More and more people are taking a career break at some stage during their working lives and in a world where a job for life is a thing of the past, taking a career break can be as equally attractive to your employer as it is to you.
So whether you have just finished university, are at work or looking for a complete career change, a career break can be a great move as well as being a lot of fun. A well structured, planned break which offers educational experiences can boost your career prospects and give your CV plenty of added interest. Here at Yomps we have a lot of experience in helping you plan your career break and have worked with individuals on putting proposals together for employers some even resulting in having their entire trip paid for!
So, what is a career break?
A career break is a gap year for grown-ups! It involves taking time off either between jobs or after university in order to try something new, maybe something more adventurous than a normal 9-5 routine.
Why do people take a career break?
Many people have career breaks to obtain new skills, retrain and make it easier to switch careers, to travel somewhere they’ve never been before, or to make their CV stand out above the rest.
But I don’t want to give up my career.
You don’t need to give up your career. More and more companies now have a career break / sabbatical policies in place. This will normally mean that you can take a number of months away from work and still be guaranteed a position and salary at your current grade when you return to work.
How Yomps can help: If you are interested in a trip with Yomps, then feel free to ask us for a reference letter for your employer detailing what it is you will be doing and what new skills you will learn.
What sort of trip should I take to improve my chances of getting my employer to approve my career break?
In our experience we have found that career breakers have more chance of a successful application if they decide to do something that gives them a new skill and ‘gives’ something to a community. For example if you work for an international company, then why not learn a language or help a community in a country that your company operates in.
How Yomps can help: A lot of our trips give you opportunities for adventure but also gives you opportunities to learn, such as learning Spanish, first aid and survival skills.
What if my employer won’t give me time off, should I resign?
Now this is a tricky one……
You need to know how the market is for your sort of job and decide if you think you can get another job on your return to work. But remember employers will often look favourably at someone who is fresh form a career break, rather than someone who is moving from job to job.
I’m not happy with my job, so don’t care if I resign.
If you’ve been in your job for a number of years and not happy with it, then people resign to take break, retrain and find a new career path on their return to the workplace.
Yomps Director (Antony Wilson) left his job in the UK, took a career break in South Africa where he did a Safari Guide course and then worked in African Bush for 3 years before returning refreshed to the UK. You can attend the course Antony did with Yomps, click here for further details about the Safari School course.
Can I afford to take a career break?
Most career breaks take a year or two to plan, so you have time to save money. People often open a saving account and put as much in as they can each month. If you’re going away for a long time then maybe sell your car to give your bank balance a good increase, rent your house out whilst your away, rent a room out whilst your saving to give you additional income.
How Yomps can help: At Yomps we have career break opportunities from four weeks to one year, so we will hopefully have a trip to suit your financial situation.