People who mainly belong to the generation of Millennials and Gen-Z have expressed their desire to take at least once in their life the so-called "career break" or the professional break. The factors for such a decision seem to vary but in reality it all depends on one's needs at the time.
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"Career break" the temporary cessation of a person's professional career is defined. Many mistakenly conclude that a break equals the finality of one's career and professional development. It is actually a choice, which is consciously made by individuals for personal reasons. Although our society has made leaps of progress in recent years, not in this matter. The problem is the stigmatization that follows this decision both from the person's surroundings and from businesses.
Possible reasons for a "work break":
Burn out: Excessive workload, stress, tension are likely to lead to emotional exhaustion. According to the World Health Organization, it is a syndrome caused by chronic stressful work and can show physical symptoms such as stomach problems, headaches, pain, sleep disorders, etc. Burnout is considered even more common these days due to the fast pace of life and of multitasking, so it can happen to anyone.
Create a family: There are not a few who choose to take a short break from their intense everyday life in order to devote themselves to raising their children. It's a perfectly understandable decision, as people who can afford it usually want to enjoy free time with their loved ones without feeling the not-so-informal social pressure to balance their personal and professional lives 24/7. Each person should work in his own time according to his capabilities, free from stereotypes.
Caring for loved ones: When an event stigmatizes our life, when a person from the family needs our help, it is even considered necessary to take a break from professional responsibilities. In fact, Thomas Braiter, a former Microsoft employee, tells CNBC that he had to stop working for a period of time to take care of his father. He emphasized verbatim "I thought if a company doesn't have the empathy to appreciate my situation during that time, I won't want to work for them either.".
Health and Wellness: Our physical health is important but the A and Z is our mental health as neglecting it has physical effects. It is of the utmost importance that health and wellness be a priority in our daily lives. Traveling is also a good outlet. Therefore it is not unreasonable for the person to take time to rest spiritually and not only. After all, when he returns to work he will feel hungry, excited and productive.
Career change: It is common for people to reach a point where they do not feel fullness and satisfaction from their place or work branch. He may feel trapped and afraid to chart a new career path. The beginning of a new change would be the "career break". In such a case, signs of uncertainty anxiety may appear, but we must accept that this reaction is normal and expected. Fear of the unknown or a possible failure is in life. During the period of free time the person will have the opportunity to reflect on what his interests are, to develop new skills, to try volunteering, in general to do a deep search in his thinking and his innermost desires.
Related LinkedIn Research:
In 2022, the LinkedIn platform conducted a survey of 23,000 workers and it turned out that about 2/3 of them have taken a "work break" at some point, while 35% does not rule out doing so in the future.
Therefore, two radical changes should be made. First, businesses should not stigmatize a person by their choices but instead be seen as an example of maturity. A career break is seen as an opportunity for dedication to personal goals and certainly a lesson in self-awareness, for whatever reason. So we should respect everyone's path, without looking at one side of the coin. Unfortunately, when companies notice a time gap in a resume, they automatically conclude that they are fired. Secondly, if people have the opportunity to take a break, they should leave their comfort zone and try new things, above all give time to themselves. Above all, not to stigmatize themselves, to reach the stage of exoneration. So, as a society we must in turn break the chain and prioritize our needs without hesitation.
*Frontpage picture: pinterest
