Making The Most Of A Career Break: What Options You Have

Life can move at a fast pace that we can often want the opportunity to take a step back. For some, that means taking a career break. But, it can seem like such an overwhelming thing to consider, especially if you are in the midst of your career and hoping to move up the career ladder. However, there are many benefits for taking this sort of break in your life that can often help you move forward in your career and on a personal level. 

What we sometimes don’t realise, is that life is for living.

We can all be guilty of getting stuck in the main routine of life, and it can often feel dull and mundane.

But we can also take advantage of opportunities that we have available to us, and a career break could be the ideal way for you to get things more aligned in your life and to work out exactly what you want from it. With that in mind, here are some of the beneficial ways you can get more from a career or study break.

Perhaps it will inspire you to take a leap of faith in the future. 

You could volunteer abroad

• You might decide to take a break but are not sure what to do with this gift of time.

However, considering to volunteer abroad could be the perfect choice for you. You can gain quite a lot from volunteering, but it can also offer you the chance to make some amazing memories.

Volunteering with organised campaigns can be an easier way to do something productive with your time.

Many volunteering options include working closely with animals or even working on charity campaigns to help those less fortunate. 

Working or living abroad

A career break might just mean that you decide to stay away from the job you do currently, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use this break to gain skills and experience in another country?

• You could look at the options of living abroad and the value and experience this could give you in life. Perhaps buying or renting a townhouse in the suburbs of some flashy city, or looking to enjoy and embrace apartment living in the heart of a town.

• You may even try something different such as living on the coast, or just experiencing a new culture where you can learn a language and gain some alternative skills for the career you have.

There is a huge opportunity in this, and definitely one to consider. 

Use the opportunity to learn new skills

If you take a career break specifically, you might want to think about using the time to improve your skills that you already have.

Learning new skills or gaining more qualifications could help you progress further up the career ladder. It gives you the time to actually learn about everything, rather than trying to fit in courses and such in your spare time. 

Spend time with family in a pursuit to obtain a better work/life balance

Many of us in the full throws of life and our careers or studying will want more time to be able to do the things we want. That mostly involves spending quality time with family, whether that is partners, parents or children. So using a career break could present you with the opportunity to spend time with those people you hold dear.

• You could travel the world with young children, renovate a family home or even just spend time doing a normal routine like school runs and homemaking.

Whatever you decide to do with your time, it could help you gain a better home/work life balance in the future. 

Gain perspective on your life

One thing having time can do is help you to gain a little perspective on your life in general. Especially if you use the time to perhaps volunteer or help others less fortunate. It can be hard to appreciate how good life is when you are in a full routine with no moment to breath.

So having the chance to gain that perspective and feel grateful could have a positive impact on your life. 

Consider your options for a different career or study opportunity

You could also use this time to decide whether your study or career options are the right ones for you. Time allows you to take a step back and really focus on what you want out of life. A career or study break could provide you with that time, so you take the right step forwards. 

Let’s hope this highlights some of the benefits there are to taking a career or study break. 

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