How to Successfully Put Your Career on Pause

When’s the last time you said, “Man, I wish vacation was over already, and I could go back to work?” Most of us have probably never said those words. No matter how much you love your career, vacation is always a preferable choice. But you know what sounds even better than a vacation? An extended career break that lasts months or even years.

Taking the reins of your life and your career in your hands and enjoying an extended sabbatical sounds audacious and lovely, doesn’t it? Rather than dream about it, it might be time to start planning. At first glance, it might seem like a reckless move for your career. But we’re here to tell you that it can be done. And even better,you don’t have to put your career growth on holdto do so.

Successfully Managing Your Career Break

There are many reasons people might choose to take an extended career break. Maybe they need time to manage a health diagnosis orcare for family members. Perhaps they want totravel the world, or they’re amilitary spouse adjusting to a new overseas duty assignment. Still, others are burnt out and simply need a break from their routine.

不管什么原因,柯y to having a success story is to do as much preplanning as possible. Create a general outline of how you envision your work holiday before stepping away from your full-time job. That way, you’ll ensure that your rest is worry-free and your career is set up for success when you return.

—Begin With a Financial Plan

Obviously, you’ll want to discuss your plans with those important to you, particularly any business partners or family members who may also be affected by your decision. Will your time away from work have a significant impact on your family and home dynamics? If you’re working less, will household responsibilities and expectations change? It’s better to address these things before everyone goes through them together.

For most of us, the length of a career break is primarily determined by the amount we have in savings. Ensure you have enough money set aside to cover your living costs and any unexpected situations. You might need to temporarily adjust your lifestyle or develop creative methods to save money while not working. Perhaps you can utilize your skills to work part-time or freelance, keeping some cash flowing while providing you with a much-needed respite.

—Determine Where You Want Your Career to Land

Where do you want your career to be after the break, and how do they fit your long-term goals? Even if a circumstance beyond your control is forcing you to put your job on hold,there are many methods to deal with career gaps on your resume.

One of the easiest ways to get your foot in the door after time off is to utilizea hybrid resume formatas opposed to a more traditional, chronological one. That way, your skills are the first thing recruiters see, rather than any specific dates of employment. And aprofessional development plancan help ensure you utilize your time away for continued growth. That way, you might not even need to mention your break when you start your round of interviews when you head back to the workforce.

—Maintain a Focus on Your Target

Once you’ve decided on some professional goals, make a strategy for bringing them about. Time can slip away from you when you don’t have your regular weekly work routine to help you stay focused. Whether they’re new certifications, applications for projects, orindustry networking events, now’s a great time to begin putting those activities on your calendar.

Stay up to date with industry trends, maintain your current skills, and don’t let any licenses expire. You can even work on expanding your skill set while you’re off. For example, as mentioned above,you could freelanceor volunteer in your field of interest. With a bit of planning,你可以利用这段时间把你的事业在新nd exciting directions.

—Continue to Grow Your Professional Network

Career breaks can be isolating, sobe intentional in staying connected with your professional contacts. Attend industry events, read trade publications, and join online forums related to your field. This will help you stay current with trends and ensure that you have a built-in support system when you’re ready to return to work. And the more active you remain with your network, the better you’ll be able to meld back into the workforce when your break is complete.

It will be helpful to regularly check in withyour LinkedIn profileand resume, ensuring that they remain updated and fully support your personal brand. This is also an excellent time to build that personal portfolio you’ve had on your to-do list for a while. Having all of those pieces in place can help make the end of your career break a seamless transition back to full-time employment.

—Don’t Ignore Your Personal Growth

When you’re ready to head back to the workforce, the most challenging aspect is explaining to recruiters why you chose to push pause.Start developing your elevator pitch now so that you can set the right tone in your interviews.

To a certain extent, you can sidestep that conversation by highlighting any personal development that you focused on while away. Did you spend time mastering your public speaking skills? What about business communication and other soft skills?

Choose How You End Your Career Break

Taking charge of the narrative and directing the attention to initiatives you took while away can help your career break become less of a considerationfor recruiters and hiring managers. With some preplanning, your career break can include continued growth and momentum while taking a sabbatical from your 9-to-5.

If you're looking for a flexible freelance or part-time job while you're on your career break, we can help! Take the tour and discover all of the ways that a FlexJobs membership can support your career, both during your break and afterwards when you're seeking full-time work again.

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