How to take a Career Break

Taking and planning a Career Break

It's a New Year and the perfect time to start thinking about what you can do differently with your life. If you are like many people stuck in the constant drone of the career ladder you may have started to wonder - Is this really it? Is there more to life? Spending day after day under fluorescent lighting with meetings, targets and deadlines - is it all just becoming too routine? If the hours between 9am and 5pm mean 8 hours of constantly watching the second hand tick around the clock until it rings freedom for you, then it is time for a change!

Gimme a break

Your career break can be as unique as you are. You might want to take off for a few years or you might only escape for a few weeks. What you do during that time can be just as diverse.

Possibly you just want time to de-stress, maybe do a bit of soul searching or perhaps you want to test out a new career path for your future. Whatever your goals or ambitions for your time off, remember that nothing is impossible with a bit of determination and planning. This guide will show you some of the ways to make your daydreams a reality and demonstrate how a break can be the best step to further enhance your career and your way of life. Hopefully we can help you realise that really the only thing holding you back is you!

Overcoming Excuses

Here are the ones we always hear time and time again:

• "I would like to do it, but I have no one to go with." That's not an excuse, it's the perfect reason to go away - to meet more people! You will not be alone for long as you travel to new locations, engage in local cultures and reach new peaks. You will undoubtedly return with ten times as many friends as you left with.
• "I have a good job." If you already have a good career, taking a break probably isn't going to damage that. You'll be able to add new transferable skills and experience during your time away and pick up again on your return! You can probably even jump up the ladder.
• "It's too dangerous, I won't be safe." You'll be safe if you use some common sense. If you apply the same rules of personal safety you use while at home you have minimal risks to face while travelling. You might also want to consider lowering your risks by travelling within a structured programme while taking a career break.

Dream to Reality

You've spent enough time staring blankly at the computer screen and daydreaming of something more. Now it is time to do something proactive about those wants and desires.

There is no prescribed 'right' time to take a break. Some people do it between jobs, others as part of their career plan and still others may venture out after years in the workforce. If you are hoping to return to your same job, negotiating your time off can be the biggest obstacle to overcome. But it's still possible. Although many companies don't advertise it, they do support sabbaticals and more are realising the benefits of allowing employees time off.

5 Steps for Popping the Question

• Plan what you are going to say before you go in to meet with your boss
• Have a prepared statement on why you need/deserve the time off
• Explain how your absence can be covered to cause minimum disruption
• List the multiple benefits that your company will gain by you taking a break
• Stand your ground. The stronger your case the more likely you are to get your wish. But don't give up if you get a rejection. Remember that you may not even want to return to your job when you get back. If you really want to take a break, sometimes that means taking a risk.

What to Do With Your Time Off

There is an endless array of things you can do during your time off. Although many people choose to leave the UK during their break, it is important to discover what the best option is for you. Here are just some of the options:

• Volunteer overseas or in the UK
• Take courses to learn a new language or skill
• Teach English overseas
• Work abroad at a resort
• Take a round the world trip

How to Start Planning

Once you have access to time off, and you have decided what you want to incorporate into your break, it is time to do the hardcore planning.

• Do Research: Scour the web, visit local libraries, borrow guide books, and explore second-hand book shops to gather all the information guides/materials/resources for the places you want to visit or the things you want to do.
• Get Advice: Seek out others who have taken a break and open up your ears. What you hear might just save you from making the same mistakes.
• Be realistic: You can only do so much during your break. If you try to cram too much in at once you could find you need a holiday to recover from your break.
• Stay flexible: It is good to have a plan, but keep an element of flexibility to your ideas as you never know who you might meet, where you might stumble upon or what you might learn during your adventures.

Taking Care of the Practicalities

Sure, it's fine to do the fun stuff like planning your mountain bike ride in Bolivia or booking your cooking class in Thailand. But if you are going to step outside your everyday life for an extended period, there are undoubtedly major practical issues that have to be addressed as well.

Raising funds: Unless you have a nice savings pot or a redundancy package to draw on, you'll need some way to fund your break. There are tons of ways to do this: clean out your place and have a boot sale, sell your car (it will only drop in value while you are away), get a deposit back on a flat, hold an event, get donations and sell raffle tickets- be creative!

• Mortgages: First get in touch with your provider. Some will provide a mortgage 'holiday' or can arrange lower payment options. You can also rent your place while you are away. It is best to do this through a management company as they can then handle any problems that may arise.
• Taxes: UK residents are entitled to an individual's income tax allowance of £4,615 (2003/04). If you work abroad and don't have UK earnings, you may be able to get a rebate of your unused income tax allowance. This will depend on the date you leave the UK (best to leave mid-tax year and return after the start of the next).
• Pension: Check with your company to see if they offer a pension 'holiday,' so that you could stop or lower your payments while you are away. If your period of employment was less than two years it is possible to take a refund of pension contributions.
• Post: The Royal Mail has services to help you while you are away. They can hold your mail for 2 months for £15.75 or redirect it to another UK address for £6.30 for 1 month up to £21 for six months.
• Insurance: If you are planning to travel during your time off, then get travel insurance. Shop around for the best deal for long-haul or round-the-world trips. Be sure it includes medical and repatriation cover.
• Money Abroad: It is useful to have a credit card for use while you are travelling. You can prepay a set amount on the card so you don't have to worry about payments, or you can set it up on direct debit. Check to see if your bank offers a credit/debit card which allows both ATM withdrawals and purchasing options. Set up an online banking account so you can track your finances while abroad at any hour. It is also smart to bring along some travellers cheques and US dollars (keep them all in separate places while you travel).
• Health: Visit your GP or a travel clinic to get the most up to date information on inoculations and vaccinations. Bring a first aid kit of essentials with you - include antiseptic wipes, plasters, prescription medication, painkillers, allergy medicine, indigestion tablets and iodine.
• Staying in Touch: Being far away doesn't mean you can't stay in touch with those back home. Set up a free Internet based account on Yahoo or Hotmail. Make sure all friends and family have one as well so you can send updates.

Put it on Your CV

Everything you have done in your time off can be transferred onto your CV when you return. Look at all the possible transferable skills you acquire and utilise in taking time off:

• Planning your trip: budgeting, time management, research, negotiation skills
• Travelling: flexibility, adaptability, communication skills
• Volunteering: team work, initiative, confidence, resourcefulness
• Teaching: creativity, confidence, presentation skills, patience

They've Done It!

Still need convincing? Take it from those who have done it:

"I just took a look at my life one day and realised that I needed a change. I couldn't handle another day dreading my alarm going off. I actually decided to hand in my notice at my job, took the i-to-i Weekend TEFL course and spent the next year travelling through Asia teaching English. It was amazing - the best career move I ever made. How else can you travel and make money?" Mary Joppan, 32, Ex-Office Manager

"I had just broken up with my long-term boyfriend and was heartbroken. But my friend convinced me that I should stop moping. I read about a woman who had gone off to volunteer in Costa Rica and it sparked something in me. I found i-to-i was able to offer me a programme that offered support and would allow me to meet other solo travellers. Off I went to Bolivia where I spent 3 months working at an orphanage, improving my Spanish and making friends from around the world. The perfect escape!" Catherine Burnett, 27, Finance Administrator

"I really wanted to test out a new possible career path so I looked into short-term work abroad. Since I didn't have any contacts or much experience, I had a hard time finding anything at first. But then I found i-to-i on Google and they were able to get me a placement at an advertising agency in Ghana. I am getting tons of interviews now simply because my CV stands out so much." John Cowle, 29, Ex-Office Temp