise I never would have remembered nor would I have seen it as proof that I am able to dream something and bring it into being.
Taking a break also helped me put some distance between my experience at my past workplace and the actual work. It has enabled me to recover and determine what I want to leave behind and what I want to carry forward. Doing the work enabled me to see that it isn’t the work but the culture and environment that doesn’t fit me. I love doing the work but unfortunately corporate life isn’t just about the work.
As 6 months turned to 9, turned to 12 and I have enjoyed every minute of it. It’s enabled me to rekindle passions I’d long forgotten and allowed me to read and indulge in the dream of writing my own book some day. The only thing I would have done differently is spend more time simply doing nothing. I’ve managed to pack the time with DIY, personal and professional development which has helped me determine what I want to do next but before that really kicks off I’m going to dedicate a few days along the way to simply doing nothing.
Whilst I intend to take another career break in the future what I am most focused on is building a career and working life that I don’t feel the need to escape from. That is roomy enough to allow me to be many things and most importantly live life in the way I want to.
Have you taken or are you considering a career break? I’d love to hear from you.
Thankfully in the past year there was been an increase in people taking career breaks and a surge in information and support. Here’s a round up:
Why it’s OK to take a career break
Why and how you can take an adult gap year to help discover your true desires
9 Reasons to take a career break
10 Reasons to take a career break one more!