Taking a career break in todays job climate

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Hey all,

I hope you're all enjoying the great weather we're having at the minute.

I'm posting just to get a general feel for what the job market is like at the moment, and to what peoples opinions are on taking a career break during these times. It has become apparent that I am no longer expanding in my current role, and the dynamics of the team have now resulted in an atmosphere where I no longer enjoy working at the company any longer. It is a large company, which is probably the worst environment for me, and may explain why I'm no longer happy in the role.

Due to this, I'm considering taking a career break with several friends to travel around Australia/Asia for a few months. I have the saving, plus some for when I get back that will cover me for around 6 months finding a new job. My main concern is with the credit crunch and the current job market, and how easy it would be jumping back into an IT position similar to the one I've left in the next few months.

I've been in IT since college (6 years) and have experience/qualifications to back up my skills, so that shouldn't be an issue, it's more along the lines of if there will be any open jobs to come back to.

Please, let me know of your thoughts and opinions on this and how you would tackle it.

Thanks,

Matt

 

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Hi Matt, All I can say it DO IT (as it not I.T. LOL) , and like you said it's only for a few months!!!

To be honest if things were getting that bad then redundencies would be on the horizon too!!! So if you stay and everything goes to sh1t then you may get laid off!!!

Go travelling mate, something extra to stick on ya CV!

Let us know what you decide!

 

what drumdude said

You wont regret travelling its something I wish I'd done and if I get the chance I will.

 

Agreed, go see the world. You will be able to get a job when you get home, you got your current job ok didn't you!

 

Hi Matt,

I have just taken two huge career changes over the past 8 months.

I was with the same company since leaving College and had progressed as far as I could. I took a career change from being Management to being a Financial Advisor (passing the six CII exams in seven months on my own).

I then realised that Financial Advise was not for me and that I should have gone into IT :P

But the two most important things I have taken from this where:

1. Having no regrets (if I did not make the changes then, the what if bug would always have been lurking inside me).

2. Being financially prudent, has allowed me to make these changes twice!

Hope this helps a little.

Craig

 

Personally, I wouldn't. Every day you're not in IT is another day farther behind you are in your career development.

Plus, without an IT job, you're less marketable - you're worth more when you're still employed. Worse, some employers will simply bin your CV, thinking that you've been looking for 6+ months and can't get hired anywhere. "Why isn't this guy working? There must be something wrong with him. Can't take the risk. <crinkle crinkle toss>". Meanwhile, your savings disappears.

Yeah, it'd be great to travel around Australia and Asia... but not at the risk of my career development. That's what vacation/holiday is for!

Find a job you enjoy, and it will no longer seem like "work". ;)

 

I agree with Drum dude, DO IT ! Will you ever have another chance to travel with your friends when you are young ? What will you care about most when you are eighty rocking on your porch ?

I've been travelling three times in my life so far, so have many of my friends, yes it does affect your career, yes you are most marketable when in work, but if you live to work and not work to live whats it all for ?

You're not gonna want to climb mountains, bungee jump, surf, etc when you retire at seventy, two weeks a year is not really long enough either. If you can't have some freedom and rewards in your life then what are you putting in all the hard hours for ? What good is a big lump of cash when you are eighty ?

Best of luck whatever you decide !

 

I can relate to what boson said, BUT, if you know (have a feeling) you will get a job when you come back then go for it! You got a few certs, some experience why not? Potential employers will always take that in to consideration, its not the case that your a newbie, tryin to break into I.T market!

I hear too many times, peoples regrets (what if, I should have done this when, etc). If you feel you need this break and its your once in a lifetime oppurtunity then go for it! Theres always gonna be a demand for I.T staff regardless of a predicted 'recession'. Plus your only young once. As dmarsh said, your not gonna be rocking climbin / surfin / whateva u into now at 70 years old!

Fat P

 

Go travelling!! Definately. You have the experiance and certs so its not exactley like you will be starting from afresh when you return. You can always take a cr*p job when you get back to pay the tax man and the rest/make ends meet until you can find the job you want.

 

Thats a bit doom and gloom BM! He's only going for 3 months. I know plenty of people such as contractors that have been on the bench only then to fall into a reasonable job after 3-4 months. Being off work didn't affect them - also I'm well aware of contractors that work for 6-9 months and then take the rest of the year off...again it doesn't affect them!

But as always BM, I totally repect your opinion.

 

While I think you should get out and see the world, I do agree with BM that it's harder to find a job if you are unemolpyed.

 

I would say go for it man! never done it myself and trust me I regret it!

 

If it works out for him, it'll be a great experience. If it's difficult for him to get a job, he'll wish he hadn't done it. Just pointing out BOTH possibilities for him - both the rosy and the bleak - so he is well prepared for whatever happens.

Some people get lucky and just fall back into a job... but some don't get lucky. You may not have seen people struggle to get work after being out for 3-4 months... but I have. You really don't want to be in that position, particularly if you CAN avoid it. That's all I'm sayin'.

 

Yep I do see what you're saying, but I can only talk from my own experience in that I have been out of work on many occasions as a result of me telling an employer to either get stuffed or - for my last unemployment stint - taking a study break.

I suppose it's just down to the person that one is - I find interviews a doddle and can 99% of the time say the right thing that leads to a job offer. I would imagine that if you struggled to get a job in the 1st instance due to interview techniques or confidence etc then a career break may not be a good idea...

however...

travelling round the world etc can do wonders for one's confidence and outlook on life! That means more then any cert or experience on the planet!

Again this is just my opinion and I do not advise that peeps should just quit jobs without thought and/or advice.

 

Like you, I've never had problems getting jobs either. I'm either asked to apply for positions, or I send my resume to a single company, get the interview, and get hired. But I know from hearing everyone else's experiences that our experiences are not typical. Thus, I can't look at this situation using only my own limited viewpoint - I have to combine that with what I've seen and heard everyone else go through. Otherwise, I'd have advised that he take as long and as expensive of a trip as he could.

 

I get BM’s point of view, quite frankly I share it for my current situation (family, home, finances…).

When I was younger I chose the career development over travel. In retrospect, I’ve done well, but it’s a mindset. Another words, it wasn’t that I gave up on a trip, it’s that I chose career before most other things – but that’s me!

You’re 22. This might be a great experience. If you don’t have the commitments tying you down, enjoy the trip.

 

I'm 37 and have just taken a 9 month career break in the Canary Isles. Whilst the initial "return-to-work" mindset was hard to re-capture the job wasn't. I was lucky enough to get straight back to work.

At your age, go for it